Popularly known as Clemo, Clement Rapudo Sijenyi is a veteran Kenyan music producer and the co-founder of Calif Records.
He is also the founder of Ngomma VAS, an online music platform that manages and promotes artist content in Kenya and beyond.
The award winning producer has been nominated by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja for the position of County Chief Officer.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Music
The brains behind ‘Beat ya Clemo’ that dominated the local airwaves in the early 2000.
The 42 year old started producing music while he was a first year student at Egerton University where he studied food science.
The producer would make beats from his parents’ living room where he had a temporary studio and do the recording in other studios.
“I’m from Eastlands, when I was growing up there were almost no opportunities for guys from that part of Nairobi. All the big studios were in the uptown areas. I wasn’t thinking about money, I wanted to empower young people and the entire music industry by extension
“The challenge was bringing up new guys, the media was supportive but it had its limitations. Getting people to understand what the industry is about was a challenge and this led me to follow through to digital media,” he said in a past interview with Nation.
The producer always wanted to hear how the musician sounded before getting his hands on the beat makers.
Calif Records and veteran musicians
Calif Records was conceptualized in 1998 by Clemo and his partners, but its opening was moved to 2000 after the partnership failed to work out.
Clemo first worked with his home-boy, musician Jua Cali whose name is abbreviated from, Jua California, a term they used to popularize their hood.
He later acquired the name Beat Ya Clemo. The first artist he worked with was Nonini who became the first musician to be signed under Calif Records.
He later worked with many other musicians including Kenyan heavyweights such as Pilipili, Flexx, Lady S, Jimwat and Mejja.
The music producer signed other musicians but they later fell out due to different reasons.
Ngomma VAS
The producer is also the founder of Ngomma VAS, which deals with music distribution, online branding and promotion, coding, programming, e-commerce, SMS and mobile telephone platforms.
The platform is licensed by YouTube as a service-provider working with musicians, chefs, stylists, comedians and animators.
Ngomma has written online blueprints for Willy M Tuva, Millard Ayo, Diamond Platnumz, Ali Kiba, Nandy, for Clouds TV and creatives in Rwanda, Burundi and Zimbabwe.
Appointment
On Tuesday, December 13, Clemmo was appointed to the City Culture, Arts and Tourism docket by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja.
He is set to appear before Culture and Community Services Committee on Thursday, December 22, for vetting.
