Still standing

One would think singer/actress, Patricia Kihoro, 24, would have fallen apart after the spiteful hate campaign that ensued when she chose not to vote in popular contestant Debarl during last year’s Tusker Project Fame contest, far from it, she has emerged stronger, wiser and ready to take on the world.

How did you deal with the information about the hate groups?

I have a thick skin and the booing did not bring me down but the fact that my family was forced to endure the crude remarks was heartbreaking. I remember feeling so alone on the final day and I’m glad there were still those who appreciated me. My family, my boyfriend and other fans who decided to stand by me. They gave me the strength to give my final performance. Also the fact that people chose to hate me because of their personal opinion on my character and not my talent helped. No one was saying that I was singing badly.

How did this affect your family?

My family is great and I’m glad that they stood strong through all the drama and hate mail. During the competition my mum and aunt had opened a Facebook support page and the kinds of things that some people would post were shameless. Some would call my mum and my aunt ‘bitch’ and other crude names.

What made me so mad, was the fact that people chose to also disrespect my family, calling them things that they would never dare to call any member of their families. My aunt got depressed for a while and at one point my mum was so upset that she contemplated leaving Facebook because the messages had taken a whole new level of malice and disrespect. She decided to continue fighting for me and not to let them drive her out. I’m glad that my family did not give in to the animosity and continued to stand by me.

There were so many rumours circulating about you, what were some of the ridiculous ones that you found out after the show ended?

(Laughs) There were so many. One claimed that Ian was my voice coach and that we had agreed to split the millions after I won yet I had only met him on the set of the soap, Changes. Another claimed that, I had nude photos on the Internet but no one could find these imaginary photos.

Others claimed that I had single-handedly engineered the eviction of Debarl, seriously I do not have that kind of power. What was even more shocking was the fact that so many people were saying that they knew me, claiming that I was a mean girl who treated people badly yet I did not even know them.

You are currently involved with CATSI-Kenya (Cancer Awareness and Treatment Support Initiative) Kenya tell us about that?

Afro-soul bands Sauti Sol, Elani and I are the Ambassadors for CATSI Kenya. It’s a cancer awareness organisation run by Radhika Lee (director of Nairobi International School). What’s interesting is, around the time I got the call to be an ambassador, my aunt, who is a school teacher, had invited me to visit her student, a 13-year-old old KCPE candidate with a cancerous tumour in the brain. So when I got the call I knew I had to be involved .

You have acted in the M-Net soap Changes, how did you get into acting?

Before working in Changes, I did theatre and acted in a number of musicals from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor to Malaika. Just like singing, I always knew I wanted to be an actress, so when the opportunity arose, I auditioned and got the part in Changes.

So what have you got planned next?

I’m working on my album and it will be out soon. I’m thankful to Joseph Hellon and Aaron Rumbui for taking me under their wings; I also love photography and want to try my hand at it. I will also be acting in Changes season 2.

You have said that one of your mentors was Hellon, were you ever a member of the Finger of God church?

Yes, Hellon was one of my mentors and I cannot deny that he helped me grow musically; we parted ways last year in December due to some differences. When we visited his house or Aaron Rumbui’s place it was all about music, and nothing about the church. I was raised Catholic and have never left my religion.