Eric Wainaina grew up in Kenya where he was influenced musically by international artists such as DRC’s Papa Wemba, Senegal’s Youssou N'Dour, Lokua Kanza and Paul Simon.
He started performing with Five Alive, an a cappella group that performed in churches, functions and clubs in Kenya. They produced a CD and even went on to tour Europe the same year. The group disbanded in 1997, and Eric enrolled in the world reknowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA.
