Thread by @BintiStories

ELIZABETH OMOLLO
Kenya’s Radio Teacher: Our Airwaves Auntie

‘Hello Children’ with Aunt Easy Lizzy

@KBCChannel1 @CatherineNdonye @bennetowuonda

HYNIE THE LAUGHING HYENA

🎶I’m hynie the laughing hyena🎶
I’m laughing all day long (huhuhuhu)
because when I kick all my troubles they wiggle awaaay where theeey belong
(other voices) He’s happy no matter what happens
when singing his happy song

so when you get up every mooooorning
don’t ever be whiny
but make life sun shiny
like hynie the laughing hyena
I laugh and I laugh and I laugh some more
we laugh and we laugh and we laugh ha ha

ha ha ha ha ha
haaa ha ha ha ha
haaa ha ha ha ha
haaa ha ha ha ha
haaa ha ha ha ha
haaa ha ha ha ha
we laugh we laugh and we laugh ha ha

(voice of woody woodpecker)hahahahaha hahahahaha haaaaaaaa🎶
hahahahaha hahahahaha haaaaaaaa
(these words are spoken, not sung by Woody woodpecker)
Gee hynie you’re a funny looking animal
(hynie) Ain’t I so Woody
(Woody) You’ve got spots aaaall over you
(Hynie) yeah

(woody) you’ve got an ugly looking face
(hynie) Yeah real ugly
(woody) to tell you the truth hynie, you’re a mess
(Hynie) Yeah, I sure am, whatI’m laughing at, I don’t know
(then the song begins again)
🎶I’m hynie the laughing hyena..🎶

That’s how we knew the voice. That voice. Saturday mornings were great! On Saturday mornings, that was the voice most children had been waiting all week long to hear. Just to hear the animals laugh was worth the wait.

The hysterical laughter was so therapeutic if you laughed along then-even now.

That was ‘Hynie the Laughing Hyena’,the signature tune for ‘Hello Children’, which every kid who grew up in the 70s and 80s knew by heart.

Photo: @Jackie_Arkle

Elizabeth chose the tune because she wanted something different, a song that would give her a different identity from the other programs-a laughing hyena.

The true genius in Elizabeth was in choosing something simple in a song- like the simple dream of a newly independent nation, Kenya where the people would harness true talent without favoritism and create legends like Auntie Elizabeth who hailed from rural Nyanza.

In the end, literally everyone who passed through Broadcasting Hse became a celebrity. What a pool of talent! Even the weatherman was an instant hit & became a celebrity. “Mvua na rasharasha zitakuwepo katika nyanda za juu sehemu za Magharibi mwa Kenya.” Remember Nguata Francis?

English Service/ General Service
The British began the radio service in Kenya and ran the broadcasts with a freehand.
Elizabeth Omollo was among the first Africans to be accepted into the General Service Unit of the then Voice of Kenya (VOK).

Her eloquence and grace soon put her up there with the best in the industry until she became a household name. To be amongst the first Africans to be accepted at Broadcasting House was a really big deal back then.

Louis’ Mum
Elizabeth Omollo has a famous son who had an illustrious career in the media industry. Louis Armstrong Otieno started off at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) just like his mother.

Then he went on to have a sterling career with KTN and other media houses. At one point, Louis was among the highest-paid anchors in the country. Louis Otieno is described by his peers to be amongst the best talk-show hosts Kenya has ever produced. But first, our Radio Lessons.

Radio Lessons
Japan was among the earliest countries to start teaching through the radio.For communities that were in remote locations or were disadvantaged for one reason or another, the lessons given on radio were helpful in providing equal access to education.

Elizabeth Omollo’s voice was a staple for all who grew up in the Kenya of the 60s-80s when ‘Radio Lessons' were a must.

Public schools used to have radios and the teacher’s favorite would be given the responsibility of fetching the particular class’ radio from the school secretary’s office.

The soothing and melodic voice of Aunt Easy Lizzy would switch with ease between the stern classroom instruction on weekdays and her entertaining shows on weekends.
Millions of Kenyan children would listen in to the classroom instructions from Broadcasting Hse-and they loved it!

Catherine Ndonye was a radio student, fan and later a colleague of Elizabeth Omollo. She is currently the host of Sundowner, the evening music-show on KBC.

@CatherineNdonye remembers Aunt Lizzy being the only person who would speak to teenagers about topics their parents would not discuss. In an interview with the Standard Newspaper, Ndonye remembers:

“Elizabeth, on some of the programmes such as the Youth Variety Show, was the voice that spoke to us about topics our parents were either too busy or shy to address. She tackled issues of puberty, relationships and youth reproductive health in general.”

