Kevin Mbuvi Kioko, popularly known as Bahati, is a controversial musician in Kenya who left gospel for the secular world. Bahati was among the crop of young musicians who came up with a new style of gospel music in the past decade.
However, his decision to leave the gospel industry for secular shocked most of his fans. As a result, Bahati defended his move, citing that he faced huge battles in the gospel industry. At the end of the day, he affirmed his faith and belief in God even while working as a secular artist.
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Bahati’s unpopular decision to ditch gospel for secular was actually a huge stepping stone towards his success and fortune. Since then, the soft-spoken singer amassed a huge fanbase as he maintained his previous diehards. But how was Bahati’s life before his venture into the music scene?
Bahati’s Humble Beginnings and Struggles
The artist’s early life was just a broke dude in the streets of Mathare, Nairobi. This was a result of a tough and difficult childhood. Bahati was raised in the ABC children’s home (orphanage) after his mother passed away when he was 7 years old.
He later joined Mercury Academy, where he studied in his primary school thanks to ABC Children’s Home. After completion of primary studies, Kevin Mbuvi enrolled at Nakeel High School, Kajiado. In the later years, his sponsor couldn’t pay his fees, thus forcing him to drop out.
Thereafter, Bahati was tempted to go into the streets, but good Samaritans came through. He was offered an admission at St. Theresa’s Boys’ Eastleigh. He continued with his secondary education and sat for KCSE in 2011, scoring a C+. With this grade, Bahati could have joined university, but he didn’t have the resources to do so. Therefore, he resorted to the music industry as an escape.
Discovering music: The start of his journey
Kevin Bahati actually discovered that he could sing while in form 4. This is after his performance at the 2011 National Music Festival, not only amazed his fellow students but also teachers. This incident elevated his confidence. Afterwards, Bahati pictured himself as a musician and kept working hard.
“It was at the 2011 National Music Festival where I sang, much to the amazement of my fellow students and teachers. That gave me a lot of confidence and started honing my talent.” Bahati told a local media house
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In 2012, he recorded his first song, ‘Siku ya Kwanza.’. He even included this song in his debut album, Barua za Bahati.
Breakthrough
Bahati’s debut album, Barua za Bahati, played a pivotal role in his music career. It entailed several songs, but ‘Mama’ became a hit song at the time. ‘Mama,’ a song dedicated to his mother, dominated the airwaves in the best part of 2013. As such, Bahati became a household name in Kenya thanks to his song ‘Mama.’.
The musician got huge recognition within the country, and his success was immensely awarded. For instance, he awarded 7 awards in 2013, including Most Promising (Artist-Mwafaka Awards 2013), New Gospel Artist of the Year (Groove Awards), and Best Male Artist (Coast Awards 2013), just to name a few.
Bahati’s achievements in 2013 cemented his name in Kenya’s music industry. It’s been over 11 years now, and the singer is still a dominant force in the country.
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Kevin Mbuvi Bahati is a huge inspiration for those facing hardships, showing that through hard work and dedication, everything is possible. His story of growing up in an orphanage to becoming a music superstar is quite encouraging.
