In today’s world, there are so many new ways musicians are able to stand out. From working hard to make sure their music is in every reachable platform, creating unskippable playlists, collaborating with other like-minded artists to partnering with brands, artists are right now really doing the most – and one of them is our very own Nviiri the Storyteller.
He has risen to become one of Kenya’s beloved acts both as a brand and as a member of Sol Generation and his collaboration with HMD Global is just one of the ways that he’s showing us that he isn’t stopping any time soon.
3 weeks ago, HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones partnered with Nviiri to help bring his video Niko Sawa to life. The response has been nothing short of amazing, showing what happens when brands like Nokia come in to help an artist’s dreams come true
Let’s start by telling me who you are; who is Nviiri?
So, first of all, Nviiri is my actual name but I also use it as a stage name. Basically, I’m a songwriter, performing artist, and tailor you know I have done a bit of video editing and video production and I’m also a part of the label, Sol generation.
Why did you decide on music? Especially seeing how it’s really hard for some artists to break into this industry.
I honestly believe it’s one of those things that choose you because I have delved into a couple of crafts during my adult life – I have done a bit of mechanical engineering, and even video production but music has always been there; it’s in my blood you know, and you know once the passion is there, it’s a self-driven thing. You don’t get to decide where to start and to stop.
You’ve said that music chose you, and I believe that if something chooses you, then it has to bring a purpose to people; it changes people. How do you think your music connects with people?
We always believe we are writing soundtracks to people’s lives, and it’s always amazing when you release a song or when you just engage with people with your music and you feel the feedback and the energy they give you back. The reaction is usually very personal, especially considering that we all go through these same emotions and I am one of the chosen few is that is able to address this emotion through music.
I always look forward to touching people’s lives through music hence our songwriting; we really emphasize the songwriting bit, because that is where our music lives on, not just in the beats or the voice, but when you have the right words then that cuts deeper. It takes you back at a certain point in life, and even it speaks to you about a certain situation, and those are the main places where I see the connection.
Speaking of connecting with people, how do you connect with other artists to the point where you say, I need to collaborate with this artist?
When it comes to collaboration, I mainly look at someone who may have tapped into a market that I haven’t tapped into because the way we do make our music might not necessarily reach some specific target audience but these collaborations, it has helped us to reach out to more and more of these people, and hence our music even getting heard in diverse places – that’s where the connection comes in, and as for the music, we speak who we are in our sound, and we get to dictate how the music will sound so as not to lose ourselves in the whole vibe of connecting with people.
Is this also one of the factors that you consider when you are partnering with brands like HMD Global?
Definitely. Through partnering with corporates like HMD Global, we get to further our reach since we sometimes don’t have the necessary resources to do that. From this partnership so far, we’ve also had had our eyes and minds open to how vital it is for us to cut across the board and continue reaching out to brands to enrich the entertainment industry.
We definitely need all the resources and money we can get to be able to pass this agenda and that’s why I’m grateful for Sol generation. I used to do this same music but the reach wasn’t as big as it is now with Sol generation, so my belief is always big things happen when collaborations do – they can open someone’s eye and perspective to how far you can get, and also take you much faster to get to a place than how you would have moved alone.
How exactly did you get to partner with such an international and loved brand like Nokia?
First of all, I am really grateful for the partnership, and as you said, it kinda puts an artist in a position where they prove themselves to other people that this sort of partnership is something that can actually happen and it puts all of us in a position where we can jointly be in a position to affect and impact the community as a whole.
Nokia has this enormous audience and diversity in the people they reach and this is invaluable to me as an artist. Nokia has been proven and tested over time as a brand that represents quality and longevity and it continues to echo a lot which we would love to do as Sol Generation.
Nokia matches my passion and vision and again, I’m grateful for this partnership.
So speaking of Nokia phones, which one do you have at the moment and how is it treating you?
I have a Nokia 5.4 and so far the device is really good. The strengths I’ve seen so far are the camera – 48MP is not a joke manze – I’ve used it not just for pictures but videos as well – and the best thing is creatives nowadays ae doing so much more with less meaning you can even create great music videos with devices like the Nokia 5.4.
I also record a lot of audio clips on the phone so when inspiration strikes, si lazima niende studio, I just take out the phone and record. The storage is also crazzyyy.. I mean, it’s the perfect device for me.
