‘Stella Day’ Celebration Trends on Social Media
By: Tonny Otieno
Posted on Monday, May 17, 2021
When Freshley Mwamburi went to the studio and recorded Stella, a song dedicated to his heartbreak after the woman he loved, by the name Stella was swept off her feet by an Asian man, he didn't know that it would become a masterpiece, a song that Kenyans would turn into an anthem three decades later and even mark 17th May as Stella Day.
The song tells a beautiful love story with a sad ending. Out of the love Mwamburi had for Stella, he sold his property including his farms and cars to ensure that he sends his love to Japan to go and study medicine. His expectation was that Stella would come back to him after her education. However, on May 17, 1992, when Mwamburi went to pick her from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), he was shocked. Stella came back with a Japanese husband whom they had a child together. Mwamburi’s emotional plea to Stella not to leave him grabbed the attention of many.
Many Kenyans took this as another emotional song and have made fun of it. What they don’t seem to comprehend is the fact that the song had a special meaning to Mwamburi. He wishes for his song to be listened to by the younger generation and for this reason made a remix for the song in January. According to Mwamburi, the song not only deserves a remix but a quality video as well.
“I would like even the younger generation who might not know the song to know it and enjoy it.”
Stella is one of the most 'tragic love' songs in history. Question is, where were you when Stella was made?
