There are talented Kenyan artistes who somehow never seem to get the respect and attention they deserve even though they have great vocals and work hard on their talent; they simply don’t seem to get to shine:
Amileena
“Where is Amileena?” someone asked during a Pulse discussion this week. It could have seemed like a rhetorical question but the truth is that the super-talented Mawazo singer has been missing in action for a long time.
The adorable beauty with impressive vocals behind the songs Why and Shine, was one of the most watched stars in 2014 and 2015. Shine in particular, a feel-good song she released in 2012 got positive reviews, drawing in many followers and boosting her popularity.
Come 2016, she hooked up with Calvo Mistari to record Wewe Ndiye, a love song. It was around this time when it emerged that the two were in love. However, somewhere along the way they parted ways in what was a bitter break-up. And with this Amileena took a music hiatus.
It is not clear why Amileena has not been producing songs but the truth is, as talented as she is, there has been a feeling that she has never been accorded the respect she deserves.
And she is not alone. There are a number of Kenyan artistes who are underrated.
Phy
Phy Mwihaki is one of the most talented vocalists. She won the Maisha Superstar talent competition after becoming the first Kenyan runner up during the continental Airtel Trace Stars music competition.
Her hits such as Taboo are a testimony of her amazing talent. Having signed with King Kaka, one would expect her music career to be in top gear. However, it is disappointing how Phy seemingly never gets the attention she deserves. Her songs are hardly played and the number of shows she gets are countable.
Mimmo
Mimmo was catapulted into the limelight when she lent her flawless vocals to P-Unit’s timeless smash hit Kare a few years back, giving the single its massive appeal. Not one to let the chance slide, Mimmo went on to feature in yet another bombshell, this time being recruited by rappers Collo and STL on the hit single Floss na Wewe.
Since then, Mimmo has been on the down-low, something speculated to have been occasioned by the poor attention her follow-up singles were given. Very few knew of her whereabouts in 2017, and very little of her music is played on the popular radio stations now.
Jay A
The rapper is one of the most promising stars but something always seems to delay his breakthrough. After releasing On Me featuring Amina in 2012, Jay A cultivated a good following from urban music fans who liked him for his unique style.
He went ahead to release Smash and Iyo, the latter featuring Dazlah, yet another talented singer. However, as much as his management pushes his music, Jay A has never made a huge impact in the industry. His music hardly gets airplay.
Sage
She’s Kenya’s answer to Beyoncé, if her vocal prowess is anything to go by. Her debut single So Alive, featuring Octopizzo, was epic to say the least. She would later feature on Jay A’s Dumbala, which was a hit with revellers.
Her singles Favourite Song and Mistakes are solid proof to the vocal powerhouse that is Sage. This, in spite of the fact that she gets very little airplay. Also, her social media following is further testament to the fact that she is not as hailed as she should be.
Kimya
He may not be ruling the Kenyan hip-hop charts with the likes of Khaligraph and King Kaka, but Kimya’s lyrical content is top-notch. His song Trayvon that features his siblings Bamboo and Victoria Kimani reveals the lyrical tongue-twister he is.
Kimya drops bars in an unparalleled way, thanks to his authoritative voice and heavy American accent which are good for a hip-hop smash hit.
Patricia Kihoro
She was one of the finalists on the third season of ‘Tusker Project Fame’. Her hit song Loving Wrong did pretty well locally, but not much has been heard of her when that died down.
Yes, she has been a back-up vocalist and made cameos on music videos too, but she has yet to command the airwaves for an artiste of her calibre. Many look at her as more or less like a video vixen as opposed to a songstress.
Kenzo Matata
He burst into the scene with the success of his chart-topping single Mama Milka ten years ago. Riding high on the song’s success, Kenzo was signed on to Kenya’s premier record label, Ogopa Deejays.
After a back and forth with the label’s management, Kenzo called it quits and left citing his interest in being a freelance artiste. That must have not worked out, since he vanished from the spotlight.
Alicios Theluji
There is a reason why we are always talking about Alicios making a music comeback and we hope her latest signing with Taurus music brings to an end her blowing hot and cold. This gorgeous star has more than looks and since she popped onto the music scene with hits like Mpita Njia, Anita, Loved by You and many others, she has never looked back.
However, strange as it might be, Alicios just never seems to be the darling of event organisers, leave alone radio DJs. No wonder, she is always on and off.
Kanana
She made a cameo on Rabbit’s Mapenzi and flawlessly sang the hook. Her breathy vocals and high notes enthused many, and she was understandably deemed the ‘next big thing’ by critics. Well, it turns out that wasn’t about to happen as Kanana exited the scene as fast as she came.
This ensued after a number of solo projects that flopped owing to minimal media attention.
Atemi
Afro-fusion wouldn’t even be a thing without Atemi. The voluptuous diva has four albums under her belt. She has had chart success but that is not tantamount to the mega work she puts in her music. She’s still one of the most underrated singers in the country.
She has headlined gigs overseas, shared the stage with artistes of great renown but still hasn’t blown up at home. Talk of a prophet not being appreciated at home.
Kiu
Comprised of three mellow-voiced damsels, this trio makes for a great band. The three crooners stole the hearts of many with their chartbuster debut Mwanake whose catchy lyrics you just can’t help but hum along to.
They have performed as opening acts at the Koroga Festival, but their relevance remains in obscurity despite their immense talent.
Viola Karuri
The Aibu singer is a vocal goddess. With a degree in music to back her up. It doesn’t add up that she is accorded negligible airplay and is slowly fading into oblivion.
Chess Nthusi
Her claim to fame was serving as a co-host on the dating reality show Tujuane on NTV. As multi- faceted as she is, she sang the hook on Prezzo’s hit Celebration of Life and was rated as a very promising artiste. Her last effort Give it to Me would have been a hit had it been pushed well.
