Brandy Maina is an independent Kenyan singer, songwriter, dancer and performer. Since debuting on the coveted Koroga Festival stage as a performer, the Sauti Academy alumnus has grown to be one of Kenya’s most sought after live performers. Early this year she scooped the Pulse Music Video Award (PMVA) under the New Artist of the Year category for her collaboration with Movas Warombosaji on the track Danger Dinji.

Additionally, Brandy’s impeccable track record and multiple talents have earned her a legion of fans in Kenya and beyond. Her stupendous discography boasts of catchy and timeless hits such as Danger Dinji, Maryjane, Kubali, and most recently Baddest.

The bubbly star recently opened up to us on her music journey to live performance stardom in the Kenyan entertainment scene and her future plans.

How would you describe your sound?

My sound leans more towards Afro-Soul, Reggae with a bit of rap. The people who inspire my sound are the likes of Tems, Wizkid, Rema, Sean Paul and Mr. Lenny

Since launching your career, you have grown a steady and loyal fan base. How would you advise an East African artist who is starting out?

Find a way to connect with at least even just one person. I’d advise them to also figure out what they love and be consistent at it because when you are consistent, people will know you for something that they can rely on and that is how you build a fan base. And always, any opportunity you have to share your talent with people, use it. Yes! Get exposure. People right now are like, “Me I can’t do exposure!” Exposure for an upcoming artist is good. You just need to put a time limit to it. 

What was your first memorable live show and how did it impact your stage confidence?

Koroga was my very first show. I got the opportunity to perform because I won a competition. At that time, I didn’t have music out so I performed a set of popular Reggae songs like Tarrus Riley’s ‘Just The Way You Are’. The crowd sang along and it was beautiful! 

Also seeing my parents in the crowd standing in amazement was a life changing experience for me. That was when I knew, “Hii naendelea nayo!” I was able to see that I have power to communicate my feelings, emotions, and vibes to a big audience. It definitely made me believe more in what I can do.

You have been very vocal on IP matters and proper music management in the recent past. Is this because of an experience that you went through? If so, tell us more about the experience.

Yes, but I can’t dwell into what happened. The experience I went through made me understand that there are things I need to have in place to protect myself as a musician in case of copyright infringement issues.

You can’t generate revenue from your art without being business savvy. I want to be able to be financially dependent on my craft as I continue my musical journey. It’s essential to know about intellectual property and contracts to avoid being exploited. 

Having collaborated with artists such as Umoja Sounds, Ethan Muziki, Maandy Kabaya, and Enoque Wambua, what do you look for in an artist or producer before collaborating with them?

First of all I look for vibes! Do we connect? Are we friends? We don’t have to be best friends but is there a connection between them and me? Is there something that we can bond over? There has to be a connection. 

I remember when I met Maandy, we were joking about something which had nothing to do with music then we just laughed! That is the connection that made me feel like I can make music with her. Same thing as Ethan and the rest. 

The second thing is talent. What they do, their consistency and how seriously they take their music. If you take your music seriously and you are talented then I will work with you. I don’t want to work with an artist who doesn’t take their music seriously, and then when we do a song together, they don’t follow up with marketing, contracts etc. 

What are some of your favourite moments as an artist in your journey so far?

The best part has to be studio sessions with other artists. It’s amazing seeing how artists, producers, and musicians communicate through music nonverbally. To create something from nothing is such a spiritual connection. 

Other memorable moments include performing on stage. Having people sing my song word- for-word makes me feel like I’ve immortalised a part of myself, and now the world gets to share it and sing with me.

Another part, shooting music videos! The process is quite hectic but the shooting part, I love it! And many more, I don’t think I can exhaust that list

What major challenges have you experienced and how did you mitigate them?

Dealing with promoters who don’t respect women or think that they can disrespect me  because of my stature is a major challenge. It’s super unprofessional to not pay artists on time or not sign contracts which is the bare minimum promoters should do when working with artists. I’ve had the pleasure of learning from my peers like Charisma who is a lawyer on how to navigate such situations. 

Finance has also always been a challenge as an upcoming artist, specifically the money to fund music videos. In order to mitigate costs, I’ve began to think strategically and trading services for another service to subsidise the costs of shooting.  

Are there any upcoming projects that fans expect?

I don’t want to say at the moment but I am really looking forward to releasing new music. I want to be heard more. I want people to feel my soul through my words and melodies. So whether it will come through an EP, a song, or a collaboration, I just want my name and my tag, [sings] “Its Brandy!” to be out there.

Which artists would you love to collaborate with in future?

In Kenya I would love to collaborate with Nyashinki, Mbuzi Gang, Wakadinali, Buruklyn Boyz, and Femi One. Internationally, Rema, Ayra Star, Tems, Rema, Rema, Rema!

Stream Brandy Maina