Top 10 Musicians in Kenya 2023

Between January 2023 and March 2023, Research 8020 embarked on a journey to discover the top 10 musicians in Kenya. The study examined the popularity of musicians in Kenya. This would help inform industry players and also set the stage for comparisons.

Without any further ado, here is the list of the top 10 musicians in Kenya 2023:

1. Otile Brown

Otile Brown is a Kenyan Independent R&B singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor. He has been a household name in the African music industry for some time now. His hit single ‘Dusuma’ featuring Meddy has had a stupendous 2022 amassing over 39 million streams as of March 2023.

2. Sauti Sol

Sauti Sol is a Kenyan boy band formed in Kenya. The band was formed by vocalists Bien-Aimé Baraza, Willis Chimano and Savara Mudigi in 2005 before guitarist Polycarp Otieno joined.  This led to their rebranding. The group has achieved numerous accolades throughout their existence. They occupy the second spot on our list as their hit single ‘Melanin.’.The single which features Pato Ranking garnered over 30 million as of March 2023.

3. Willy Paul

Wilson Abubakar Radido famously known as Willy paul is a Kenyan artist and songwriter from Nairobi. He has released some record-breaking songs throughout his illustrious career. His single ‘I Do’ featuring Jamaican songstress Alaine makes him a contender for the third spot in our 2023 list. The song has amassed over 34 million views as of March 2023.

4. Nyashinski

Nyashinski is a Kenyan rapper and songwriter. He took a 10-year hiatus before making a comeback with the hit single ‘Now You Know’ in 2016.   He later releases the record-breaking single ‘Malaika’ in 2017. Malaika scooped a Mdundo Award for Most Downloaded Male Single in 2017. The song has been streamed more than 16 million times as of March 2023.

5. Bahati

Bahati is a Kenyan gospel artist who became famous for his hit song ‘Mama’, which hit the airwaves by storm. He has established himself as one of the most dominant forces in the music industry. This is from being a street child to being one of Kenya’s most successful artists. His hit single ‘Adhiambo’ featuring Prince Indah has amassed over 20 million views as of March 2023.

6. Nadia Mukami

Kenyan singer-songwriter Nadia Mukami is well-known for her top singles “Si Rahisi” and “Radio Love”. In October 2020, she released her first EP, titled African Popstar. She is the creator of the “Sevens Creative Hub” record label in Kenya. Nadia has established herself as a major player in the music scene. She keeps racking up views and solidifying her position among the top musicians with her melodious compositions. As of March 2023, her song “Wangu”  has amassed over 12 million views. The song features Sanaipei Tande.

7. H_art the Band

Wachira Gatama, Kenneth Muya, and Mordecai Mwini form H art the band. They have entertained us with their music for many years. They gained a huge following thanks to their breakout song ‘Uliza Kiatu.’ Another one of their most popular songs on YouTube, ‘Nikikutazama’, made them one of Kenya’s top singing groups. H art the band has become an extremely rapid musical sensation in East Africa. This is thanks to their distinctive sound, known as Afro-Poetry. This sound combines music with an African influence and spoken word/poetry. Their hit single ‘El- Shaddai’ has amassed over 13 million views as of March 2023.

8. Ethic Entertainment

Rekles, SWAT, Seska, and Zilla, make up the Kenyan-Afro music group Ethic Entertainment. They started the group in the streets of Nairobi in 2018. The quartet broke into the music scene with their hit single ‘Lamba Lolo.’

They have released several well-performing tracks with their 2022 single ‘Pandana’ garnering over 7.2 million views as of March 2023. The indelible mark they left is still felt to this day. This is because the group has lately not been releasing songs as they used before. We hope they pick up from where they left off soon.

9. Gloria Muliro

Gloria Owendi is a Kenyan gospel singer and songwriter better known by her stage name Gloria Muliro. Muliro released four albums as of 2013, the best-selling of which, ‘Kibali’, contains the well-known song “Sitolia” with Willy Paul. Gloria has long been a household name in the music business. This is evidenced by how well her music has performed. As of March 2023, views for his hit song “Narudisha” had reached over 12 million.

10. Guardian Angel

Kenyan gospel artist Guardian Angel specializes in dancehall and afro-rap gospel music. The ‘Nadeka’ hitmaker has conquered numerous challenges to reach greater heights. His hit single ‘Kuongozwa’ has received over 7.2 million views since March 2023. He has released over 30 songs to date.

View the full report with 50+ artists here.

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