Kenya’s Shanariha Evans receives JMI Greenote Award 2023

JM International (JMI), the world’s largest youth-music non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering and connecting youth and children through music, awarded this multifaceted African prodigy for her extraordinary engagement at such a young age.

In addition to organising beach clean-ups and other environmental initiatives, Shanariha uses her platform as a musician to raise awareness about environmental concerns facing her community in Mombasa.

The JMI Greenote Award was conceived to spotlight outstanding musicians actively contributing to environmental causes. Young artists are recognised for their exceptional work in the fight for the planet and the diverse life it sustains. The goal of the award is to cultivate a network of musical ambassadors who inspire, awaken and spread joy through the rhythms of hope, creating a space of understanding and connection with the environment.

“Shanariha Evans perfectly embodies the spirit of the JMI Greenote Awards and is certainly not your typical pre-teen,” JMI said. “At the age of 12, she is already a celebrated musician, climate activist, speaker, environmentalist, and author, standing out as a beacon of inspiration, advocating for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with a special focus on the 14th SDG – Life Below Water.”

Shanariha’s commitment to environmental activism is evident in her latest song, ‘Pressure’, which serves as a powerful anthem addressing the environmental challenges humanity faces today. The song touches on issues such as climate crisis, fossil fuel emissions, deforestation and the detrimental impact of irresponsible plastic disposal on the planet.

The young artist already has many remarkable achievements to her name. She has written a children’s book titled The Ocean Warrior in which she aims to raise additional awareness amongst young readers about the plight of the oceans.

She also recently released her latest album Foundation, which is now available on all major platforms and was named a Global Child Prodigy Award winner in 2022 in Dubai. Shanariha is a two-time award recipient of the Grand International Film Festival in London (2019 and 2021) and has been a speaker at the World Forum for Women and Girls 2023 in Philadelphia (USA). She was also nominated for Africa’s Next Star at the 2023 edition of the Global African Music Awards in South Africa.

JMI added: “We celebrate Shanariha Evans’ well-deserved win, as she joins AY Young as the second-ever recipient of the JMI Greenote, joining JMI’s global community of young musicians dedicated to inspiring positive change, raising awareness, and connecting with our planet through the universal language of music.”