I’m not Sure What I want to Do
Upon finishing school, Elizabeth was not even sure what she wanted to do in life. Auntie Elizabeth narrates her experiences on KBC’s ‘Good morning Kenya’ show:

I Knew I Had the Voice
“All I knew is that I had the voice. I was in music, singing, I was in the choir. I was told that I had a good voice, but I didn’t know what else I could do with my voice after school. Getting into broadcasting, the two basics were voice and language.

I had both and the two served me well during the auditions.”

Achieng Oneko and Elizabeth’s Career
The late Mr Achieng Oneko, Kenya’s gallant freedom fighter and Minister for Information and Broadcasting sent young Elizabeth for a voice test.

Take this Girl to Broadcasting House
“Those were the Minister’s instructions. I didn’t know where I was going. I entered many rooms, one after another. I was put in a studio, I didn’t know what to call a microphone.

I didn’t know what it was all about. I was given something small to read, and when I read after five minutes, I was told, it’s fine. We’ll see you…”

We’ll See You Tomorrow
“I took the message back to the Minister that they said they’d see me tomorrow. The Minister tells me yes, you have been accepted. You’ll begin training tomorrow.”

Baptism by Fire
Elizabeth’s entry into broadcasting was what you call baptism by fire. Her official appointment Letter came in 1969 and she had to learn the ropes fast.

“I was a bit nervous in the beginning, being the only African in the department.
I would shadow them (the British) and study what they were doing for 6 months without touching anything.”

First Day Alone
Aunt Elizabeth remembers: “I played the song at double speed.”
Then the boss comes in and asks,
“Which speed is this?”
“I don’t know.”
78 speed...

Gradually, Elizabeth Omollo settled in and learnt the intricacies of the trade.

Later, this is what my bosses told me: “You’ll have guided growth in your career. Don't sweat the small stuff. If you’re determined and you’re decided you’ll do good in your career.”

Self-Doubt
There were moments when the training seemed tough, but it required a lot of patience and perseverance. Elizabeth continues to narrate her conversations with her team at VOK:

“Are you sure you want to do this?
Yes, I’m sure
Do your parents know you’re here
Yes, they do.
So, I took time to learn.
Took a long time to know what music to play.
Took a long time to know what music to play at what time of day and night.

Don’t be in a hurry, don’t be in a rush.
You’ll get to know how to do this but don’t be in a rush.
Be creative.”

Training Overseas
Every two years or so, VOK would send its staff abroad to go for further training overseas. There was systematic growth, then within 2 years the Europeans would begin to hand over to Africans as they prepared to go back to England.

Lunch Time Music
Want to enjoy a siesta before returning back to work or before the start of the 2 O’clock class in college? Then, Lunch Time Music was your show back in the day.

Those James Last’s songs were really appropriate for that hour. In an era of the big band Orchestra, James Last’s “happy music” was a hit in East Africa as much as it topped the charts in the UK and the US.

For kids who grew up on the Motown Sound from Philly (Philadelphia), there was a bit of soul missing in the Lunch Time Music playlist but we enjoyed the songs nonetheless-for lunch hour.

Sometimes described as the “King of elevator music,” James Last is said to have sold more than 200 million albums.
For the first few years, Elizabeth’s boss would pick the songs to be played for Lunch Time music.

Sundowner
One of the biggest shows on KBC,no doubt, Elizabeth is credited as one of the originals who started the program.

Elizabeth’s mentors told her this: “In Africa, when the sun is going down, the colors are so beautiful. Look for something soothing for when the sun is going down that can give you sentimental music.

Those were the days when music was music. The Blues, Rhythm and Blues, you play akina Harry Belafonte.”

Good Foundation
Elizabeth thinks that they’ve set a good foundation when they started those programs because the songs they used to play still play, even today.

“We were famous, but didn’t call ourselves celebrities
It felt wonderful being famous. We were the only ones, we were famous but didn’t call ourselves celebrities.
We were really humble.
It took us ten years to reach somewhere.

The millennials-after three months. Weeee, Look, I’m a celeb! Look at me now!”

Management and Leadership Training
The training that Elizabeth Omollo underwent while at KBC came to pay off much later, in a big way.

Ramogi FM
Upon retirement from KBC, Elizabeth Omollo joined Royal Media’s Ramogi FM where she was in charge of running the station as Head of Management.

Be Patient
To the millennials, Elizabeth advises them to be patient
Get to learn and be patient.

Legends
In 2019, legions of Sundowner fans attended a fete in honor of Elizabeth Omollo and other living legends of Broadcasting like Leonard Mambo, Fred Obachi Machoka @fredomachoka with John Karani as guest DJ.

The event was held at the Carnivore and was a huge success.

Rebranded KBC
Reports of KBC rebranding have dominated social media chatter in recent weeks.

We hope Auntie Elizabeth will be given a slot in the new KBC to teach on the rich tapestry of Kenyan culture and impart her wisdom to the younger generation.