Matthew Owegi is the guy behind the strings in “Mlinda Moyo”, “Mystical” and “Number Wan” by H_art the Band. He has played for other artistes but these remain his most notable projects in the music scene so far. Listening to him pull the strings is like letting someone tag at your heart and realizing that you are fine with wherever this leads. He plays with his heart, gets lost in the melody, making the outcome beauty personified. And if you have a knack for instrumentals, then being around Matt feels like curling up on the couch on a rainy Sunday afternoon sipping on some hot chocolate, home to the soul. He speaks to the KenyanVibe on what makes him tick.
Where did your love affair with the guitar start?
High School. I started by playing drums then transitioned to guitar after High School. This was somewhat accidental. I went to church one early Sunday morning, finding no one on stage, I decided to try out drumming just for fun. Needless to say, I was amazed at how effortless it felt. I had found my place, no longer needing to lie about wanting to pursue a vocation in medicine, engineering or other careers that seemed fancy at the time. Music had my heart. Playing instruments in particular, was fascinating.
For how long have you done this?
I’ve played professionally since 2017. Since then, I play my guitar daily. It is a means of release for me and doubles up as a habit that helps me get better every day.
Did you anticipate the success that “El Shaddai” has had?
Yes and No. Yes because it was good vibes from day one. No in that the success of this project superseded my expectations by far.
Which project have you enjoyed being part of the most?
Working with Engage which resulted in working with corporate clients; that was different but exhilarating. The second was “Simple Man”, a song by H_art the Band set to be released this year. “Simple Man” was phenomenal because I could relate.
Matthew Owegi with H_art the Band at a wedding in Rusinga Island. Photo by Chasing_lenses
What dreams do you have for your career path?
My vision is to communicate through music. That in part looks like helping artistes express music through instrumentals, giving artists a platform to express their poetry and so on. I’m also interested in working with kids. In a nutshell, I want to create a comfortable bed for other musicians, regardless of age.
What was it like going on a week-long creative camp with H_art the Band and Cedo?
The highlight of my stay at the camp was working with Cedo. He has this ability to identify an artist’s strength, then showing and helping them enhance what they already have as opposed to trying to make someone produce something out of their element. As a creative person, it is something I have grown to appreciate. So, I would gladly say, he is a special producer.
What are some of your hobbies?
I love taking walks, listening to music and watching sitcoms
What are you most grateful for?
That I’ve found my purpose in life – to make music that speaks to the heart. I get to do what I love.
What’s the worst thing you’ve gone through in life?
There was a period when I would go without sleep for up to 72 hours. A lot of things were not working out, it was a very lonely chapter of life. This was in 2019; worst year of my life. When I started to intentionally see myself as a child of God, things changed. I found a solid sense of identity, I could sleep. Every night. There were events preceding this episode that had led to insomnia. It was tough but I learnt valuable lessons. I learnt not to hold on to anything too tightly, so should it slip through my fingers, life will go on. God is the only constant I see now. Everything else is a variable.
Who is that one artist you would like to work with?
At this point in life, that would be Kaligraph. I would like to add some RnB feel to his creative composition
