Stella Mwangi
{{short description|Kenyan-Norwegian singer (born 1986)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Stella Mwangi
| image = Stella Mwangi (STL).JPG
| caption = Stella Mwangi at a video shoot in Nairobi, June 2012
| birth_name = Stella Nyambura Mwangi
| alias = Stella, STL
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1986|9|1}}
| birth_place = Nairobi, Kenya
| death_date =
| origin = Eidsvoll, Norway
| instrument =
| genre = Pop, hip hop, dance, trap, electro house
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Singer
- songwriter
- rapper }}
| years_active = 2007 - present
| label = {{hlist|MTG|Mwangi|Big City|EMI|Ubiloud}}
| associated_acts =
| website = {{url|http://stellamwangi.com/}}
| current_members =
| past_members =
}}
Stella Nyambura Mwangi (born 1 September 1986)[http://w2.brreg.no/enhet/sok/detalj.jsp?orgnr=991711554 STL MUSIC Stella Nyambura Mwangi]. Brønnøysund Register Centre is a Kenyan-Norwegian singer, rapper, and songwriter.{{cite web|url=http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/ostlandssendingen/1.4889806 |title=Den beste rapperen jeg har hørt – NRK – Østlandssendingen |publisher=Nrk.no |date=21 February 2008 |access-date=13 April 2014}} Her work has been used in films such as American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile and Save the Last Dance 2, and also in TV-series such as CSI: NY, Scrubs and Survival of The Thickest.{{cite web|url=http://www.sweetslyrics.com/bio-Stella%20Mwangi.html |title=Sweetslyrics - Stella Mwangi biography |access-date=5 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110417063344/http://www.sweetslyrics.com/bio-Stella%20Mwangi.html |archive-date=17 April 2011}} She represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf with the song "Haba Haba".
Early and personal life
Stella was born in Murang'a in the Central Province of Kenya in 1986 and spent her first 5 years there before her family moved to Eidsvoll in Norway in 1991.[https://www.nrk.no/kultur/stella-mwangi-om-livet-uten-faren-1.11305123 Stella Mwangi: – Nå føler jeg meg fri] She started to practice playing music when she was eight years old. She also plays the piano. Her father made sure she and her siblings learned the Gikuyu language and Swahili even far away from home. He used cultural music and poetry to teach them the languages and this inspired Stella's music and her connection to the Kenyan culture.[http://niaje.com/exclusive-interview-with-stella-mwangi-a-few-things-you-did-not-know-about-her/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704203831/http://niaje.com/exclusive-interview-with-stella-mwangi-a-few-things-you-did-not-know-about-her/|title=Exclusive Interview With Stella Mwangi – A Few Things You Did Not Know About Her|date=4 July 2012}}
In 2011, Stella got engaged to her long-time boyfriend Tom Roger Rogstad.{{Cite web |date=2 September 2011 |title=Stella Mwangi gifter seg |url=https://www.vg.no/rampelys/i/k28QX/stella-mwangi-gifter-seg |website=VG |language=no}} Mwangi's father was killed in a hit-and-run accident in February 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.vg.no/musikk/artikkel.php?artid=10077377|title=Stella Mwangis pappa påkjørt og drept|lang=no|date=1 February 2012|access-date=11 February 2012}}
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
In 2011, Mwangi participated in the Norwegian national selection Melodi Grand Prix 2011 to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, which was held in Düsseldorf, Germany. On 12 February 2011, Mwangi emerged as the winner.
On 10 May, she represented Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Haba Haba"{{cite web|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=25453&_t=stella_mwangi_victorious_in_norway|title=Stella Mwangi victorious in Norway|last=Storvik-Green|first=Simon|publisher=European Broadcasting Union|access-date=12 February 2011}} but failed to qualify for the Eurovision final, despite being one of the big favourites of the contest.{{cite web|url=http://www.kjendis.no/2011/05/11/kjendis/mgp/melodi_grand_prix/eurovision_song_contest/eurovision/16491904/ |title=Hva skjer med Stella nå? – Kjendis |publisher=Kjendis.no |date= 11 May 2011|access-date=13 April 2014}}
Mwangi first topped the official singles chart in Norway in week 6, 2011 with her winning song "Haba Haba".{{cite web |url=http://lista.vg.no/show_list.php?ListsOp=showWeek&week=6&year=2011&listID=1 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710063326/http://lista.vg.no/show_list.php?ListsOp=showWeek&week=6&year=2011&listID=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 July 2012 |title=VG-lista – Topp 20 Single uke 6, 2011 |publisher=Lista.vg.no |date=1 January 1970 |access-date=13 April 2014 }}
Melodi Grand Prix 2018
Stella competed in the Melodi Grand Prix for the chance to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 along with Alexandra Rotan with the song You Got Me. They placed third overall.
