Nameless: How radio competition gave me my 25-year stage name [Photos/Courtesy]
Veteran Kenyan musician David Mathenge, popularly known as Nameless, has revealed that his stage name was picked almost by chance during a radio competition early in his music career.
Speaking in a recent interview, the singer said he initially considered calling himself The Mechanic before settling on Nameless.
The Mechanic was inspired by his work in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, where he wore overalls and briefly considered making the look part of his artistic identity.
“I was called The Mechanic for two shows. That was good, I had overalls, so I thought, hey, by the way, that can be a swag,” he said on Citizen TV.
He eventually abandoned the idea after realising that maintaining the identity could mean wearing overalls for the rest of his career.
“I came down and I was like, hey, that means now all my life I’ll have to be wearing overalls,” he recalled.
The name Nameless emerged during a radio competition when he was asked to identify himself, despite not having settled on a stage name.
Nameless said he could not use his real name, David Mathenge, because he was working a night shift and did not want his employer to know he was pursuing music.
With no stage name prepared, he came up with one on the spot.
“So I said, I just thought, what will I say? Then I said Nameless. And immediately I said it. Boom. I knew that’s the name,” he said.
The spur-of-the-moment decision eventually became the identity under which he built a 25-year music career.
Nameless said becoming a musician was not part of his original plans. He was studying architecture and expected to pursue the profession, while music was initially something he did for enjoyment.
“I did not plan to be a musician, honestly,” he said.
The singer, who described himself as shy, said he never initially imagined himself becoming an artist. However, he continued making music, eventually earning from it and realising that what began as a hobby had developed into a career.
Looking back, Nameless said he has no regrets about choosing music over architecture.
“I think God decided, your job is to be an artist. Not an architect,” he said.
What began as an improvised answer during a radio competition would ultimately become the name associated with his 25-year career in Kenyan music.