In Conversation With Bakhita

One thing about Kenyan artists? They don’t like to be boxed in. Especially not when they have so much to offer. One of the ones who’s really stood out to me in the past year is Bakhita, who labels herself as a multi- disciplinary artist. She’s a painter, a singer, song-writer and set designer. All disciplines that she effortlessly intertwines whilst evading linear conformity. As a multidisciplinary, all her talents/skills posses different colored threads that form into an all encompassing rainbow woolen ball and I was lucky enough to unravel this for myself at her studio in Karen Village where we met for a warm chat. 

For those who may not know, she released her latest EP ‘Conjunction: A Kiss Goodbye’ (yes, after the conjunction itself) on January 8th after a little delay from her music distributors earlier on. And that is not all. She also recently got her own manager after what she describes as a necessary grace period of organic acquaintance. 

“They reached out to me after I did a gig late last year in Kilifi and we’ve been in contact ever since. My favourite thing about it was the room I was given for our relationship to grow organically - obviously after I also did a little bit of my own research on her personal portfolio”

We both begin to emphasise on the importance of having a solid team as an artist here in Nairobi, to which she has been building slowly but surely by consistently working with producers such as LEMI, who she has been working with for years now. They collaborated on her last two projects and their growing chemistry is evident. 

“The songs on Conjunction were meant to be released as singles by the end of last year, but there were unavoidable hold-ups with the tracks and it couldn’t happen as I originally planned”

Everything seemed to work out for the better though. She explains to me how the impromptu nature of the project aligned with what was actually happening in her life and synchronistically within the cosmos too. The great conjunct that happened on December 21st 2020 between Jupiter and Saturn (the planets of expansion and order respectively) did not necessarily give us any tangible superpowers but definitely did highlight those areas in our lives. And while she doesn’t hold astrology as the sole governor of her life, she can appreciate the role it plays in our interactions with ourselves, with others and the energies all around us. For her, this period of remaking the songs was a culmination of a call to action, which brought about points of mental and spiritual purging and thus moments of clarity leading to earned luck and expansion in her life. Soon after, she takes me through a series of rituals that she goes through while in preparation for studio and songwriting sessions. 

Rule number one - no cigarettes. She herself doesn’t partake in the habit and this is because of the effect it has on her throat.. It’s the one thing she does not condone while in her zone. Even the sweetest scent of incense isn’t allowed in the room while she’s working.

“Just as my mind and my spirit are clear during sessions, I need the room to be clear too. All I need are my windows wide open and a mug of hot water beside me, the rest we can do afterwards…”

She doesn’t drink before or after sessions either, as it also harshly affects her voice. However, she isn’t against partaking the holy herb once all work is done. 

As for songwriting, her process is more intense. ”Dreamwork is key!”, she says.  That’s where she gets her ideas, visions and answers from. And speaking of visions, have you seen her music videos? ‘Dem Go Know’ off Chamo Mile: Pye came to her in a dream. So we had to talk about that. 

Color is something very evidently important to her in her way of expressing herself. She tells me yellow is her happy colour and her favourites ~ green, purple, yellow and orange are ( which I pointed out) are all present in her last two projects.

Which comes first? The art or the painting? Bakhita is responsible for the cover art of both Chamo Mile:Pye and Conjunction. She painted both, but they didn’t arise in the same ways. For Chamo Mile:Pye, the painting came first, which then inspired the musical project. As for Conjunction, the EP was a culmination of yet to be singles, so once the project was settled, the inspiration behind the painting was set. It’s also a means for her to get her art out there. If you want to buy her art, feel free to reach out to her via instagram or visit her art studio so you can see the beauty in real life. 

Chamo Mile: Pye Artwork

Conjunction Artwork

This piece wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Bakhita’s work as an activist, which to my surprise I learn runs in the family. Her mother runs an NGO called TISA and her uncle was a forefront whistleblower for the Anglo-Leasing scandal back in the early 2000’s, who had to flee the country.. This stuck with her over the years and she made a promise to herself to never get involved in such work. 

“I realised that our future is doomed and that we had to start fighting for it. If we’re going to be conscious beings, why shouldn’t we try to change the world around us?”

Mid last year, there were protests that took place in Nairobi concerning police brutality, known as the SABA SABA Protests. Bakhita took note of her class privilege and decided to participate and help out in any way she could. From the look of things, it certainly wasn’t easy. The numbers were low and the tear gas was much, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Everyone has a role to play when it comes activism. Bakhita fights for other social issues that are close to her heart such as gender issues, sexual abuse and rape; some of which she has sadly experienced herself. She was not the only artist present at those protests and that sparks a glimmer of joy within me. We definitely have a long way to go if we are currently comfortable with 2 billion shillings being unashamedly stolen from us on the daily, while others suffer and starve. 

One thing is for sure though, every dark cloud has a silver lining and while the rain may come, the flowers will surely bloom. Quarantine has provided us with opportunities to connect with ourselves and others in a deeper way (and for some quite the opposite). Perhaps the most acute silver lining for Bakhita has been getting into her visual director bag. In the early months of lockdown, a photographer who works for Vogue asked her if she would be interested in working on a project with him based on the theme “making the most out of quarantine” and she quickly gathered up her team and obliged. With the help of the incredibly unique artist Nyokabi Kimari and filmmaker Natasha Ayoo, they created five sets for this feature, of which only two made the cut. This validated her eye and allowed her to explore her creativity in set design as an all round artist and has since continued to alchemise her otherworldly visions to life!

PS: She has fire set designs and music videos coming out soon. So look out for that! She says it’s different from what we’ve seen her do before, but in the best way.  

 As we concluded the evening with cocktails that I made myself, we discussed the unseen blessing it is to be a multi-disciplinary artist not only in Kenya, but also during a global pandemic. Different notions sometimes require different outlets in order to be purely expressed. These outlets feed into our various complexities and make us feel whole. The bonus - but now requirement (respectfully), is payment. And on that note I will say that it is important to pay artists their dues and on time, so they can create more and live a deserving life, correct?

You can keep up with Bakhita and what she’s been up to via her instagram and her various work here as well.