By Prudence Minayo
There are so many vernacular musicians in Kenya, each doing an amazing job of showcasing their talent. Phyllis Mbuthia is one such singer who has produced amazing gospel songs. Her music is inspirational and entertaining and also attracts fans from all parts of the country. The high point of a good song is that the language does not matter. The song can still be touching and entertaining even if one doesn’t understand the lyrics as has been demonstrated by Phyllis.
Age
The singer was born in 1990 and grew up in Bahati, Nakuru.
Family
Phyllis Mbuthia was born the fourth born in a family of five. Her parents separated in 1998 and she was brought up in a very humble background.
Husband
The gospel musician met her husband, Stephen Njoroge while she was still a student at Kenyatta University.
Education
Mbuthia started her primary school at Kanorera primary before joining Kinare Primary School in Dunduri. She did well in her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and got a chance to join a local school. She did not like the school turning into a rebellious student which led to her expulsion. Later, she worked for a rich family as a house help before going back to school.
At some point, she lived with her aunt followed by her brother. She got into several disagreements with members of her family which made her contemplate suicide in 2010 while she was in form three. She thought of ending it by taking poison, hurling herself in front of a moving vehicle or hanging herself.
“It was in March on a Sunday I woke up at 4am and walked to the main road in Nakuru. My intent was to throw myself in front of a speeding vehicle but when I got there I sat down and started recalling things I have gone through. I wept and despised myself but a good idea changed my intent,” she was quoted by gikuyubulletin.co.ke.
Despite all the ups and downs, she was able to complete her secondary education and joined Kenyatta University where she successfully completed her course.
Career
Like most musicians, she discovered her love for music at a young age. She started writing songs while in grade 5.
In 2013, she composed the song Tiga Niwe which propelled her to fame. At the time, she had no money, resources or knowledge on a producer. Luckily, she came across a CD seller who introduced her to a brother who was an artist.
With the help of her HELB loan, she was able to pay for the first song. Nine months later, the song was aired by a media personality named Muchina who thought it was a great song.
From 2013, the singer has been able to release a number of songs and has gone on to win the Groove Awards. She has also been able to do a number of collaborations with different artists including Sammy Irungu. The latest Groove Award she won was the 2019 Central Song of the Year for the song Muheani. The song was a collaboration between her and Sammy Irungu.
Apart from being a musician, she is also an actress. She has acted in a local vernacular drama where she demonstrated great skill.
Together with her husband, they founded the White Crown Media Ltd, a music company that deals with music production at large from audios to videos.
The singer also mentors uprising gospel musicians.
Also Read: Jose Gatutura Biography, Music Career and Songs
