Fast rising Kenyan musician, Victoria
kimani is an Afro pop, RNB and Reggae artiste, who is currently signed on to one
of Nigeria’s top record labels, Chocolate City. Not many knows that she has
been doing music for 14 years and her mind blowing songs have been receiving
massive airplay. In an interview with City people, she disclosed how music started
for her, her educational background, her family, her record label and how
coming to Nigeria helped her career.
Tell us about you?
I am a singer, song writer and am
from Kenya. But I spent some time in Nigeria growing up and I am signed to
Chocolate City.
How did music start for you?
My dad is a musician and he
performed his old songs a lot that people come to watch him. He became a pastor
and then he started singing gospel music. Music was always in the home. I just
started singing, I guess it runs in the blood. My 2 older brothers are also
musicians, they both play the guitar and they both also rap. When I was 16, I recorded
my first song, and shortly after then, I got into song writing, I was writing
songs for other artiste in the state where I was raised. I kept writing songs
for artiste and songs from myself.
How supportive were your parents
when you told them you wanted to do music?
They were very supportive, it’s
just that it is something that is very rare, to see someone that can succeed in
that place where I am from, they were not sure if I wanted to do it
professionally , they wanted me to do something more realistic like being a Doctor
or a Lawyer. I just had to show them with consistency and to show them that I was
really serious about it and it is actually a great way to make a living and you
have to follow your calling and that made more supportive over the years.
Why didn’t you go to Kenya, when
you decided to do music professionally?
My professional music career
started when I got signed to Chocolate City. It was already going on nd that is
how they discovered me. My first recording session at 16 was in Kenya and I sang
back up for a popular Kenyan singer, from there I moved back to the states that
was the most professional peak that my career has been. Order than where I am
now because I was in the studio with really popular singers from different
places in the world. I wrote songs for a singer named Timothy form Russia, his
hit single featuring Timberland was written by me. I was working behind the
scenes and I kept releasing music on my own, I guess that was how Chocolate
City came in contact with me and almost a year later, we signed.
How has the journey been?
It has been long, people think I just
started it’s been 14 years. Sometimes it’s hard to just sit and think about it,
people think that you are supposed to wear your hardship on your face, some people
don’t know that my musical journey started way back.
Tell us about your educational background?
After I graduated from high
school, I started college in Kenya but I wanted to focus on music. I was at the
stage where it was either I faced my education or go into music squarely. I choose
to do music that was when everything started, I studied a few thing like
Cosmetology and Make Up, I used to be a make-up artiste that is why I do my own
make up now. I studied music too but I didn’t want to get into the
technicalities, I wanted to study actual craft of being an artiste and a song
writer which you can learn by being in the studio. They can teach you how to
structure a song, they can teach you how to rhyme but they can’t really teach
you how to make music.
How did you convince your
parents?
I just had to prove to them, it
was not a conversation, I could not convince them with just one conversation. The
final convincing was when I got my first music cheque and I showed it to them.
Are your parents in Nigeria also?
No they are in Kenya
How often do you go to Kenya?
It’s funny that I would have just
relocated to Lagos, I have been living in Kenya since the time I have been
signed but I come to Nigeria every 2 or 3 months because the mother branch of Chocolate
City is here and as of right now, the youths that are interested in music in
Kenya are 55%, in Tanzania its 93%and here in Nigeria is 72%, they are just
beginning to appreciate local talents in Kenya. If I don’t go outside and try
out outside Kenya, I don’t know how much my music will be heard, that is why I have
been going back and forth. It has been hard but it’s worth it.
What inspires your kind of music?
I would call my genre of music Afro
pop, I have RnB records, Dancehall Vibes. There is a song I have with Ice
Prince called Loving you and it’s on TICBM album. I will say its RnB Reggae
type of vibes.my hit single right now is called Show and I will classify that as Afro pop.
What are you working on presently?
I have just released a music
video called Two of Them. It is produced
by Drebeats, the video was shot in South Africa by Studio space pictures. It is
just kike another type of girl’s anthem, it is another RnB Reggae type of song
and it has been doing well so far. I am recording a follow up single for ‘Show’ which is another club banger. What
I am trying to do now is to release more content because in the past, I have been
slow in releasing content.
How do you feel being signed to
Chocolate City?
I feel good, there has been some
changes recently, MI is now the CEO and he is running the business now, before
it was Audu Maikori. The changes have been good, like every business, it’s
transition time. I think I like the way it’s going so far.
Are you working on your album
already?
Yes. I am. I don’t have a date in
mind, I just want to keep recording for now.
Do you feel female artiste are
underrated in this industry?
In Nigeria, No. I think there are
so many talented girls that are getting wonderful recognitions from Yemi Alade,
Cynthia Morgan, Tiwa Savage, etc. there are so many female artiste that are
winning in this industry. In some other part of the continent, there is not
really much relevance for female artistes.
Which of this female artiste do
you see as a competitor or role model?
I think they are all role models because
this is not easy at all. It is very hard, so any of them that is consistent
with their music and craft are all role models. The reason why it is hard for
me to look at it from a competition side of view Is that none of us are running
a race, we are running but everybody has to run their own race like Burna Boy
said, The biggest Challenge is how far can I push myself, I am the one who
wakes up at 6am every day to go to the gym to make sure I am in shape and I still
have to go to the studio to make good music. I am inspired by all the female
artistes because it is not an easy task.
Any international collaboration
from you soon?
Yes, I am actually working on
that now, it’s going to be great.
Are you in a relationship?
Yes I do
When are you getting married?
Don’t know, it’s not going to be
anytime soon, we are not engaged yet.
Do you have any plans to go back
to school?
I thought about it but I don’t
know if I will be able to do that at this point in my career. But I think at
some point, it is good to further your education. I have always been interested
in Psychology, things that have to do with human brain, how humans think and
operate. If I do go back to school, I will study psychology and learn more
about human.
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