DON SANTO

BIO

Don Chrisantos Michael Wanzala (born April 13, 1986), professionally known as Don Santo (stylized as DON SANTO) the Badman Killa, is a Kenyan record executive, singer, rapper, writer, content producer, businessman, and entrepreneur. Santo is also a Nairobi based consultant on Leadership and Business in the Digital Era. He is also the global leader of The Klassik Nation, chairman, and president of Global Media Ltd.

Considered one of the greatest entertainers of all time, The Sun (code name) is regarded as one of the world's most significant cultural icons and has been a global figure in popular culture for over a decade.
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Born in Busia and raised in Kisumu and Nairobi, DON SANTO started singing at an age of 4 in church and family functions. He first began his musical career in 2010 doing his first single "She's On Fire" with Grandpa Records and subsequently released his debut studio album Alpha in 2012. The album was released to widespread critical success and solidified his standing in the music industry. He has gone onto release three additional albums, which have all attained generally positive critical reception and universal commercial success, with Milele (2014) and Am BLACK (2019) albums later being heralded as modern musical classics. Both Alpha and Am BLACK had a collaborative single with Jilly Baby (She's On Fire 2012 and Juju 2017), Osman "Feel Jah" Hamza (Please Forgive Me 2013), and Kingpheezle (AYI 2018).
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Outside of his musical career, the Badman Killa has also attained significant success and media attention for his career as a businessman. In 2010 he founded Global Media Ltd. In 2013 the corporation initiated a program where they, through their entertainment division, Klassik Nation & Media, nurture and promote young talents in society. This was well received and both Klassik Nation and Global Media Ltd are now international brands.

The Klassik Nation whose objectives are:
- To identify and nurture talent(s) amongst the people
- To empower the youths by promoting self-sustenance through arts and innovation.
- To promote teamwork and co-existence in the universe through arts and culture.

DON SANTO is among the most critically acclaimed musicians and one of the best-selling Kenyan music artists of all time. In 2015 he has won a total of 3 East Africa Music Awards, the most by a musician.

The 'Who Is The Badman Killa?' and Fantasmagorikol hitmaker is a lyrical genius who hails from Nairobi's Eastlands loves Kenya, Africa, people, and Klassik. The Don is known for his simple yet witty songs and philanthropic ways. He is the founder of the Soma Challenge Campaign Initiative, an initiative that mentors young leaders in schools through training on 'leadership skills.' Santo is also a champion in the Legalise It movement.

THE DON OF DONS TRIAD
The Don of dons Triad consists of DON SANTO, Blame It On Don, and The Badman Killa. DON SANTO is an artist and leader while The Badman Killa is an office for promoting active citizenship amongst the people for a fulfilling human existence.

“The DON of dons Triad is where the top three dons of the world meet to discuss both important and non-important things. Mostly with their naked bodies against the trees. It is a meeting with myself.” ― DON SANTO
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EARLY LIFE
Don Chris Michael Wanzala was born in Nambale, Busia on Sunday, April 13, 1986. He is the third of six children with an older brother and sister and two younger brothers and a sister. His mother, Amina Salima Wangara, is a teacher, and his father, Eric Ariada Wanzala a medical doctor who raised their children in the Anglican church. Santo began singing in the church choir at age four.

He was appointed the School’s ‘spiritual leader’ between 1995 – 2000. He then attended St. Teresa’s High School, Kabula where he went on to become a student leader and the Chairman of the Christian Union, Debating Club, Music Club, Computer and Inventions Club and founded the Journalism Club. He went to the Technical University of Kenya and later at the University of South Africa. According to his interviews and lyrics, during this period he sold marijuana and pornographic material and was shot thirteen times but missed the bullet. This led him to turn to a God-fearing way of life. He served as an ordained evangelist in the Anglican Church of Kenya and acting Chaplain for Mabunge Secondary and Primary Schools.

According to his mother, Chris used to wake up his siblings at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. He once created a homemade guitar at the age of 9 which proved music was a calling for him. He began community service and writing lyrics that gave an alternative approach to modern-day challenges that earned him the title Don in the Kenyan community. It later became the name given to the President of The Klassik Nation with His Eminent Majesty as his Title.

He later attended Technical University of Kenya (2006 - 2008) in Nairobi Kenya, and University of South Africa (2011-2014).

BUSINESS CAREER
Don CM Wanzala is an entrepreneur and is now once again the most progressive entrepreneur of all time!. It’s all because of his genius creation, Klassik. But not many people actually know the whole story behind DON SANTO and how he built up Global Media Group to the success it is today.

Santo is always hesitant to speak about his business career promising to release it in a book. The Biography or autobiography will cover it all and is a great read if you want to learn more about Don CM Wanzala's story and his amazing success and his passion for people.

