Shanah Manjeru, an artiste from Nairobi, Kenya is the youngest ever nominee of All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA). The 13-year-old singer is nominated for her song ‘God Will Make a Way’ for the 2021 edition of the continental award. She takes over the spot previously held by another Kenyan singer Nikita Kering who was nominated at 17 in 2019.
Shanah is contesting in the Best Female Artiste in African Inspirational Music category with Ada Ehi Ft Buchi (Nigeria), Afrie (Uganda), Eden (Cote d’Ivoire), Kamo Mphela (South Africa), Montess (Cameroon), Nata (Sierra Leone), Ruth Asong (Cameroon), Diana Hamilton (Ghana) and Kelly Khumalo (South Africa).
Her singing talent became evident at the age of three. At age seven, she began to sing officially when her parents put up her first music concert in Ethiopia. In October 2017, at nine years old, Shanah went into professional singing with the release of her debut song ‘Destiny’. In February 2018, she released her second song ‘We Are One’, followed closely in April 2018 with ‘Winner’ and ‘God Will Listen’ in December 2018.
In April 2019, Shanah released ‘Worship’ and ‘Worship Symphony’. Her latest songs are the nominated ‘God Will Make a Way’ and ‘Jesus Loves You’ released in August and November 2020 respectively. The singer won the Arts and Culture Award category in the Annual African Children of The Year Awards 2019 held in
South Africa and was subsequently nominated as an Ambassador of the Stacey Fru Foundation, South Africa. Shanah’s ‘Winner’ won the Song of the Year Award during Kenya Gospel Music Award 2018.
She has performed at several events, including school events, churches, concerts, children’s festivals, birthday parties, weddings and funerals, on TV gospel shows, and during numerous TV and radio interviews. Shanah, who is the last child of her parents, plans to become either a doctor, singer, dancer, gymnast or teacher.
The grand finale of AFRIMA 2021 will hold in Lagos on Sunday, November 21.
