Vicky Young: Untold Story of The Samidoh, Prince Indah of Kisii Music
2025-04-26T07:15:36Z
Vicky Young blends Benga and urban sound, rising as a top Ekegusii artiste with millions of YouTube views despite industry piracy and poor monetisation.
Vernacular music continues to thrive in Kenya, yet Ekegusii artistes often fly under the radar, except for rising star Vicky Young
Born Victor Orwachi Maina, Vicky has carved a niche for himself with a fusion of traditional Benga and modern urban sounds, earning millions of views on YouTube
Despite challenges like piracy and weak digital monetisation structures, his passion, authenticity, and award-winning talent have positioned him as a standout voice from the Gusii region
Vernacular music has gained a foothold in Kenya, with the likes of Samidoh and Prince Indah being fully booked all year round.
Vicky Young, a celebrated singer, hails from a musical family. Photos: Vicky Young.
Source: UGC
Who is Vicky Young?
However, musicians singing in Ekegusii rarely enjoy the fame of their counterparts. One of the most prominent artistes from the region is Vicky Young, born Victor Orwachi Maina.
His most popular son, Chinkondi, has 2.7 million YouTube views. He has four other songs with over a million views.
Vicky spoke to TUKO.co.ke about his ride to stardom and his musical roots.
“I was born and raised in Ekerenyo, Nyamira county. I fell in love with music, having grown up in a family of musicians. My dad is a great obokano (a large, bowl-shaped lyre) player..
My mum, on the other hand comes from a family of great Benga musicians including Charles Nyagwoka, Sageero and Ariisi O’sababu.”
Vicky, who officially joined the music industry in 2020, tapped into the old Benga music and coupled it with an urban touch to create a unique sound.
Like any other career, the artiste faced numerous challenges, the biggest being piracy.
“People copy your music without your consent, which leads to you losing your content. It’s also hard to commercialise music in Kenya digitally because of a lack of policies. Musicians tend to rely on old ways of making money- live performances and YouTube revenue.”
So, does Kenyan music pay?
“Depends on your approach, so far, so good in my case. The industry is not badly off…the world changes daily, and I believe there are many avenues we all can explore to make a living through music.”
Vicky noted that the highlight of his career is winning twice the Best Male Artist of the Year at the Gusii Creative Awards.
“In 2020, I also got the chance to perform for retired president Uhuru Kenyatta at Gusii Stadium.”
Unlike many of his peers in the music industry, Vicky said he feels no pressure to live a fake lifestyle.
“I only show the world my music side. I keep my private life secret. Pressure comes up when you mix up the two. Living a fake lifestyle is expensive. If you don’t have much, there is no reason of showing off.”
The Twarure Atambe hitmaker sought to dismiss assumptions that Kenyans support Tanzanian musicians more.
“Kenyans love good music. If you do good music that relates to them, they will support you unconditionally.”
Vicky shared his views on the challenge Kenyan artistes face in breaking into the international market.
“The biggest challenge is production. Most producers don’t put their all into their work. Video directors on the other hand aren’t very creative. If those two aren’t taken care of strictly, then a song dies very quickly after being released.
Another challenge is music promotion and distribution. There is no clear way of selling music where most musicians end up losing rights to their music, hence, incurring losses, which kills motivation.”
Vicky Young is an award winning Gusii artiste. Photo: Vicky Young.
Source: UGC
With collaborations with fellow Gusii artistes like MC Miggy, Babu Gee, and Embarambamba under his belt, Vicky said his dream is to collaborate with Bien Aime.
“I admire his composing skills and his singing mastery.”
Vicky shard insights into his upcoming projects, including an album he is working on.
“I will also be performing at the Hangover Skybar in Narok on Sunday, May 11.”
Advice to anyone seeking to become a musician?
“Believe and explore.”
Phary K marries Mzungu lover
In other news, Gusii singer Pharry K tied the knot with his Caucasian partner, fulfilling a dream he’d had since childhood, inspired by his grandfather.
He first met Christina Muller, a German national, in 2015 through a mutual friend, though they lost contact until 2018.
Interestingly, both were coming out of failed relationships at the time.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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