Isaya Mwinamo Asiebera

Mwinamo developed a keen interest in music and is considered among the pioneers of the African twist, a music style that was heavily influenced by penny whistle 'kwela' music from South Africa and the American twist that become highly popular in Kenya immediately after independence.He became an accomplished guitarist and recorded 'Julieta' which became an instant hit. In 1964 Mwinamo joined the record company Associated Sound Limited (ASL) as a storekeeper and was later promoted to the position of Artiste Repertoire Manager.

He rose in the ranks to become the chief sound engineer of Phonogram, as ASL came to be known. It is at Phonogram that he recorded and shaped the career of some of the best groups in East Africa such as Orchestre Baba Gaston, Les Mangelepa, Simba Wanyika, Virunga, Maroon Commandos and Ochieng' Kabaselleh. He held this position for over two decades and mentored several sound engineers among them the late Justus Musyoka Kasoya and Chris Mbindyo.

Isaya Mwinamo retired in November 1985 and moved back to his home town of Kakamega where he engaged in small scale businesses and farming.Although initially there was great resistance from old man Mwinamo, one of his sons, Stephen Mwinamo (better known as Mwinamo Junior) keenly followed in his footsteps, with the encouragement of his father's peers, including Daudi Kabaka.Mwinamo Junior has re-made some of the 1960s songs, chief among them, the hit single 'Julieta'.

Isaya was seventy two years old when he died in January 2005.

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