Upcoming Artists In Kenya To Watch In 2022

Looking for upcoming artists in Kenya? You have come to the right place. Today, we feature new Kenya music artists to watch in 2022. The Kenya music landscape is one of the most vibrant and diverse in Africa. With over 40 different tribes, the country is rich with music of different languages. Successful music artists in Kenya continue to make their mark in the Kenyan music scene and beyond.

Besides, new Kenyan musicians continue to pop up every year. These new Kenyan artists are joining other musicians in using music as a vehicle to share information and educate the masses. The majority of the upcoming musicians in Kenya are young talents who are working hard to secure their place in the music industry. Below are some promising up comers that are doing amazingly well.

Top Upcoming Music Artists in Kenya

#1. Nadia Mukami

Nadia Mukami. Photo credit – Nadia Mukami FB

Nadia Mukami is one of the most popular musicians in Kenya.  She is a singer, songwriter, vocalist, and performer. She is best known for her hit singles – Radio Love and Si Rahisi. Nadia Mukami released her first song – Barua ya Siri – in 2015. She went on to release her second song called Kesi, which became a hit and marked her turning point. 

It is this song that made Mukami win several performance opportunities at different Kenyan platforms. Over time, she has released several hit songs. For example, this upcoming Kenyan artist released her hit and breakthrough song Radio Love in 2019. In the same year,  this hit song won two awards at the Pulse Music Video Awards (PMVA).

She released her debut EP in 2020 That featured several music artists from Kenya and Africa. Then, in 2021, Nadia Mukami got nominated for the first time in the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA). She has collaborated with some of the top Kenya music artists including Sanaipei Tande.

Also Read: Top 10 Successful Kenya Music Artists. Who Is Your Favorite?

#2. Xenia Manasseh

Xenia Manasseh. Photo credit – Xenia Manasseh FB

Xenia Manasseh started her music career back in high school. That is where she took part in several editions of the Kenya Music Festival (KMF) and won some awards. After high school, she went to one of the most esteemed music schools in Boston – Berklee College of Music.

While in the US, Xenia started songwriting. In 2019, she produced her first single called Niambie. Since she released her first album, Falling Apart, Xenia Manasseh has been growing in popularity month by month. In 2020, her jazzy and soothing voice saw her become one of the 30 finalists in Mr. Eazi’s Empawa Africa, second edition.

She recently released a single called Lowkey. In addition, her collaboration with Sauti Sol and Mr. Eazi Xenia from Nigeria has made her quite popular. Today, Xenia is indeed a force that other upcoming artists in Kenya should reckon with.

Also Read: Which of These Successful Nigeria Music Artists Is Your Favorite?

#3. Trio Mio

Trio Mio during a performance. Photo credit – @triomio_official

The ease with which Trio Mio delivers music as well as his flow and spellbinding voice makes him one of the promising upcoming musicians in Kenya. This young, fast-rising lad proves to have immense musical talent. Mio has amassed a huge following because of his catchy lyrics and tracks.

The 2004-born artist drew inspiration to venture into music from his elder brother who is also a singer. His mother has also been very supportive right from the time he took a plunge into music. Trio Mio wrote his first song while in primary school but he did not release it. Then, while in Form two, schools were closed after the coming of the pandemic.

Thankfully for him, he took the time to write and release several songs. His release Cheza Kama Wewe became an instant hit in Kenya. Right from the start, his fans were greatly impressed by his seamless rapping and masterful flow. Mio draws his rapping inspiration from Kaligraph Jones, a top rapper in Kenya.

Also Read: Top 10 Best South African Musicians

#4. Femi One

Femi One. Photo credit – @femi_one

Femi One is among the upcoming artists in Kenya who have been growing in popularity in the past two years. She made history in 2021 after she became the first African female brand ambassador for Monster Energy drink. Femi One, whose real name is Wanjiku Kimani, began raping at the age of 15.

The Kenyan female rapper started singing right after high school. She started by getting signed to the Kaka Empire record label. She appeared in many songs with other female rappers. Femi One stood out because of her demeanor and the flow she portrayed in different songs. She came into the limelight after the release of King Kaka’s hit Ligi Soo remix.

In 2020, Femi collaborated with Mejja and released a hit song called Utawezana. This Adonai hitmaker has continued to grow in popularity after taking a leading position as the female rapper with the most YouTube subscribers in East Africa. 

#5. Nikita Kering

Nikita Kering holding Christmas offers. Photo credit – @nikita_kering

Nikita Kering is another upcoming Kenyan music artist. The 2002-born musician is one of the youngest artists in Kenya who seem to be very promising. Her singing talent was evident from a young age. This saw her get noticed by Emily Kosgey, a Kenyan gospel singer. Subsequently, Kosgey gave her a chance to perform during one of her launches in 2012.

Upon performing and impressing a massive audience, Nikita Kering gained the confidence to aim at greater heights. Schooling did not deter her from working on her musical talent. Later on, she joined EmPawa Africa, a talent incubation initiative that aims to empower African artists. Kering emerged among the top 10 finalists but she could not go on with the program because of her young age.

Nonetheless, she released her first song called Tragedy in 2019 during the program.  In the same year, she made history after becoming the first youngest Kenyan female artist to win two Afrimma awards. Her popularity grew even more after releasing her debut album in 2021. She is one of the young Kenyan musicians to watch in 2022 and beyond.

#6. Kahush

Kahush. Photo credit – @kahush_

Kahush, whose real name is Kahumburu Mutahi, is one of the upcoming rappers in Kenya. According to his father, Mutahi Kagwe, Kahush has a God given musical talent. He has drawn significant inspiration from his cousin, Kagwe Mungai, a renowned rapper, and producer. The upcoming rapper rose to fame upon releasing his hit song, Mi Siwezi, in 2019.

His other songs include Fika, When I rap, and Maisha. The young musician from Kenya released his debut album in 2020. Last year, he released a blockbuster dubbed Mastingo that featured Chris Kaiga, another promising young Kenyan artist. The ardent rapper is currently studying politics at Nottingham University in London.

#7. Chris Kaiga

Chris Kaiga. Photo credit – @chris_kaiga

Chris Kaiga is an upcoming artist who was born and raised in the capital, Nairobi. Unlike some upcoming artists in Kenya who have not been in the music scene for long, Kaiga has close to 10 years. He has taken his time to master the craft and create a name for himself.

In 2011, he recorded a song but never released it. The following year, he released a mixtape followed by another collaboration song dubbed Pombe Bhangi. Then, he joined another music group in 2016 and opened his studio, Up & Up Creatives. After about a year of recording music, they decided to part in 2017.

Some of his popular hits are Niko On, Zimenice, Bundaz, and I Want. While he has taken more time than others to make a name in the industry, he has gained enough experience to become successful.

#8. Wakadinali

Wakadinali group members. Photo credit – @chainrapblogafrica

Wakadinali is a Kenyan rap or hip hop music group popularly known as Rong Rende or Zozanation. This trio group has been around for about five years. Domani Munga and Scar Mkadinali came together first and then Sewer Sydaa joined them afterward.

They are famously known for several hip hop and rap songs like Kovu, Ndani ya Cockpit, Mrenga, Hawatapenda, Clean Sheet, and Moja Safi. Scar and Domani nurtured their musical talents during their high school days. After school, they honed their rapping craft and began performing at different events.

Over time, they have managed to command a huge following because of their style and consistent releases. Wakadinali won several awards in 2019 including Best Album, Best Rap Group, and Song and Collabo of the Year.