Talia Oyando is a renowned radio presenter and an artist who has been in the limelight almost all her life. She also hosts the hugely popular ‘One Love’ reggae show aired on Citizen TV. The ‘Night Nurse’, as she is popularly known, has a body to die for and her fashion taste is what you would call ‘bold’ if not daring.
Here is her story as told by By Prudence Minayo.
Age
Talia was born on 26th February 1984. She is 37 years old as of 2021.
Family
Unlike most parents who dissuade their children from venturing into music, Talia’s family was very supportive. In fact, her father, Maurice Oyando, is a renowned producer who nurtured her talent from a young age.
Career
As a teenager, she was busy in the studio releasing hits after hits and in quick succession. Partnering with Yma and Alma, the trio released a hit song called ‘Jambo Rafiki’ in 2001. The song won an Emmy award.
Later, the talented radio presenter decided to go solo and released other songs that were popular. She has worked with top musicians such as, CMB Prezzo, Goldenchyl, the late E-sir, A.Y from Tanzania and Rizla who guided her into reggae music.
Oyando is known for such hits as: Mimi na wewe with CMB Prezzo and Tanzania’s A.Y, Haunitishi with E-sir and sweety banana with Nyambane.
After breaking from the band, her first song was “Rasta” and the second single was “What’s love” off the “Camp Fire Riddim” established her as reggae artiste.
Media career
The musician interned at NTV and did not stop even after the internship was over. Since the guards had no idea that her 3 months internship at Nation Media Group had ended, she would hand them snacks and walk in as if she still worked there.
Then, she’d sneak into the studio and carry on with work hoping not to get in trouble. After all this, she would present the show top 10 till 10 which didn’t have regular presenters.
After some time, she met the boss and was hired. The pay was Kes6,000 per month.
Upon leaving NTV, she joined Radio DJ at Easy FM, Kenya’s only all RnB radio station.
In 2013, she joined Homeboyz radio and was the late night host for a show dubbed “The juice in the mix” Recently, she announced her exit from the station in an Instagram post:
“Tonight and tomorrow will be my final shows on Homeboyz radio. I’m grateful for the years. Thank you for tuning in thank you for the love. I love you wholeheartedly. From the bottom of my heart. Let’s catch up next door,” she wrote on Instagram.
The reggae queen also hosts Citizen TV’s “One Love” reggae show that airs every Saturday from 4-5pm where Coco Soboo takes over from 5-7pm. She has moved to Radio Jambo where she hosts ‘Reggae Wave’ from Monday to Friday form 7PM-9PM.
“Tonight and tomorrow will be my final shows on Homeboyz Radio. I’m grateful for the years. Thank you for tuning in thank you for the love. I love you whole heartedly. From the bottom of my heart. Let’s catch up next door,” She shared on IG when she was exiting HomeBoyz Radio.
Marriage
The show host is married to Ezekiel Onyango who is a film and television director. Talia’s husband is also the CEO of film crew in Africa.
The two got married in 2010 and are blessed with a baby named Lyric. Talia confesses that the child is her greatest inspiration in life.
Struggles
Some people shinning today have gone through pain to reach where they are. Talia Oyando was bullied while still in school. They would lock her up in dorms and pour water on her books. It took 3 schools for the media personality to open up to her parents. The presenter said she contemplated committing suicide:
“I got into depression and there were times when I wondered, should I even be living? Is it all worth it?”
Sharing her struggles on Ebru TV Lets Talk program, Talia said she refused to go to school for two months:
“The owner of the school would drive to the house everyday on his way to the school and he would come in everyday and say ‘let’s go’ and I’d be like ‘no’.
“Bullying is real and I just want to say to parents that if you see your kids, talk to them , it’s okay to be friends with them so that they can at least tell you what’s going on,” she went on to say.
