Your music, your style have endeared you to many Nigerians, how were you able to penetrate the Nigerian music industry?
Nigeria is like the Hollywood of Africa. If you compare it to America, Nigeria is to Africa what Los Angeles is to the rest of America. Even before I was signed to Chocolate City, I knew I needed to find myself down here. There is an industry that really works here. People – the media, the youth – are interested in music. A recent statistics showed that about 55% of the youth in Kenya are interested in music. In Nigeria, it is about 72%, which is huge, because Nigeria is about 180 million plus people and Kenya is only 50 million. Just thinking things through, I realised I could become a pan-African artiste, which is an artiste who belongs to the continent and not just Kenya. That was the vision of my return from the US to Nigeria. I think I am almost getting closer to my goal. There is still a lot of work to do, nevertheless.
Do you know that most people see you as a sex symbol?
Well, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Yeah, I’m aware of that.
How do you feel about it?
Uhm…Honestly, the wannabe feminist side of me is very proud of it because I never should have to apologise for owning up to what is mine. It’s almost like I can choose to wear a hijab and cover it up or be myself. I don’t even look at it as expressing myself because this is me. I don’t see it as fashion. This is me. You know, so if people think I am a sex symbol I think that is their opinion. I have never put on anything that is obscene, at least, to my mind. And I think it is relative anyway – I guess it depends on who is saying it. If you ask someone who is extremely religious, my mum, will tell you, I am completely naked, even when I am fully clothed. To some other people, it is totally fine, so I think it just depends on who you ask.
I asked because I wanted to know how you were able to move from the girl raised in a missionary family in Kenya to a music star in Nigeria.
The mission work was in Nigeria actually. We came here in 1999 and left in 2001. We spent two years in Benin City (Edo State, Nigeria) at the New Covenant Church. I went to school at the New Covenant Christian Academy, which was attached to the church.
As a foreign young girl in a mission school in Nigeria, how was growing up like?
Before we came to Nigeria, I was already an eccentric child. Added to that is the fact that I was coming from a country [USA], where kids were allowed to express themselves with their fashion, makeup and their piercings. It was a culture shock for me coming down here. They were like, “No, this is how we do things here. You have to plait your hair”. You know, different hairstyles every week. You had to change hairstyle or you have to cut your hair really low. And my hair was one of the main ways by which I express myself. My mum taught me how to braid hair early. So I was always braiding my own and my friends’ hairs. I was very expressive when it comes to my hair. While I was here as a missionary child, I was still expressive when it came to myself. I had a nose ring. I had three piercings in each ear. I didn’t do the school hairstyle things. So growing up, I think my parents already knew I was an eccentric person. It, however, doesn’t mean that I was selling sex. I was mainly obsessed with always trying new things. I wasn’t trying to be sexy. I just didn’t like how I looked with braids or low cuts, and I don’t think my hair looks good with those styles. So I wanted to keep wearing my wig. I wasn’t just a child then. I was a teenager.
As the only girl in your family, how did your parents handle your eccentricity?
I think they liked it. I was also expressing myself through art. I was also into painting and singing round the house. My dad was also a musician. Before he became a pastor, he was a musician, and he was singing with afro in the 70s at bars. He was the guy in the 70s. Some people tell me things like, “I remember your dad. He was a hot shot back in the 70s before he became a pastor.” So they knew they gave birth to a great kid. Like I said, it was never an issue. I don’t ever remember it being an issue. At one time, I wanted to pierce my nose in the States. I was too young at the time. You had to be 18 to get any kind of piercing. I pierced it myself. It was ridiculous, the most stupid thing I’ve ever done probably. But I went and pierced my nose myself and I showed my dad and he was like,“Oh it’s nice!” I actually expected him to spank me real good, but he didn’t; and so, when that happened I was like,“Okay, I don’t know how much I can get away with”. A couple of years later, I also had my tongue pierced when he saw that he was like,“What’s in your mouth? Spit it out.” And I had to confess because I tried to hide it for a long time and I said, “Dad, this is actually a piercing”. And he was like,“Oh! Okay.” He didn’t really say anything so I don’t think that bothers them as much as failing exams or doing something bad in school would have. I think they understand the difference between a good kid, who is just weird and a bad kid, who does crazy things.
Do you agree you are weird?
