I aM ATHIENO

Image by SucrePix

Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Athieno is an artist on a mission to showcase Africa’s diversity, creativity and intellect through song. She is a performing singer/songwriter, pianist, music producer and audio engineer who has skillfully and creatively fused her musical influences in R&B, Jazz, Funk, Hip-Hop, Gospel and African music into her African-infused urban music.

Athieno has been described as a "passionate singer... with undeniably original sounds and uplifting messages," Dig Boston. She began singing as a toddler and was performing by the time she was two years old. Growing up in a musical household in the heart of an African city, Athieno was exposed to a myriad of cultures and music traditions. Her love for fusing the various musical styles (Western and African) that coloured her upbringing was evident by the time she began writing and recording her music as a teenager. Athieno has the ability to unite story and song, weaving multiple languages and instrumental colours into her African-infused urban sound. Her poetic gift for setting a scene earned her a spot as a finalist in the 2013 International Songwriting Competition with her song “Sukuma Wiki."

In 2010, Athieno moved to Boston where she met the stellar collection of genre-bending musicians who would feature on her album, "IaM." While in Boston, she was further exposed to musicians and cultures from around the globe and gained a renewed curiosity about African music traditions. The result is a culturally rich work of “art that is at its core honest, cosmopolitan and inventive,” the BIRN. In 2016, Athieno released her highly anticipated album "IaM", which "instantly positioned itself as a strong contender for the best Kenyan album of 2016" Bottomline Kenya. For more of Athieno’s African-infused urban sound simply press play.

 

Images by Quaint Photography