- The Afro Indie riser Njerae starts a new chapter with the World Leading Music imprint
Universal Music Group East Africa (UMG EA) announces the signing of prolific Kenyan singer, songwriter and producer Njerae into its roster of Kenyan acts. This deal brings forth new opportunities for former independent artist Njerae as they join forces to create commercially successful music and go far beyond the framework in the global music industry.
Sharing her excitement on the new deal she penned with Universal Music Group EA, Njerae noted that the giant music company would “provide resources and expertise that will help me create much better music and grow my fan base.”
Speaking on the latest signee, UMG EA General Manager Chinasa Udeala shared “Njerae is special. She is the voice of the new emerging music culture in East Africa. Listening to her style of music, she transcends not just EA, but internationally how it addresses everyday needs, and speaks to core life experiences regardless of people’s age, generation, class or whatever. We are glad to have her join our robust team”.
Njerae’s meteoric rise in the music industry began from the corridors of Sauti Academy before forging a name in the live circuit. She has played numerous festivals from DIY festivals such as Wazi Wazi Festival to more legacy-based festivals such as Blankets & Wine. Njerae’s imminent rise was enshrined through her 2022 debut album ‘Unintentional’ that featured croony and emotive cuts that endeared her to a loyal Kenyan and diverse audience internationally. Her late 2023 offering “OTD” emerged as a fan favorite, listed as one of the “Songs of the Year” on People Daily’s Yearly List. In April, Njerae was selected as the face of the Fresh Finds playlist on Spotify Africa.
“We expect Kenyan music to be on the map with Njerae on the roster. We will be at the table when they are discussing Kenyan music on an international scale” UMG boss Chinasa mentions.
Following the success of her recently dropped EP ‘Out with the Old’, Njerae has put pen to paper to become the Altè ambassador of Kenya. “To be signed with UMG is one of the most glamorous sounding aspects of the lifestyle of a musician; however I can assure my fans that I still intend to work even harder to produce even bigger hits,” Njerae shared.
Kefa, Njerae’s manager, congratulated Njerae on the win, stating, “Working together with UMG will ensure that Njerae has increased visibility allowing her music to reach a wider fan base thus providing more stages for her to perform on.” While commending UMG EA for spotting Njerae and giving her this deal, he is optimistic that being affiliated with the music company will bring vast opportunities to the artist.
With UMG’s vast resources and Njerae’s artistry, this signing has a future full of great music for fans in Kenya and across East Africa.
About Njerae
Njerae is a Kenyan born and raised singer, songwriter and producer. Her music identifies as Afro-Indie with a touch of RnB and soul. She has played at Folk Fusion, Jamhuri Jam Sessions, Gig Dynamics Open House and a number of her own curated events.
Njerae has obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology and hopes to one day open a counseling center where music will be used as a form of therapy. She has equipped herself with the skills in live music performance and being a music entrepreneur as a graduate of perform music incubator.
Through her 2022 album unintentional it allowed her fans to interpret it as a girl’s handbook when going through a breakup which allowed more female fans to relate with her. The album allowed her to be featured in a number of radio and Tv shows.
Taking a more significant step toward modern RnB and contemporary Afro-pop sounds, Njerae was able to release her single “OTD” and “Valhalla” in 2023 opening huge doors for her in the music business.
In 2024, Njerae was able to release her EP – ‘Out with the old’ where she was able to come up with a number of collaborations with artists like Watendawili, Lisa Odour, Mbithi and Maali.
In August 2024, she headlined her show, launching the Out With The Old EP, featuring Maali, Mbithi, Hilda Watiri, Analo Kanga, Lisa Oduor-Noah, The Unit Band. This was a major milestone and proper stepping stones to advance in her career. It is only up for her from now on.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP:
Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. Featuring the most comprehensive catalog of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. Universal Music Group is a Vivendi company. Find out more at: http://www.universalmusic.com
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