Suzanne W. Gachukia-Opembe HSC, Owner Sub Sahara Ltd.

Producer, Composer, Music Director, Teacher, Mentor.

Suzanne Gachukia-Opembe is well known on the Kenyan music scene. A recipient of the Presidential Head of State Commendation (HSC) for her work in the music industry, her career in music began with the launch in 1985 of the all-female music group – Musikly speaking – which she founded. They released hits as ‘Jamriambo’, ‘Nyumba’, and ‘Tweyanze’ – songs that drew from traditional repertoire and fused these influences with a modern pop feel. Since 1995, as a composer and band leader of Zannaziki, she has released three albums and a slew of singles that again have helped shape the Kenyan music pop identity over the last twenty-seven years. An entrepreneur, musician and Project Director over the last three and a half decades, Ms. Gachukia-Opembe has founded and run Samawati Productions, Serenade music, and Sub Sahara Entertainment limited. Her work also involves advocacy on musician’s intellectual property rights, negative ethnicity, civic education, the rights of women and the girl child, and HIV/Aids. Ms. Gachukia-Opembe has also been involved in related activities to inform on policy, development and implementation on issues that have a bearing on the music industry. She is particularly interested in seeing Kenya’s vibrant pop culture integrated successfully into the mainstream national development agenda.