“Voiceover is a skill that one can acquire and make a living from. It however takes patience, constant practice, finding your niche and the willingness to get better. Voice is one of the most unique things about a person,” says Voiceover artist, James Sigu. Born in a family of seven, James credits his parents for shaping him from the outdoor, carefree kid into the rather more reserved, curious and super creative person he is today. Their emphasis on the importance of solitude while discovering oneself gave him the perfect environment he needed to discover what was unique to him. As he went through his primary, high school and university education, he secretly nurtured his love for art through calligraphy, poetry and songwriting.
“I always had a radio throughout my high school boarding days and got into trouble for drawing cartoons in my school work notebooks.” Piles and piles of scribbled pieces of paper, some of them ten plus years old, with lyrics, poems and lots of creative ideas speak of the passion, dedication and heart he puts in his creative art.
Fast forward to 2018, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, exactly 10 years after he began his university education. For him, this was not just a coincidence but a wake-up call to reinvent himself. The question was how he would do this, considering he was just one, among thousands more in a competitive world. He had to discover what was unique about him, something that would set him apart from the crowd. It took him a few more years to discover what would start off his journey to the fulfillment he long yearned for in his life. From being a business skills trainer, an artisanal gold miner, musician/songwriter, the answer revealed itself; it was his voice.
“Growing up I always received compliments for my public reading skills in school, church and every other setting. My teachers and classmates frequently asked me to read out the story of the day or narrate poems. I was fluent, had great narration skills and a unique voice. I brought life to written text, a skill mastered by a few.” His big break came through the Kenya Charity Sweepstakes’, ‘Shika Dream Show,’ hosted by Felix Odiwour alias Jalang’o and Churchill Ndambuki. He emerged top and bagged a sound recording kit that he uses to date to deliver on his jobs for his growing number of clients. From his first audition as a voiceover artist, his achievements in just 2 years have proved that this was the thing he needed to set off towards success.
“I draw my inspiration from Johnson Mwakazi, Citizen TV. I believe it won’t be long before I grow into one of the most common and identifiable voices on Kenyan radio and television. Thus far, I have worked with notable brands including Crown Paints Kenya PLC, Foremen Shoes, Melvins Tea, Ziiki Media, PPP television and many learning institutions.”
His versatility is also evident in the various voiceover niches he can deliver in, from radio/television commercials, documentary narration, e-learning videos, corporate videos, movie trailers, DJ drops etc. He has mastered his voice and gives it the required persona based on every project at hand. The possibility of voice is endless and he’s looking into having his voice in Kenyan movies, Netflix and even Hollywood. He would love to be a globally recognized voicebox.
Sigu is also the country lead Kenya, at Africa’s Mental Health Matters. This is an organization that strives to create awareness and eliminate stigma on mental health-related topics. As a mental health advocate, he emphasizes the importance of taking care of our mental health, especially for those in the creative industry. Without a stable and right state of mind, it is impossible or rather hard to conceive and deliver as a creative. He’s also a distributor for the French fragrance company, Scent Connection, based in the UAE, Dubai which deals in perfumes, perfume accessories and a wide range of products around scents and fragrances.
James also loves reading informative articles and books, writing and creating music, poetry, acting, abstract art and playing soccer.
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