VICTORIA KIMANI DEFENDS TYLA’S GRAMMY WIN, SLAMS AFRICAN MUSIC GATEKEEPING

Following the historic Grammy win of South African sensation Tyla, celebrated Kenyan artist Victoria Kimani has issued a statement in her defence, challenging rigid expectations of what constitutes African music and identity.

In an Instagram post, Kimani praised Tyla and her team for breaking down barriers and confronting a pervasive mindset within some African audiences. She shared experience of artists who defy traditional boundaries. “Tyla and her team have broken down walls that some Africans have set for other Africans who look and sound different or don’t sing in any African dialect,” Kimani wrote. 

Revealing personally with the struggle, she added, “Africans like me. Who have been fusing African music with Pop & R&B (AfroPop) for over a decade (5 Albums in FYI).”

Kimani talked about her own career-long battles. “The push back she is getting for her win is the same that I get every time I drop something new ‘Sing in Swahili, this doesn’t sound Kenyan’ etc…” She concluded her post writing, “Finally, we have someone who went over all y’all heads 😂 And I love to see it.”

In a subsequent post, Kimani called for support over skepticism. “We need to end this mindset of ‘I suffered so you must suffer too’ … Nah…. Give people their flowers early & immediately. Thanks.”