We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaki Mwihaki and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaki, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I’m quite the cliché really. I discovered my creative nature from a tender age. I was naturally inclined to different ways of expressing myself through music. Singing to be specific was evidently a talent that my pre school teachers and Mom picked on early and helped to nurture.

I was that kid who always had a song to present at school, I sang along to TV commercials at home, I tried out numerous talent auditions and quickly learnt songs in readiness for Sunday church performances. During school holidays and birthday dinners, I would put on a show and make my family watch me sing. I have fond memories of my late Grandfather enjoying my singing and skits from my cousins.

This involvement in art projects both in school & church while growing up, was foundational on the singer I am today. The older I got, the more my love, expression, interest and skill for music grew. I wanted to pursue a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music after high school but my Mother, like many parents, never saw art as a career so I ended up pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Information Technology.

Although Tech has been my profession, music is undoubtedly my passion! I don’t think it was a conscious choice to be a musician, it’s more of a calling for me, one that pursues me even when I don’t feel enthused. My voice and songwriting ability is purely God-given. A gift that I’m grateful to have, it allows me to express my authenticity, inspire others with songs of hope and helps me reflect on everyday blessings of life.

Looking at my music journey so far, there’s evidently a grace from God that has kept me in the spirit of music from this little toddler singer to one of Kenya’s award winning singer/songwriters, founder of Adawnage; a renowned Kenyan gospel band and now singing on multiple international platforms. I’m currently in the worship team at Cornerstone Church, AZ and a signed artist under Magichands Music, working on a soon to be released album.

I’m enjoying every music opportunity that God avails to me. I cannot imagine my life or career playing out any other way than it has. The best part of it is, it gets better!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I’m a Kenyan singer/songwriter, currently based in AZ, a worship leader at Cornerstone Church and minister of the gospel who has continued to inspire the lives of many. I write songs that carry a message of hope & triumph through difficult seasons. I have seen the hand of God in my life. I almost gave up on life & my dreams for music, so it became my personal goal to share the message of hope to encourage others & cheer them on in their journey. We have a refuge and a present help in God. My mission is all about singing life, speaking life and watching God change lives.

My journey to music wasn’t that easy; numerous talent auditions as a teenager can be detrimental but the support I had kept me going until I eventually had a significant win as an outstanding female vocalist and songwriter which later saw me form a gospel band that became renowned & scooped several awards in the Kenyan gospel industry. I compose songs mainly in English and Swahili and often a mix of both languages. My award winning compositions, “I live for you”, “Uwezo” & “Naomba” transcended generations & cut across the gospel and secular industry.

After years of great success being in a band, I embarked on a solo music career in 2018, during a depressing season in my life. It seemed as though life had dealt me a bad hand but God saw me through it all. My first debut single “Nani Kama Yahweh” swahili for “Who is like God?” was well received & got me my first international performance at “Sauti Awards” 2018 in Atlanta, GA. The song captures the sovereignty of God and how nothing is impossible with Him. It opened up international ministry opportunities for me that are continuously unfolding by the grace of God.

In 2020, I was signed under US based Magichands Music who released my single “Tegemeo”, which stands as my most successful solo this far, with almost 1M views on my Youtube channel; you’re welcome to listen to my other inspiring releases, “Asante”, “Tabibu”, “Incredible” and my recent single called “Majeshi” which had over 1K streams on Applemusic from the US alone on the first day of release and over 10,000 plays in the US alone, on the first week of release on Applemusic. This tells me that there’s an absorption of good music that knows no language barriers.

I’m most humbled by the impact my songs have on people’s lives. It’s humbling to read & hear of testimonies from my fans. Everyone has a story & it is in sharing our stories that we get to learn, connect, grow, appreciate and gain a deeper understanding of each other and of life itself! We don’t have to be perfect or tick all the right boxes before God can use us. He uses the broken, the faithless and even the poor in spirit to do great things in His name. I emphasize this a lot in my songs because I want everyone to feel welcome not only to church but welcome to stand before God himself. I want people to know that they are accepted as they are regardless of any baggage or shortcomings. If anything that is the gospel; we are all sinners saved by grace! Come to me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest!

People say I have a signature voice that sets me apart from the rest. I believe that every singer is gifted uniquely and my ability to bring out the emotion in a song with different vocal dynamics sets me apart. It is one thing to sing in front of a crowd and a whole different thing to connect & appeal to the emotions of your audience in a very real way. It takes a certain anointing and skill that is cultivated over time; developing charisma, having a solid understanding of song delivery & the ability to match your voice to fit the mood and genre of the song.

I hope my upcoming solo album shall bless and uplift you. It’s a powerful compilation of songs mixed and mastered in Dolby Atmos (spatial audio), Ultra HD (Apple digital master) set to match the state of art technology in music streaming.

If you take anything from my story, I want it to be resilience! Be resilient & know that you can do anything through Christ who strengthens you. There’s nothing that is too hard for God. Dream big then dream bigger! Expand your territories and firmly believe that you have a purpose in this life whether your current circumstances approves of it or not. Seek God’s help to grow you through what you’re going through, to surround you with resources, people and places that will help you bloom where you’re planted; continue working hard, have integrity, confidence, discipline, consistency, develop your character & respect for others. Believe in yourself! You can do it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hmmmm…well, while many might only think of the Grand canyon or the shopping malls and golf courses, there is so much more that this state has to offer. I would take them on a treat that serves up major doses of scenery, hiking, biking and some serious fun time, whether at the spa or on your second plate of enchiladas. I would definitely take my best friend to a good hiking trail for a wonderful time with nature, then indulge in a pleasant meal of their choice. I love supporting small businesses, so we’d go downtown buy & enjoy some art in the city, find a live band gig somewhere or spend some time at a wellness resort for a rejuvenating retreat at one of our world-class spas; ample time to relax and recharge. If they like, we would drive out to see a unique side of Sedona, the nighttime stargazing & UFO tour is worth considering.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe my success and where I am in life to God; every chapter of my life, every waking moment has the hand of God in it. There are seasons I never thought I would pull through but He always makes a way. I owe a big thank you to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of many others; First, to my entire management team at Magichands Music, they’ve continued to inspire, mentor & challenge me. My home church Cornerstone AZ, offers me great community support, relevant teachings that keeps me grounded in my walk of faith. I would also like to recognize Missions Community Church Gilbert AZ, as well as the founder & visionary of Sauti Awards, Atlanta GA. I’m grateful for my growing fanbase around the world with whom I enjoy engaging with on all of my social media platforms not to forget the loving support I continue to receive from friends and family.

Website: https://ffm.to/kakimwihaki

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaki_mwihaki/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOfficialKaki

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KakiMwihaki

Other: http://tiktok.com/@kaki_mwihaki – Tiktok https://ffm.to/kakimwihaki – Kaki Music Online Streaming linktree

Image Credits
@CS_Media

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