Bahati Reflects on His Humble Beginnings and the Long Road to Stardom

Bahati has opened up about his musical journey, revealing how his early passion for poetry and creative writing laid the foundation for his career in music.

In a candid recollection, Bahati humorously admitted that his first attempts at singing were far from perfect.
“My pitch was so off, even I couldn’t stand it,” he joked.

Undeterred by his rough start, Bahati began honing his skills under the mentorship of music producer J Blessing. At the time, fellow artist Willy Paul was already enjoying widespread success — a reality that both challenged and motivated him.
“Willy Paul was flying high, and I just couldn’t match up,” Bahati shared.

Though still finding his own voice, Bahati played a supportive role in the industry, even helping promote Willy Paul’s music by selling CDs and distributing them to TV stations. While in the background, he quietly soaked up invaluable lessons that would later fuel his rise.

He credits J Blessing’s production house for nurturing his talent, recalling how he immersed himself in the studio environment — even learning video editing and often sleeping there just to gain more experience. It was during this time that he crossed paths with other aspiring artists like Mr Seed, which further fueled his drive.

Despite being surrounded by success, Bahati remained focused on building his own path.
“The competition in music is intense, and new genres are always popping up. It felt like everyone was ahead of me,” he admitted.

Bahati also shared how he secretly recorded his debut track, Mama, but shelved it due to self-doubt. Determined to do better, he returned to the studio to rework the song — a process that took six months to pay off. Even then, J Blessing initially rejected it.

Still, Bahati pressed on and eventually shot a video for Mama. To his surprise, the song became a breakout hit.
“Even I couldn’t believe it was me,” he said, visibly moved.

Just a year later, Bahati’s persistence was rewarded when he was nominated for Artist of the Year — a turning point that marked the beginning of his ascent in Kenya’s music scene.