What we know is that he started out as a Sales and Stock analyst at Lemoc Limited in January 2010. He later was promoted to the position of Brand Manager in July of the same year. The position he served for 2 years before being promoted to head the Human Recourses, Market, and Chairman of the Quality Assurance Committee in 2012.

He served in that position until 2015 quitting to start running his own company Global Media Ltd which was incorporated in 2012. He began by setting up a recording studio for audio and video production for digital content solutions. This later created a record label, Klassik Nation which grew to be one of the largest and most successful record labels in Africa and the world.

The Klassik brand has a fanatical following globally and had given birth to the Klassik Tribe. A social club for who is who on the planet.

He later worked for Madison Asset Management Company as the Investment Manager in 2015 for one year. He then joined IEC International as their Head of Human Resources and Digital Marketing from 2016 to 2018.

He then quit the job to focus on building his empire and doing what he loves most, music. As producer and artist, he has produced 5 albums to his name and worked with many artists as producer Blame It On Don.

Global Media Ltd has since launched two products; Vido+ (Vido Plus) and Songbad Music. It also has two divisions; Klassik Nation & Media, and The Klassik Tribe. Global Media Ltd is also the pioneer of Educational Marketing concepts in the world.

MUSIC CAREER
DON SANTO has a lot of nicknames and they keep increasing as the world goes on christening him. Known as the ''King of Kalpop, The DON of dons, Badman Killa, The Black Monster, Papa Santo, Blame It On Don African Lion'' DON SANTO started singing at an age of 4 in church and family functions. He went professional in January 2010 doing his first single "She's On Fire" with Grandpa Records. This is a versatile artist with a love for the game.

The genius of DON SANTO rests in his willingness to break from traditional formula and constantly push the envelope. He flips the method of the moment with undeniable swagger and bold African sensibility.

H.E.M DON SANTO had written many songs for various artists and done backups for many other recording artists before venturing fully into the music career in the year 2010. He has also been performing in various functions among them weddings, funerals, festivals, and many other corporate functions.

As a songwriter, Santo revisits simple, but profound aspects of the human experience – love, lust, desire, joy, and pain that define classical art and drama. He applies his concept to rich, full vocals that exude his intended effect.

It is this uncanny ability to compose classics and deliver electrifying live performances that define everything that is essential DON SANTO.
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Among others, Michael Jackson, R-Kelly, Shaggy, Don Williams, Lokua Kanza & Joseph Hill have all inspired this musician and influenced who he is.
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In 2010; he decided to venture into professional music in styles he knows and understands best: Kalpop Music.

In 2015, DON SANTO won the East Africa Music Awards in the Artist of the year Category while his song "Sina Makosa" won the Song of The Year.

Santo is also a vocal proponent of the #LegalizeIt movement. During one of his "African Lion Media Tour" at Milele FM, The Don wondered why they make legal cigarettes which are known to cause cancer and even tax it while a natural herb that causes no harm has resulted in police brutality and government interference at the expense of fighting the real crimes.

One of Kenya's top rappers, Reggie Tall described Santo as the Greatest of all time, god, and a genius.

With all the musical experience, DON SANTO will leave an imprint on your heart from a musician who is pure talent and an amazing performer. He is second to none.
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ALBUMS
The Don has three (3) albums to his name;

1. ALPHA
The royal genesis.

2. Am BLACK
Notice the WORD created by the FIRST Letter of each Song.
Am BLACK is the third studio album by Afrika's Supreme, DON SANTO. Imagine Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Franco & John Lennon meet R. Kelly at the gates of heaven: Call it KALPOP MUSIC.

Produced By: Blame It On Don/Jilly Beatz/Stray Music/Riza Penjoel
Published By: Klassik Nation.

3. AFRICAN LION
"AFRICAN LION" album is a Kalpop Reggae album described as a wildly imaginative, unabashedly geeky concept album about interplanetary musical warriors battling to restore humanity's Kalpop supremacy in a corporate-dominated dystopia (or something like that). Nobody can stop Kalpop! Enjoy!

MUSICAL STYLE
He believes in the power of music and its ability to heal and unite the world in a magical way. Kalpop music brings together all the world’s cultures into harmony with one another through fusion.

For example, this is how he describes one of his latest albums ‘Am BLACK’
“Imagine Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Franco & John Lennon meet R. Kelly at the gates of heaven: Call it KALPOP MUSIC.”

He describes 'AFRICAN LION' as "...a wildly imaginative, unabashedly geeky concept album about interplanetary musical warriors battling to restore humanity's Kalpop supremacy in a corporate-dominated dystopia (or something like that). Nobody can stop Kalpop! Enjoy!"

One of Kenya's top producers Kingpheezle acknowledged the Badman Killa as a great writer. He even asked him to write a song for him. A request the Don was excited to accept.

CHILDREN
DON SANTO has two daughters; Jasmine Laisha Amina Wanzala (Jasmine LAW) and Dahlia Ada Nawate Wanzala.