BIO
A soul conversation in every pulse.
Athieno is a versatile singer-songwriter, producer and audio engineer who crafts complex, layered soundscapes, having honed her distinctive African-infused urban sound through global immersion. Her music delivers vulnerable, profound testimonies, inviting listeners into a deeper understanding of shared human struggle, faith, and personal growth. Following her deeply personal album, IaM, she showcases her evolving artistry with her most intense musical statement yet, The YGB ExPeriment. This arresting emotional triptych, created in collaboration with film composer, Noel Grass, charts the turbulent journey of personal change and conflict with a fresh, experimental edge, moving listeners through hope, despair, and rage.
MUSIC
FACT SHEET
Full Name: Annette Athieno Oduor (formerly annieSoul)
Origin / Base: Kenya
Role: singer-songwriter, pianist, music producer, audio engineer.
Education: Berklee College of Music
Sounds like: African-infused urban music, masterfully fusing R&B, Jazz, Funk, Hip-Hop, Gospel, and African influences.
Lyrical Themes: vulnerable, profound testimonies; honest accounts of shared human struggle, personal insights, love, faith, and personal growth.
Music Releases: IaM (Album); The YGB ExPeriment (upcoming EP - first 3 movements released)
Collaborations: The YGB ExPeriment with film composer, Noel Grass.
Achievements: First Kenyan to perform at the African Festival of Boston (2012); Finalist in the 2013 International Songwriting Competition (ISC), World Music category with “Sukuma Wiki”.
Notable Performance: African Festival of Boston, Jamaica Plain Porchfest, Kinanda Festival, Engage Talk, Thursday Nite Live at J’s.
LIVE
IMAGES
PRESS
“Athieno is a quintessential African fusion artist whose music is characterized by the seamless blend of diverse musical genres and influences. Her unique signature sound is anchored by her arresting vocals and deceptively simple, yet deeply effective, songwriting. The result is easily digestible music that resonates emotionally and lingers with the listener.” - Bottomline Kenya.
"Breathtaking virtuosity on the piano... it's hard not to fall in love with her music." Jazz Symphonic
"Your quintessential African fusion artist. Numerous musical genres and influences ooze out of her songs, softly kneaded and layered together to leave just enough room for one final fundamental ingredient – a unique signature sound which combines her arresting vocals and her deceptively simple songwriting." Bottomline Kenya.
Art that is at its core honest, cosmopolitan and inventive," The Birn.
"Athieno fuses traditional African beats and modern sounds to create a perfect infusion of urban music with lyrics that are not anything close to simplistic." AfroWay.
"Passionate singer... with undeniably original sounds and uplifting messages," Dig Boston.
"A singer-songwriter with her own take on Swahili-laden, socially-conscious neo-soul," The Boston Globe.
ACHIEVEMENTS
"Muamuzi" hits no. 10 on Bottomline Kenya's best Kenyan songs of 2016. Source
"IaM" was Healthy Woman's album of the month (December 2016). Source
"IaM" gets an 8.1 rating from Bottomline Kenya (October 2016). Source
I finally released my album "IaM" (April 2016).
Finalist in the 2013 International Songwriting competition in World Music category with "Sukuma Wiki". Source
Our cover of the Kenyan National Anthem hits 100k views on YouTube. Source
First Kenyan to perform at the Africa Festival of Boston (July 2012). Source
CONTACT
iamathieno@gmail.com