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Biography
Who is Oneko?
Oneko Arika (Jahneko) is a world-reknown percussionist, music teacher, DJ, and lover of all things music. Born in Nairobi Kenya, Oneko was intrigued by world beats and reggae from his earliest memory of music. When he first heard Don Carlos' album "Suffering" at the age of 10, he knew reggae music would be part of his life's mission.
He was exposed to traditional African music while training as an amateur boxer for the Kenya Postes and Telecommunications Corporation and also boxed for the Kenya Army. In his 17-year boxing career, he was never knocked out. Upon retiring from boxing, he became a full-time artiste. As a percussionist, he has toured the world and headlined festivals playing different styles of percussion with musicians from every continent. His talent and love for impromptu live sessions is evident in his charismatic performances. He has done a great deal of recording on percussion for other artists, and is known to "nail it" in one-take. Among many recordings, he is featured on Rocky Dawuni's Grammy-nominated album, Branches of the Same Tree, on the hit song called "Nairobi, I Love You.
Oneko has performed on stage with several reggae and world artists. In February 2017, he supported Rocky Dawuni on percussion to headline an annual festival in Zanzibar East Africa called Sauti za Busara. He has also played in multiple other countries with Rocky including in Kenya at the "Chagua Peace Festival." Chagua Peace was an important event held by the Kenya Red Cross in an effort to unite Kenyans and heal from the wounds of the election violence as they went to the polls to elect a new President in 2013. Additionally, Oneko has toured all 48 contiguous states in the USA with Pato Banton and is featured in several tracks and videos. Oneko has also toured with and enjoyed sharing the stage with many music icons including Toots Hibbert (Jamaica), Rocky Dawuni (Ghana), Tippa Irie (UK), Khaira Arby (Mali), Huun Huur Tu (Russia), and Janka Nabay (Sierra Leone), just to name a few.
Oneko is also a solo performer and DJ. He has shared his powerful performances individually as well as in live theatre productions and professional dance companies. Oneko's drum performances have been critically acclaimed and described as nothing less than "drumming your soul awake." He has entertained and uplifted at festivals, corporate events, birthday parties, and other celebrations, always to the delight of the guests. He has an uncanny talent of making the audience become one with the performance.
In mid-2024 Oneko started a new podcast called "Reggae Vinyl Dissection with Oneko" - it is broadcast from The Vinyl Pharmacy in Palm Springs, CA and can be heard at www.palmspringsvinylradio.com. For the last 5 years, he hosted a weekly internet radio program called "Africa Reggae Road" on which had the largest audience of all shows on the station. He has also hit the decks at several events in the Southern California area, including Cali Vibes, BoomyardLA, Delicious Vinyl, and many other local festivals and gigs.
Oneko is a founding member of a band in Kenya called Senta Lain which is a fusion of spoken word, cuban rhythms and traditional African beats. In 2009, he was recently featured with his Senta Lain partner, Michel Ongaro, in the award-winning documentary, "The Music Lesson." This project involved bringing classically trained youth musicians from Boston to Kenya to learn and teach music with local schoolchildren. Oneko and Michel lead these students on not only a musical journey, but a life journey that was life changing for everyone involved, including him.
After participating in The Music Lesson project, Oneko co-founded the non-profit March Forth Kenya Kids. It was his dream to give back to the community that helped him grow into the artist and man who he is today. MFKK uses music and the arts, with a specific focus on reggae, to enrich the lives of Kenyan youth living under tough circumstances. Oneko has been operating this nonprofit for going on 20 years. He works directly with youth in the neighborhood where he grew up using music as the avenue for a positive life. This nonprofit has grown into a sustainable youth program in Nairobi Kenya. His love of teaching and youth empowerment has lead him to conduct music and art workshops for people on multiple continents. With March Forth, Oneko started a weekly drum session at the Palm Springs Village Fest where he has reached 10s of 1000s of people through the healing vibration of the drum. He also enjoys imparting his craft on the drum in 1:1 lessons.
Oneko is also an artisan. In 2023, he started his own Etsy store to sell his handmade wares, made in both the USA and in Kenya. He personally crafts intentional handmade Rasta hats and has been commissioned by several artists to create their crowns. He uses the element of fire in his craft and completes every stitch individually. Each crown is one-of-a-kind and imbued with good vibes. You can find some of his creations for sale in his Etsy store called "The Desert Rasta."
Oneko first and foremost loves performing with other passionate musicians. Equally fulfilling, he has spent a great deal of his free time using his talents to give back through teaching and hosting music workshops for children from the United States to Africa and in between. Oneko splits his time between California and Kenya.