Onejiru

Onejiru (born Pielina Wanjiru Schindler) is a contemporary Germany-based jazz singer. She was born in Kenya and moved to Germany when she was a teenager.

Life as an artist Born in Kenya, Pielina Wanjiru Schindler grew up in Wanne-Eickel, Germany, where her musical experience started in a girls' choir and ballet lessons. Early on in her career as a singer, and by the name of Onejiru, she became a member of Helge Schneider's band Fighters. Onejiro toured Germany and Austria, then also sang on the albums of Jan Delay, (Loktown Hi-Life, 2003) and . The album "Prophets of Profit" was released in 2006. She is a member of the Sisters Keepers, an all female band of singers, and they entered Gender Riots singing Unite, ranked 14th at the Bundesvision Song Contest 2008, North Rhine-Westphalia.

On October 11, 2012, the Sisters were invited to the first United Nations International Day of the Girl, and they selected the song "Because I am a Girl". They have been ambassadors for the campaign since 2010, realizing UN World Girls Day is a campaign to have equal rights for girls and boys. The song "Because I am a Girl" was composed for the campaign. During their visit, the Sisters performed at the B. B. King Blues Club in NY.

With the Sisters, she was invited to Cologne for the 14th Afrikan Film Festival in September 2016, since their activities fit the event's theme was “Sisters in African Cinema”. The Sisters, then named Sister Keepers before 2005 for anti-racism, expanded their focus and in 2010, visited schools in Hamburg, Germany in events hosted by the German Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung “bpb”). The program included works to empower girls, with dance and singing classes in which girls and boys learnt to work together. Those programs offered a chance for students to reflect on life in multicultural settings, including the issue of "Afro-Germans – Foreign in your own country". Collaboration with Plan International invited the Sisters to tour Brazil, Ghana, Togo, as well as cities in Germany for the project "Girls go for Goals" in 2011.

Kenyan heritage Onejiro featured in the documentary film, Black Milk- Halbschwarz geht nicht (English: Black Milk- Half-black doesn’t work), which was created by director Britta Wandaogo, a story about a Kenyan woman between "home and foreign" countries. When Onejiru visited Kenya at the age of 22,

In 2014, Onejiro went on a tour to Addis Abeba for a non-profit organization Viva con Agua for the cause of clean drinking water and performed as a guest singer at a concert by Gentleman with Tamika, Ivy Quainoo and Silly Walks. At Addis Abeba, they sang the song "Ethiopia Calling". That tour continued to Kenya, where she appeared on stage with Marteria and , as well as Octopizzo.

Discography 2003: Wasser (Sam Ragga Band, featuring Onejiru) Produced by Silly Walks Discotheque 2003: Loktown Hi-Life (Sam Ragga Band, with or arias ImmO, Samy Deluxe, Jan Delay and Onejiru) 2003: Heaven (Turtle Bay Country Club featuring Onejiru & Patrice) from album "Universal Monstershark" Later covered by Onejiru in album "Prophets of Profit" 2005: From a New World – Recomposed (Deutsche Grammophon) 2006: Prophets of Profit (Golden Delicious Music) 2008: Gender Riots Sisters (de), Echo Beach (Indigo (de))

Compilation contributions

2006: Prophets Of Profit compiled in Tageszeitung – Inter Deutschland: Neue Hymnen und Songs zur WM 2006 2008 We Carry On compiled in Remixes