MUSICIAN ANNIE LENNOX PAYS TRIBUTE TO WANGARI MAATHAI

One of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time according to Rolling Stone, Annie Lennox has paid tribute to the late Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. In her blog, Annie wrote: “Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, sadly passed away earlier this week. She was exceptional, visionary, courageous and inspiring, and I’d like to share a small part of her message to the world, in honour of her legacy.


"She tells a simple story about a humming bird, but the philosophy behind it is powerful beyond measure. Watch, and be inspired.”




Annie is a Scottish recording artist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A. Stewart she achieved major international success in the following decade as one half of Eurythmics. Lennox embarked on a solo career in the 1990s with her debut album Diva (1992), which produced several hit singles.

She is the recipient of eight BRIT Awards and in 2004, she won both the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Into the West, written for the soundtrack to the feature film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Known as a pop culture icon for her distinctive contral to vocals and visual performances, Lennox has been named "The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive" by VH1.

THROWBACK INTERVIEW: WANURI ON WANGARI MAATHAI’S BIOGRAPHY

I did this interview with Wanuri Kahiu some years back, like in 2009 when she was working on a documentary for M-Net.

Filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu is currently working on a new M-Net series called Great Africans where they choose different leaders from around the continent and get filmmakers to tell their stories.

Wanuri is “focusing on one significant moment of Wangari Maathai’s life and how that moment was influenced by different memories, in addition, how other people speak of her will be used as her memory," she said, "It’s like a collection of memories, an album.”

This will make Wanuri, the first Kenyan to do a documentary on the Nobel Laureate winner. “It’s intimidating, I was really scared because I really want more than anything to be able to tell a beautiful story about Wangari Maathai. Something that will inspire people the same way I was inspired when I read her book,” adding, “I’m a tree girl myself, I’m passionate about Eco lifestyle, what she does inspires me.” So far, she is doing interviews "but the professor is really really really busy so whatever she can accommodate we are 120% ready for her."

Other personalities who are featured in the show include Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkurumah, Julius Nyerere, Patrick Lumumba and Wole Sonyika.

The documentary was aired on M-Net on April 5, 2009.

KENYAN ARTISTE REMEMBERS WANGARI MAATHAI IN SONG

Kenyan artiste Kwame Rigii has recorded a song in honor of Nobel laureate professor Wangari Maathai dubbed Mama Taifa. The single has already been released on Kenyan radio and is available on YouTube. has been released. The single lauds Wangari's achievements that are celebrated world wide by the whole world. Kwame, a hip hop artist recorded the single at Click Track records where rapper Jal and Juliani also recorded the yet to be released social conscious single titled Tribalism Is A Disease. The Jal-Juliani single features collaborations with politicians William Ruto and Martha Karua, PR guru Gina Din Kariuki and business magnate Jimnah Mbaru.

Kwame, Ruto and John Mark- Juliani's manager

Here is the single. Enjoy.

PERSONALITIES SEND CONDOLENCES TO WANGARI MAATHAI

The first ever female Nobel Laureate from Africa, environmental activist and former MP for Tetu died Sunday night at Nairobi Hospital of cancer-related complications at the age of 71. Wangari Maathai’s death has been felt by many. Despite Trending on Twitter, thousands of personalities and celebrities have expressed their condolences to the family for this profound loss.



Former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan in a statement sent out this morning said: “Wangari Maathai will be remembered as a committed champion of the environment, sustainable development, women’s rights, and democracy. Her contribution to all these causes will forever be celebrated and honoured. Wangari was a courageous leader. Her energy and life-long dedication to improve the lives and livelihoods of people will continue to inspire generations of young people around the world.”
“Her award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, the first to be bestowed upon an African woman, rightly underscored the important nexus in her work between sustainable development, peace and human security”.
Nelson Mandela’s Twetter page remembered the fallen legend by posting a link to photos of her lecture during the 3rd Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture on the foundation’s Face Book.Bottom of Form



Other celebrities paying tribute include Sauti Sol who tweeted: “#WangariMaathai, you are a mother and a hero. Kenya and the world at large mourns you. We dedicate to you, 'Awinja'”



While Eric Wainaina’s tweet read: “Today, Kenya mourns the loss of one of her greatest heroines, Prof Wangari Maathai.”
Female MP and presidential aspitrant Martha Karua also tweeted: “We join family and friends in mourning Proff Wangari Maathai a phenomenal woman a friend and role model. You lived, you inspired!”



On American actress and singer Kerry Washington tweeter page, was the message: “… RIP MOTHER OF TREES.”
Maathai, who was divorced, leaves behind three children and a grandchild.