Tuesday, 1 September 2015

‘‘I DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL TO DO MUSIC’’ - CHOCOLATE CITY MUSIC STAR VICTORIA KIMANI


Image result for 800 by 800 pictures victoria Kimani


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.

 Image result for 800 by 800 pictures victoria Kimani

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.


Image result for 800 by 800 pictures victoria Kimani
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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