Kenyan vocalist and songwriter Sophia Wanjiku, better known as Sofiya Nzau, has reached a historic milestone by surpassing 10 million monthly Spotify listeners.
This achievement solidifies her status among the top echelons of African pop music alongside renowned Afrobeat megastars such as Burna Boy, Davido, Rema, and Ayra Starr.
Sofiya’s breakthrough came with the global hit ‘Mwaki’, a collaboration with Brazilian producer Zerb.
This track marked her as the first East African artist to achieve such widespread recognition, surpassing established stars like Diamond Platnumz, Harmonize, and Zuchu.
‘Mwaki’, an urgent progressive house anthem, became a sensation soon after its November release, catapulting Nzau to international fame and featuring prominently on various music platforms.
The song soared to the top of Spotify’s Global Viral Chart and garnered hundreds of thousands of fan-generated videos on social media.
Sung in the Kenyan language Kikuyu, ‘Mwaki’ received remixes from leading producers like Major Lazer, Tiësto, Franky Wah, Major League DJz, Tyler ICU, and Chris Avantgarde.
The track was declared the ‘Most Viral Song in the World’ by Spotify, and it secured the fourth position on Beatport’s Afro House Top 100 chart, underscoring its global acclaim.
The unprecedented success of ‘Mwaki’ significantly boosted Nzau’s Spotify numbers, propelling her to the coveted milestone of 10 million monthly listeners.
In March, Sofiya collaborated with DJ and producer Fully Focus to release “Mwanake,” a reinterpretation of a classic Kikuyu music piece originally by Benga legend JB Maina.
Speaking about the song, Fully Focus emphasized its significance as the centerpiece of the ‘Kikuyu House’ project, aiming to honor the rich musical tradition of the Kikuyu culture while resonating with a modern, global audience.
Sofiya expressed her experience working on “Mwanake” as enlightening, blending traditional elements with contemporary sounds.
Sofiya’s distinctive fusion of techno, amapiano, and vernacular lyricism has catapulted her into the global spotlight, establishing her as one of the prominent EDM figures to emerge from Kenya and Africa in recent years.
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