KENYABUZZ: How does it work in Kenya? Does the artist commission a songwriter, or do you have ready-made songs that you shop around?NVIIRI: It goes both ways, but for me as a songwriter I come up with a song bank of all kind of genres, hence ready for any client. Sometimes it just happens, you could be in a studio session with an artist and just decide to help in their project (a lot of that happens).KENYABUZZ: Does songwriting pay in Kenya?NVIIRI: The royalty system isn't that perfect, but we do have our ways of earning off the music.KENYABUZZ: Do you get paid before or after the song is released? And do you earn extra when the song charts or becomes a popular hit like Melanin did?NVIIRI: We sign a split sheet stating part ownership of the song, so all through the life of that song, whatever it earns, I get a percentage. With good paper work you're ready and secured.KENYABUZZ: In your experience, are Kenyan artists open to the idea of using songwriters?NVIIRI: Melanin changed most of our artist's mentality. Now people think, "If Sauti Sol can outsource and give credit to someone else, why not me?" When word went out about my role in the song, more calls started coming in and more people were bold enough to get such services without the worry of being discredited as an artist.KENYABUZZ: Is it important to connect with the artist on a personal level when you work on their songs?NVIIRI: Totally. You have to understand their sound, character and style. This will play a huge role also in their delivery. At the end of the day, we need the song to have the artist's character.KENYABUZZ: How do you deal with issues of plagiarism in songwriting?NVIIRI: I close down my sessions to only specific people and register all my work. You'll need to prove it's your work at the end of the day, so use paperwork.KENYABUZZ: I want to pursue a career in songwriting. How do I start?NVIIRI: Like any other skill, work on it every day and always listen to more and diverse artists for inspiration. Remember to be original. Also, be well informed about the world around you.
Nviiri: Sauti Sol Songwriter on the Viral Success of Melanin
4th Sept, 2018 at 10:59AM
There's been a major boom in the Kenyan music industry over the past decade. We know of all the successful musicians, producers and DJs, but there is another group of talented individuals who mostly fly below the radar - songwriters. High on the list of famous songwriters is one Nvirii, the man who co-wrote Sauti Sol's mega-hit Melanin, the group's most played song on YouTube.KENYABUZZ: Did you know how big the song Melanin was going to be when you worked on it at the time?NVIIRI: Well the first words Bien told me when he showed up to the studio were, "Let's make a world hit." And just like that, we wrote it with that mentality and energy.KENYABUZZ: How did you get to write for Sauti Sol?NVIIRI: I used to do video content for them (I'm a video producer) and got to sit in their studio sessions. At one point I was confident enough to share my music work with them. That's when everything changed.KENYABUZZ: What other songs or artists have you written for?NVIIRI: I have worked with a number of artists in our industry - both gospel and secular - who I can't disclose until the projects are out. It's a new thing, so hopefully by the end of the year most of these songs will be out.KENYABUZZ: What's the trick to writing a good song?NVIIRI: Always inject a character to your music, give it life and the baby will grow in the audience's ears and heart.KENYABUZZ: What's the creative process when working on a song like Melanin?NVIIRI: Have an idea of what type of a song you want, then jam to it (as an instrumentalist, the process is easier). The end result may not always be what you intend it to be. You might write a love song and end up with a party song, sad song or even gospel! [Laughs]. You never know.KENYABUZZ: How does it work in Kenya? Does the artist commission a songwriter, or do you have ready-made songs that you shop around?NVIIRI: It goes both ways, but for me as a songwriter I come up with a song bank of all kind of genres, hence ready for any client. Sometimes it just happens, you could be in a studio session with an artist and just decide to help in their project (a lot of that happens).KENYABUZZ: Does songwriting pay in Kenya?NVIIRI: The royalty system isn't that perfect, but we do have our ways of earning off the music.KENYABUZZ: Do you get paid before or after the song is released? And do you earn extra when the song charts or becomes a popular hit like Melanin did?NVIIRI: We sign a split sheet stating part ownership of the song, so all through the life of that song, whatever it earns, I get a percentage. With good paper work you're ready and secured.KENYABUZZ: In your experience, are Kenyan artists open to the idea of using songwriters?NVIIRI: Melanin changed most of our artist's mentality. Now people think, "If Sauti Sol can outsource and give credit to someone else, why not me?" When word went out about my role in the song, more calls started coming in and more people were bold enough to get such services without the worry of being discredited as an artist.KENYABUZZ: Is it important to connect with the artist on a personal level when you work on their songs?NVIIRI: Totally. You have to understand their sound, character and style. This will play a huge role also in their delivery. At the end of the day, we need the song to have the artist's character.KENYABUZZ: How do you deal with issues of plagiarism in songwriting?NVIIRI: I close down my sessions to only specific people and register all my work. You'll need to prove it's your work at the end of the day, so use paperwork.KENYABUZZ: I want to pursue a career in songwriting. How do I start?NVIIRI: Like any other skill, work on it every day and always listen to more and diverse artists for inspiration. Remember to be original. Also, be well informed about the world around you.
KENYABUZZ: How does it work in Kenya? Does the artist commission a songwriter, or do you have ready-made songs that you shop around?NVIIRI: It goes both ways, but for me as a songwriter I come up with a song bank of all kind of genres, hence ready for any client. Sometimes it just happens, you could be in a studio session with an artist and just decide to help in their project (a lot of that happens).KENYABUZZ: Does songwriting pay in Kenya?NVIIRI: The royalty system isn't that perfect, but we do have our ways of earning off the music.KENYABUZZ: Do you get paid before or after the song is released? And do you earn extra when the song charts or becomes a popular hit like Melanin did?NVIIRI: We sign a split sheet stating part ownership of the song, so all through the life of that song, whatever it earns, I get a percentage. With good paper work you're ready and secured.KENYABUZZ: In your experience, are Kenyan artists open to the idea of using songwriters?NVIIRI: Melanin changed most of our artist's mentality. Now people think, "If Sauti Sol can outsource and give credit to someone else, why not me?" When word went out about my role in the song, more calls started coming in and more people were bold enough to get such services without the worry of being discredited as an artist.KENYABUZZ: Is it important to connect with the artist on a personal level when you work on their songs?NVIIRI: Totally. You have to understand their sound, character and style. This will play a huge role also in their delivery. At the end of the day, we need the song to have the artist's character.KENYABUZZ: How do you deal with issues of plagiarism in songwriting?NVIIRI: I close down my sessions to only specific people and register all my work. You'll need to prove it's your work at the end of the day, so use paperwork.KENYABUZZ: I want to pursue a career in songwriting. How do I start?NVIIRI: Like any other skill, work on it every day and always listen to more and diverse artists for inspiration. Remember to be original. Also, be well informed about the world around you.About The Author
