Award-winning musician Habida Maloney has noted with great concern that it is tough being a female musician in Kenya.
According to Habida, Kenyan artistes are the most hardworking people in the entertainment industry. She said most musicians have been consistent in releasing their music but noted that it is tough being in the industry, especially for female musicians in the secular industry.
“This is the reason why few women sing secular music. It is quite unfortunate that women in the music industry are still not yet taken seriously. Most of the time we end being paid less than what male singers earn,” she said.
She further noted that many corporates do not use female artistes regularly in their events.
“As musicians, we also struggle. Making a good track is expensive and people are not paying for shows. Our songs are not getting played over and over. There are many issues that need to be fixed,” she said.
Habida’s sentiments come as Kenyan female musicians switch from secular to gospel.
Habida, who started her music career more than five years ago, moved to South Africa and was signed by Gallo Records in 2016. But she returned home the following year.
Asked why, the ‘Sunshine’ hitmaker said; “I felt like God was calling me home. I had to promote my own country because our music doesn’t cross borders much.”
She said the music industry needs a lot of support to help aspiring artistes to thrive.
“I would advise upcoming artistes not to join music if their hearts are not in it. This is an industry where you should not care about making money until years later.”
The “My Reason” singer has released an extended playlist that is a short version of an album, that has three songs and a remix. She is also working on reality TV show.
