Fadhili William Mdawida (November 11, 1938 – February 11, 2001), often referred to simply as Fadhili William, was a Kenyan recording artist and composer who is most famous as the first person to record Adam Salim's song "

Malaika Malaika is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian musician Adam Salim in 1945. This song is possibly the most famous of all Swahili love songs in Tanzania, Kenya and the entire East Africa, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahili ...

" which he recorded with his band The Jambo Boys around 1963.Eastafricamnusic.com
Fadhili William: A Remembrance
/ref> Fadhili William was born to Halima Wughanga and Ramadhan Mwamburi in Taita-Taveta District near

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

. His father, who died when Fadhili was only seven, was a traditional musician. Like three of his siblings – Ali Harrison Mwataku, Esther John and Mumba Charo – he became a musician. He started singing while in primary school in Taita. He went on to Government African School, in Pumwani in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

. He then dropped out of Shimo la Tewa Secondary School, where he had joined Form Three, to pursue a musical career. It was while at Pumwani, he said in an interview, that he fell in love with a beautiful girl, "an angel," to whom he composed and recorded ''Malaika'' (Angel) to console her when she was given away to an older man who could pay a

bride price Bride price, bride-dowry ( Mahr in Islam), bride-wealth, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride dow ...

. ''Malaika'' was recorded at the Equator Sound Studios under the guidance of Charles Worrod, who went on to promote and distribute the ballad. He was also the author and singer of the famous hit song "Taxi Driver", which he narrates a story about him trying to rent a cab to Nakuru, where a woman wrote him a letter to go to Nakuru so he doesn't break a promise. His tire got a puncture when he was in Naivasha, hence the song, where he is trying to rent a cab. He is recognized and appreciated in Kenya as one of the founding fathers of Classics, or commonly known as "Zilizopendwa." Although he died in 2001, his legacy lives on and his music still touches many hearts to this day.

References

1938 births 2001 deaths Kenyan musicians {{Africa-musician-stub