Discography
= Albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart positions |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|NOR {{cite web|url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Stella+Mwangi|title=Discography Stella Mwangi|work=Norwegian Charts Portal|publisher=Hung Medien}} |
| scope="row" | Living for Music
|
| — |
| scope="row" | Kinanda
|
| 15 |
| scope="row" | Eyes Off Me
|
| — |
| scope="row" | Icon
|
| — |
| colspan="22" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%;"| "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released. |
= Extended plays =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Details |
|---|
| scope="row" | Stella Mwangi
|
|
| scope="row" | No Games
|
|
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album or EP |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| NOR ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| ZAF |
| scope="row" | "Take It Back"
| 2007 | — || — | rowspan="4" | Living for Music |
| scope="row" | "The Dreamer"
| rowspan="2" | 2008 | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Makelele Remix"
| — || — |
| scope="row" | "Smile"
| 2010 | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Haba Haba"
| rowspan="4" | 2011 | 1 || 4 | rowspan="4" | Kinanda |
| scope="row" | "Lookie Lookie"
| — || — |
| scope="row" | "Take My Time" (featuring Mohombi) | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Hula Hoop"
| — || — |
| scope="row" | "Bad As I Wanna Be"
| 2012 | — || — | rowspan="8" {{n/a|Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row" | "Shut It Down"
| 2013 | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Bouncer Ræva"
| 2014 | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Stella Stella Stella"
| rowspan="3" | 2014 | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Koolio"
| — || — |
| scope="row" | "Biashara" (featuring Kristoff and Khaligraph Jones) | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Chukua Hatua"
| rowspan="2" | 2015 | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Obe Baba" (featuring Raj Okemwa) | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Identifyourself"
| rowspan="2" | 2016 | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Big Girl"
| — || — | Stella Mwangi |
| scope="row" | "Ready to Pop"
| rowspan="2" | 2017 | — || — | rowspan="2" {{n/a|Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row" | "Kuchizi"
| — || — |
| scope="row" | "Not Your Ordinary"
| rowspan="5" | 2018 | — || — | No Games |
| scope="row" | "You Got Me" (with Alexandra Rotan) | — || — | rowspan="3" {{n/a|Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row" | "10 Toes"
| — || — |
| scope="row" | "F.I.L." (with Alexandra Rotan) | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Repeat"
| — || — | rowspan="2" | No Games |
| scope="row" | "So What"
| rowspan="3" | 2019 | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Number 1" (with Victoria Kimani) | — || — | rowspan="4" {{n/a|Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row" | "Ma Itù"
| — || — |
| scope="row" | "In the Spot" (with JS16) | rowspan="2" | 2020 | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Long Way Coming" (with Aaron Salovaara) | — || — |
| scope="row" | "Eyes Off Me"
| rowspan="3" | 2021 | — || — | Eyes Off Me |
| scope="row" | "Watch" (with Valorant) | — || — | {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row" | "Naughty"
| — || — | Eyes Off Me |
| scope="row" | "Icon"
| rowspan="2" | 2022 | — || — | rowspan="2" | Icon |
| scope="row" | "I Do What I Want"
| — || — |
| scope="row" | "Talk That Talk"
| 2024 | — || — | {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%;"| "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released. |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20151122054432/http://stellamwangi.com/ Official website]
- [http://ourmusiq.com/kenya-s-stella-mwangi-aka-stl-on-african-women-s-week-2010/1185/m.aspx Stella Mwangi aka STL on African Women's Week 2010]
{{S-start}}
{{S-ach}}
{{Succession box
|before= Didrik Solli-Tangen
|title = Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest
|years = 2011
|after = Tooji
}}
{{S-end}}
{{Stella Mwangi}}
{{Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest|state=collapsed}}
{{Eurovision Song Contest 2011|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mwangi, Stella}}
Category:21st-century Norwegian women singers
Category:21st-century Norwegian singers
Category:Kenyan emigrants to Norway
Category:Norwegian women rappers
Category:Norwegian songwriters