Natasha Sanaipei Tande, 39, popularly known as Sana, is a Kenyan singer, songwriter, actress, radio personality, and entertainer. She is an all-around creative.
The mellow-voiced artist was born and raised in Mombasa, no wonder she sings in flawless Swahili.
Early Life and Education
Sana attended Loreto Convent Mombasa for her primary education and later attended Mama Ngina and Aga Khan High School.
She undertook Pharmacy studies at Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), which she later deferred when a music career opportunity knocked.
Music Career
In 2004, after successfully auditioning, Sana was picked for the Coca-Cola Popstars (East Africa) which was a music talent search. She was only 19 at the time.
Sanaipei Tande alongside two other Kenyan contestants, Kevin Waweru and Pam Waithaka, formed the band Sema and won a record deal with Homeboyz Records.
In 2005, the trio enjoyed massive airplay and released a 17-track debut album Mwewe. It contained lead singles like Leta Wimbo, Sakalakata, and Mwewe, thrusting them into regional limelight.
They later split around the same year, citing “irreconcilable differences” and “external forces”.
Radio Career
The late Chris Kirubi, owner of Capital FM, asked veteran presenter Eve D’Souza to train Sanaipei as a radio presenter. She wasn’t absorbed since they felt she was not a good fit for the station.
Shortly after, she joined Kiss 100, where she inherited Angela Agwenyi’s Mid Morning Show and Keep It Kenyan, which aired on Saturdays.
In 2012, Sanaipei left Kiss 100 and joined Easy FM (now Nation FM) as co-presenter of the drive show alongside the eloquent Edward Kwach.
In 2014, she went back to music and released Mfalme wa Mapenzi, as part of USA-based Kenyan music producer Wawesh project. The Mahaba project was a showcase of Swahili love songs and the single stood out, earning critical acclaim for her songwriting, giving her a new mileage.
Sanaipei moved to the mid-morning show alongside comedian Obinna. Obinna was later transferred to the driveshow, Sanaipei became the sole host of the mid-morning show. Interestingly, she garnered the station’s largest listenership.
In September 2015, Sanaipei was laid off in a massive retrechment move by the station. Her fellow presenters Ciru Muriuki and Anto Neo Soul were also sacked. There was uproar on social media platforms, with listeners and fans demanding their return.
Acting Career
In 2018, Sana landed the lead role in Aziza, a Swahili soap opera, about a young girl from a humble background with a talent for music trying to get a breakthrough.
She didn’t audition for the role. Rashid Abdalla saw the music video song for her single Ankula Huu. Sana acts in a skit at the beginning of the video and that got Rashid, who doubles as a film director, interested. That’s how she landed the lead role in Aziza, which revolves around her real life.
Initially, she had appeared as cameo on NTV’s Auntie Boss with Eve D’Souza. She was later given a more permanent role on Maisha Magic’s Varshita, both produced by Eve D’Souza’s Moon Beam Productions.
Fun Facts About Sanaipei
- Her feature in Nadia Mukami’s African Popstar EP (Wangu), garnered 4M views in its first week on YouTube, making it the biggest Kenyan collaboration in 2020.
- Her role as Nana Tandala, in the Kina TV series, earned her a Kalasha Award, Best Lead Actress in a TV Drama, 2022.
- She’s an excellent karaoke host and has been a host for B-Club and The Grove on Riverside among other clubs. She however hanged her boots in 2020.
Marriage and Relationships
Sanaipei has always been controversial on this issue. Her last known boyfriend was singer, Manga, of the famed Habib na Manga duo of Ogopa Deejays.
“I would love to get married because I want to share my life with someone, not because society says that I should. But if I don’t get married, that is my cross to bear, not society’s. Like I say about everything in life, you make your own choices and as long as you can deal with the consequences that follow, that is fine. That’s how I live my life.” she said in an interview with The Standard newspaper.
She revealed that she broke up with her ex because their relationship was directionless and that it didn’t add value to her life.
Asked if she’s dating at the moment, the singer revealed; “It’s not in my books right now”. She says she’s still on a journey of self-discovery.
