Sofiya Nzau is a Gikuyu lyricist, singer-songwriter, and performing artist hailing from Murang’a, Kenya. She bursted into the limelight, via TikTok, mid last year with her viral song Mwaki. Her life has changed tremendously ever since and here are a few highlights about her that you probably didn’t know, and you should.
1. Her husband, is her record producer and personal manager. He is the one who urged her to take up songwriting and recording vocals full-time. He is the cornerstone of her career and her support system.
2. DJ Zerb did not credit Sofiya at first because they had no agreement. Sofiya explained on Instagram that she creates vocal packs and makes them available for websites where creators can buy and use them. The Brazilian DJ however included her name later after the hue and cry. The controversy is what made the song go viral on TikTok, Gen Zs favorite application.
3. She was doing all manner of menial jobs before her big break. She took up being a housemaid during COVID-19 and has also hawked goods around, after which she quit to focus solely on her music career.
Other Works by Sofiya Nzau
4. A lot of people know her through Mwaki but she has been featured extensively by other artists and DJs around the world. World’s renowned EDM DJs like Tiesto and Major Lazer have done their own renditions which have catapulted the viral single into even astronomical heights. She has worked with Zexsy from Nigeria on the song Amapiano which has over 10M views on YouTube and was number one on Apple Music Nigeria for several months.
5. She is currently at 10M monthly listeners on Spotify, the highest in Eastern Africa. She has surpassed seasoned artists like Diamond Platnumz, SautiSol, and Harmonize. This means that her reach is global as people are still discovering her and her music.
6. Mwaki is a Kikuyu word that translates to “fire”. “Mwaki” talks about a woman’s fear of her father when he finds out she is married to a man who isn’t up to the standards the father wanted.
7. She is currently managed by DJ Fully Focus under his Passport Music Group (PMG). DJ Focus is a Kenyan entertainer and creative entrepreneur who shuffles between Kenya and the USA. Fully Focus has over 15 years of experience in the music industry and business. He is also the owner of PXP Festivals. He is her brand manager and have produced a lot of music together.
A Proud Mother of One
8. Apart from being a singer, she enjoys being a mother. She is a mother of one, a title she holds dearly at heart.
9. Sofiya Nzau did a rendition of the veteran Kikuyu musician JB Maina’s hit single Mwanake. The song is the lead single of DJ Fully Focus EP: Kikuyu House. The video features the old singer who was in awe of the singer’s ability to capture the evergreen song in a different setting.
10. She is popular in Nigeria, South Africa, and European countries. So far she has been featured by the following artists and DJs: East&Young, Tim Hox, Space Motion, Zexzy, Eden Shalev, Matan Caspi, Blaq Jerzee, Solid Mind, Pls&Ty, DJ Feevos, Lost Desert & Mad Raas.