I think I’m really weird (laughs).
Have your parents at any time watched any of your videos and how did they feel about them?
I remember my dad saw my first video “Mtoto” and he was like, “Wow!” The next thing he said was that the quality was really nice. I didn’t expect him to see the quality. There’s a part in “Mtoto”, where I was walking down a runaway and a little bit of my bum showed. I stopped the video before we got to that part. I don’t think he’s seen anything bad so far he is like,“Wow! This looks good.” That pretty much it.
How would you describe your dad – a supporter or partner?
My dad is cool. He’s a cool guy and he’s a funny guy. Even as a pastor, like half of the time as his preaching you’re laughing because he really knows how to relate with people.He’s a very cool guy.
Your song Show, what do you want to show?
‘Show’ is about performing on a stage, like killing the show.
Tell us how music started for you.
My parents played gospel music a lot in the house. I would try to sing along to the songs from people like Cece Winans, Bebe Winans, real black American gospel singers. I would just try to sing along; and, of course, I failed most of the time, but I just kept practising. One day, I was washing dishes and singing. My dad came home from work and caught me singing. He was like, “Wow! You have a beautiful voice.” I was very embarrassed. He got me a tape recorder. I would record myself in the closet and listen to myself back. Then I started writing poetry. I would try to make those words rhyme, and then I would start writing songs to the gospel music that were played. I would try to put my own words. When I turned 16, I recorded my first song. It was called “How I feel”. It was the most depressing song that you would ever hear. I just kept recording. While I was still 16, almost going into 17, I joined a famous Kenyan singer as backup singer. We went to Burkina Faso, Tanzania and all over Kenya performing. That was the beginning of my music career.
When will we get to see you do Kenyan music?
That’s a really good question. I think I would like to do …. I wouldn’t call it Kenyan music, because Kenyan music doesn’t necessarily have a sound the way Nigerian music has a sound. You can tell from a mile away what is a Naija song, but Kenyan music has always been very diverse. You’ve got different kind of artistes like Wyre, who does dancehall, but it’s still classified as Kenyan music. We’ve got Gengay artiste and Juan Khali, artistes like Caligraph and Abbas.
Should we expect a collaboration between you and any of them?
Definitely. Yes, I am working on it, in fact. But you can’t expect me to release a completely Swahili sound. I don’t know how it is going to be received here. So I’ve been looking for different sounds and fusions like I already have some recordings done now that have a lot of Swahili in them. I am working on it.
What else do we expect from you before the end of the year?
There’s gonna be more videos. I’ve got another club jam, which I think is better than Show, that’s going to come out soon.
How would you describe yourself?
I would describe myself as slightly rebellious, creative and eccentric person. I think I’m an eccentric person because I do like to express myself outwardly. I get really bored if I have the same hairstyle. I’m a do-it-yourself type of person. I don’t really wait for people to do things for me. I do my own hair and my own make-up. I cook my own food. I’ve had several different 9 to 5s. I used to be a makeup artiste at one point. I’ve learned how to do things for myself.
How would you describe your lifestyle?
My fashion can be eccentric but my lifestyle is extremely boring. People might not believe it, but I live a very disciplined life. I literally wake up in the morning, say my prayers, work out, cook my food, go to the studio, rehearsal or interview. I get back home at the end of the day, say my prayers and go to bed. I do the same things all over again the next morning. I don’t really like to club that much. People would probably not believe that. However, I would like to work harder because at the end of the day, I want to be rich. I want to be able to make more money to expand what my parents are doing with the orphans. I want to be a wealthy artiste.
Everyone has a personal struggle, aside music, so what’s your personal struggle?
I think it is probably my weight. Because my weight goes up and down. When you are in the public eye people zoom in on you at all times. That is something I am always working on. I don’t want to be skinny, because I like curves. I think curves are the most attractive part of a woman. Another thing is teaching myself to be a grown up. I don’t want to be petty. I want to be a mature adult.
Would you ever do a gospel song?
My mother always asks me that question. But I don’t know. I love worship music. I listen to them every night. I think my songwriting skills was influenced by my early experience of writing poetry. I wrote about my life and feelings back then. I guess these subjects reflect more my songs than religious subjects. Gospel songs were more like comfort to me. I wake up with a possible vibe when I listen to them. But I think I would do a gospel song in the future.
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