Music has been Kevine Musoni’s interest since she was a little girl. Now, the 20-year-old wants to build a professional career to follow in the footsteps of her role models Andy Bumuntu and American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys.
The two may have inspired Musoni to go into music, but the singer’s curiosity is not limited to what she learns from them, however, what the world can teach her in daily life.
"I am a person who is always curious to learn new things,’ she says.
Born in Kanombe, Kicukiro District, Musoni is the second child in a family of five who began exploring her talent at a tender age.
She loved music of diverse genres varying from pop and R&B to afrobeat and hip-hop, but as an upcoming artiste, Musoni finds comfort in afrobeat and pop.
The singer has followed every step of Keys’ career, watching her music, her performances and even doing covers of her songs.
"She’s my inspiration because of the way she sings, the way she composes her music and the passion she has for it. The composition of her music carries a strong message,” she says.
The idea to do music is something that Musoni grew up with. Her passion developed when she joined a high school choir. Upon finishing high school in 2016 at Maranyundo Girls School, Musoni felt it was time to go to the studio and record a song.
"My family likes to tell me that I used to sing when I was three years old and that I often sang Massamba’s songs. I used to sing or perform poems in front of the whole school and I realised that I should turn that passion into a dream career in music when I completed high school studies,” she says.
Although she appeared shy during the interview, Musoni is more confident when performing because she feels comfortable communicating with people through music.
"When I am singing or composing a poem, it is easy for me to feel free than just talking to people,” she says.
In October last year, she met producer Bob at ‘The Soundss’ and recorded her first song ‘Don’t Let It Go’. The song, composed in English, is inspired by her personal experience, and she wanted it to impact as many people as possible.
"It tells people not to listen to others who bring them down so they shouldn’t let their dream go, rather, pursue it,” she says.
Positive reactions from people who watched or listened to it inspired Musoni to compose more songs for her audience.
Her other songs are also inspired by personal experience, stories that she hears from people and any other inspirational tales that she wants to share with people.
"I like to do music that changes and impacts lives, but also makes people happy, and that is what my new song and future compositions are all about,” she says.
Musoni’s love and passion for music is driven by her parents and relatives who remain her biggest motivation to dream big in her career.
"My family is so supportive and I am so blessed to have them because they really don’t have any problem with me as long as I am doing what makes me happy,” she says.
"When I love something I really work hard at it. What pushes me to continue to do music is my family, they keep encouraging me to do more, and my fans who are giving me positive feedback on my first release,” she adds.
She does not plan to give up on her career no matter the challenges she faces.
"If you are passionate about something you have to go for it. You have to trust your instincts. Music requires a lot of effort and I just want to compose and release more songs and promote my music so it reaches a higher level,” she says.
She is steadily following in the footsteps of her grandfather who also used to sing and compose poems. For that reason, she sees herself writing, releasing more songs and improving every step of her career.
Currently, Musoni a third-year student in Computer Science at Strathmore University in Nairobi. Besides music, she is also a karate enthusiast.
"I want to be a musician and a computer scientist at the same time. The two can complement each other in terms of music production. And recording requires knowledge in computer science,” she says.