Evelyn Wanjiru
Wanjiru (2018)
Born	(1990-05-06) 6 May 1990 Nairobi, Kenya
Occupations	Singer Praise And Worship Leader arranger composer songwriter entrepreneur Business Woman
Years active	2010 (2010)–present
Spouse	Agundabweni Akweyu ​ ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	Mshindi Akweyu Agundabweni
Musical career
Genres	Contemporary worship music, contemporary Christian music
Instrument(s)	Piano, Acoustic Guitar
Labels	Bwenieve
Website	www.evelynwanjiru.com

Evelyn Wanjiru Agundabweni (born 6 May 1990) is a Kenyan gospel singer, worship leader, music director, songwriter, hostess of the annual event "Praise Atmosphere" and co-founder of Bwenieve production. She is best known for her hit songs "Mungu Mkuu", "Celebrate", "Jehovah Elohim", "Waweza," "Hossana," "Nikufahamu" and "Tulia."

Evelyn Wanjiru and her husband Agundabweni Akweyu

Evelyn Wanjiru Leading Worship at Citam Buruburu

Life and career

Evelyn Wanjiru started her music career at the age of nine years, as a child, she sang in a local church and school music festivals. She is the fourth-born of Helen Muhonja and Crispin Kinyua in a family of five. Born in Nairobi in 1989 She was brought up in the Nakuru Kenya Freehold Estate, where she attended Saint Mary's Girls Primary and Langalanga Secondary.

In her early education, she was deeply involved in drama and the school choir, presaging her later success. She later joined Tears Group, Nakuru, for a course in music before further benefiting from the government of Kenya at the 2010 Talent Academy at Kabarak University Nakuru. After early successes in church and school festivals, commercial success came her way when music producer Agundabweni Akweyu noted her talent. Together they started Bwenieve Productions, a music recording studio. She recorded her first album "Mazingira," which was later re-branded as "Waweza." This album resulted in increased public awareness and accolades, most notably for her songs "Waweza" and "Hossana." “Waweza” was nominated as Worship Song and Wanjiru as New Artist of the Year for the 2012 Groove Awards.

The song "Mazingira" was also selected as the theme song of the Kenyan government's campaign to reclaim Mau Forest in 2010. During the launch of this reforestation project in eastern Mau, the incumbent Prime Minister of Kenya was notably impressed by the song, appointing Wanjiru as the official music ambassador for Mau Forest. Under the auspices of this appointment, Wanjiru began the “Mazingira Bora Afya Bora" campaign for the promotion of good health and a healthy environment.

The title song of her second album "Mungu Mkuu", won the 2015 Groove Awards Album of the Year. The hit song Mungu Mkuu saw Evelyn rise to a higher level of musical stardom, since then she has been consistently releasing songs that are well-received across nations.

From her third album titled "Matendo", the song "Tulia" a collaboration with Vick Kitonga Won 2016 groove awards collaboration of the year, "Nikufahamu" from the same album was nominated for Afrima in the category 'inspiration African female artist of the year 2016' .She won the 2016 Xtreem awards worship song of the year. The Sauti Awards U.S.A 2016 nominated her for East Africa female artist of the year.

In 2017 Evelyn had two groove awards nominations; female artist and "Matendo" as album of the year, she was also nominated for Sauti Awards U.S.A. 2017 female artist of the year and Video of the year (Matendo).

In 2021 Evelyn released her fifth album "Mwanga" Mwanga” which is Swahili for Light. The Mwanga Album was produced live with audience present by her own record Label Bwenieve on August 30, 2021, at The C.U.E.A L.R.C Auditorium. It consists of 12 audio - visual songs. Mwanga Album was released on 24th of November exclusively on Boomplay app.

Evelyn has toured different countries like the United States of America where she has performed in over ten different states, South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Uganda. She has shared the same platforms in ministry alongside renowned singers like Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Chandler Moore, Sinach, Mary Mary, and many more. She has done a collaboration titled "Sawa" with Zimbabwean gospel musician Tembalami the song that is doing very well with a lot of airplay, also she collaborated with Mkhululi Bhebhe on his live DVD recording that was done in Johannesburg South Africa the medley "Hakuna Mungu kama wewe" and in Ghana collaborated with gospel singer Celestine Donkor.

On April 7, 2012, Wanjiru married producer Agundabweni Akweyu at Buruburu Baptist Church Nairobi, where her late father-in-law, Rev. Kenneth Akweyu, who served as a senior pastor. Evelyn and her husband Agundabweni stayed in marriage trying to conceive, on the tenth year they conceived their first son, Mshindi Akweyu Agundabweni, who was born on 6 April 2022. She runs a fashion house named bwenieve clothesline, a mentorship program that has raised more aspiring musicians, together with her husband producer Agundabweni Akweyu they run Bwenieve Production and other businesses.

Discography

Albums

Complete Albums by Evelyn Wanjiru

Waweza
Studio album by Evelyn Wanjiru
Released	2012
Genre	Contemporary worship music, contemporary Christian music
Length	23:00
Label	Bwenieve
Producer	Agundabweni Akweyu

Mungu Mkuu
Studio album by Evelyn Wanjiru
Released	2015
Genre	Contemporary worship music, contemporary Christian music
Length	58:00
Label	Bwenieve
Producer	Agundabweni Akweyu

Matendo
Studio album by Evelyn Wanjiru
Released	2017
Genre	Contemporary worship music, contemporary Christian music
Length	32:00
Label	Bwenieve
Producer	Agundabweni Akweyu

Mwanga Album
Live album by Evelyn Wanjiru
Released	2021
Recorded	30/08/2021
Venue	C.U.E.A L.R.C Auditorium
Genre	Contemporary worship music, contemporary Christian music
Length	2 hr 11 min
Label	Bwenieve
Producer	Agundabweni Akweyu

Year	Album	Notes
2012	Waweza	written by Evelyn
2015	Mungu Mkuu	written by evelyn
2017	Matendo	written by Evelyn
2019	Celebrate	written by Evelyn
2021	Mwanaga	written by Evelyn

Songs:

Waweza Album (2012)

1. Waweza
2. Unatosha
3. Hossana
4. Anthem
5. Namlauduon
6. Mazingira

Mungu Mkuu Album (2015)

1. Mungu Mkuu
2. Utukufu
3. Yaweh
4. Tunakuabudu
5. Ila damu yake yesu
6. Karibu Yesu
7. Nimwamini
8. Damu
9. All Glory
10. Neno Moja
11. Damu Medley

Matendo Album (2017)'

1. Nikufahamu
2. Baba Inuka
3. Tulia tf Vicky
4. Matendo
5. Halleluya
6. Sema Nami
7. Sawa ft Tembalami
8. Nilingoze
9. Subiri ft Mercy Masika & Emmy Kosgei

Celebrate Album (2019)'

1. Celebrate
2. Bless the Lord
3. Jehovah Elohim
4. Holy
5. It is Amazing
6. Nanyenyekea
7. Sitaogopa
8. I surrender

Mwanga Album (2021)'^[1]

1.   Mwanga Album Intro

2.   You're Worthy

3.   Utukufu ( Live)

4.   Mwanga

5.   Nanyenyekea(Live)

6.   Everlasting(Live)

7.   Naringa na Yesu

8.   Baba Inuka(Live)

9.   Mungu Mkuu (Live)

10. Sifa Zitande

11. Umwema

12. Jehovah Elohim (Live)

13. Wonderful

Awards and nominations

References

External links

• evelynwanjiru.com
• YouTube channel
• Bwenieve (record label)