From computer scientist to artist: Christine Keni is betting everything on music

“The only thing that I'm sure of in this life is I'm going to be a great musician, or I'm going to die trying. There's no in between,” says Christine Keni. 

The 22-year-old is a singer-songwriter by profession and a computer scientist by degree. The “experimental, narrative and humorous” artist, as she describes herself, studied music theory throughout primary school and is classically trained in piano. Like many students, external pressures led her to pursue a conventionally acceptable major. 

“I was told to pick a reasonable degree, so I picked computer science because I'm good at math and I'm good at physics,” says Keni. 

According to a projection by Business Insider, Software Developer is a high-paying job with a median annual pay of $135,980. However, money had nothing to do with Keni’s choice. 

As a straight A student, Keni is certain she could have done any degree, and her personal requirements were not too picky: interesting and challenging. “Computer science math almost made me lose my mind but it was fun,” she says. 

“I just wanted to feel challenged because I know I can get bored really easily in school, so I wanted something that kept me engaged,” and computer science certainly did. 

Her love for music began at the tender age of five when Keni wrote her first song inspired by a fight about not wanting to study. 

“I was singing and rapping about how I hate books and science isn't cool, which is funny because now I'm a computer science graduate and I love to read." The craft blossomed beyond diss tracks courtesy of music documentaries. 

Wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, Keni followed the journey of famous American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who began writing at age 12.

“She was talking about how she used to write in her bedroom and I was like, wait, I have a pen, I have a paper, I have a bedroom. I can write,” says Keni. 

While Swift got her through the door, Sauti Sol got her onto the stage. Her first solo performance was the band’s hit song, Melanin, which she performed in high school. Sauti Sol was also responsible for putting her onto Kenyan music. 

The reason behind her prior neglect of local sounds is a popularly accredited one: colonisation.

“A lot of people and a lot of Kenyans grow up with the notion that nothing from Kenya is good,” she argues.

“So I grew up liking Kenyan songs but if somebody asked me, do you like Kenyan music? Do you like African music? Big no.” Sauti Sol legitimized African artistry for Keni. Believing Kenyan music had value enabled her to believe that being a Kenyan musician had value. “So then I was like, if Sauti Sol is this good, surely there are other artists who come from here, who have the same talent."

This led her down the Kenyan artists’ rabbit hole, where she discovered other fan favorites including E-Sir, Sanaipei Tande, Wyre and more recently, Nyashinski. Seeing other Kenyan artists' success stories gave her tangible evidence that musical success could be her reality. 

The rise of social media in particular laid the foundation for creative careers and further proved their feasibility. During COVID-19 lockdown, Keni gained experience in the creative industry through weekly YouTube videos. 

Although at age 16, experience was neither the goal nor the motivator. “I used to make vlogs because I didn't have anything else to do with my life,” she says.

Yet still, her boredom buster unexpectedly rewarded her. After graduating from high school, a youth-community building company by the name of Light Art Club came across her YouTube channel. 

One thing led to another, and they onboarded Keni to create content and handle their digital strategy. Her big break came when her video “Day in the life as a gen Z content creator” went viral on X, earning more than two million views. 

This exposed Keni to the lucrative side of social media, and she later ventured into freelance, creating content for multiple clients. 

This knack for digital marketing proved fruitful when she released her single Mzungu Man. “With zero Kenyan shillings, an iPhone and a dream, I was able to get about 6,000,000 impressions across multiple social media platforms,” she said. 

This is what pushed her music to new audiences and increased her views. Keni acknowledged that many artists aren't used to digital marketing, especially today when creating a TikTok dance is often the go-to marketing strategy. 

“But artists have always had to market their music,” she says. “Whether it's dancing on TikTok or getting yourself on MTV in the 90s.” Keni makes it clear that she’s willing to do the work.

Through dances on TikTok, collaborations with influencers and creating content, Keni earned each impression through strategic digital marketing. 

“Being a musician and being an artist are two different things,” said Keni. “Being a musician, you just make some music but if you're an artist, you have to be willing to do the boring stuff, everything that comes after you made the song.” 

The distribution, marketing and performances are what distinguish an artist from a musician. “If you're not willing to do that, then that's cool too. Me, however, I'm gonna do all of the boring stuff,” she says. 

While her songs tend to be inspired, she recently adopted a write-on-demand approach. Last year, she challenged herself to write a new song every day. 

The point wasn’t to create Billboard hits, it was to train the creative muscle. “When you know that you can write a good song and a not so good song, it builds courage,” says Keni. “A not so good song just means that you can improve on it in the future and a good song means it can be a great song.” 

This approach was especially useful when she started recording at Snowball Industries and had to learn how to write on the go. 

“It taught me how to write in the moment so that I don't necessarily have to go home with a beat, listen to it, meditate and gauge my feelings,” she said. 

Throwing herself in the deep end is a familiar tactic for the aspiring artist. “One thing I always do is just apply for things. If I see music, I apply.” This mentality is what earned Keni her latest position as a sound engineer. “I did it mostly because every time I'm in the studio, I interact with a lot of sound engineers and I didn't like the fact that I'm speaking to these people every day and I don't understand what they're saying,” Keni remarks.

Just like with coding, a gap in her knowledge was never tolerated.

“It’s irritating not to know and you can always ask but you can only ask so much." Now she has a basic understanding of how all the studio equipment functions. 

Aside from equipping her with new skills, being surrounded by artists also fueled her belief that music is a viable career path despite the tale of the starving artist.

“I have seen some of the best cars in this country drive into that music studio. There is no way I can believe that there's no money in music,” says Keni. 

While money is neither a deterrent nor a motivator, Keni acknowledges that the lack of it can sometimes be a hindrance. “I have so many big ideas and I always have to alter them to fit the shape of my budget." 

Despite the struggles, Keni is committed to sticking with her passion rather than pursuing a career in computer science. “The way the world is right now, I think the best thing you can do is chase your dreams.”

So what’s next for this dream chaser? Keni is currently working on an EP that will feature four to five songs. While she is not ready to limit herself to one genre, she says one thing that will remain consistent is the authenticity of her music. 

She believes that as much as artists are supposed to entertain, they are also supposed to provoke. “If you listen to a song and you don't feel anything, then there's a problem,” says the Kenyan artist.

With passion and grit, she is determined to make a career inspiring such emotions in others. She encourages her fellow creatives to pursue their dreams and keep going despite what society may say. 

“You have to be willing to put yourself out there, you have to be willing to learn and you have to be willing to fail.” Those are three things that Keni does and will continue to do to guarantee her success.