Kenya’s Xenia Manasseh named Spotify EQUAL Africa artist for February

Since her entry into the music scene, Xenia Manasseh has captivated audiences with her vocal and songwriting abilities. The R&B singer, who released her debut EP Fallin’ Apart in 2019, has written songs for and collaborated with many top artists, including Teyana Taylor, Sauti Sol, Mr Eazi, Tay Iwar and Burna Boy.

EQUAL Africa seeks to provide women artists with the support and resources to grow their craft and reach worldwide audiences through multiple playlists. The beneficiaries receive off-platform guidance and tools to help take their music careers to even greater heights.

“Being a part of the EQUAL programme is an honour. I’m honoured to be recognised for my input and for my voice especially in a male-dominated industry,” Manesseh said. “I'm honoured to be a part of any programme that is built on inclusivity. Navigating this industry would be more difficult without platforms like these that seek to highlight that great art is great art no matter the source.”

Spotify’s head of music for sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu, said: “The EQUAL programme looks to support talent just like hers and give women the tools and the platforms to grow their audiences and advance their careers in the music industry.”

Manesseh said she decided to pursue music because for her it was the purest form of self-expression. “I didn’t realise making music was a part of my purpose until around 2019. After spending six months in Atlanta writing music almost every day, it became clearer and clearer. Our gifts are given to us for free and I believe the most important thing we can do is to lean into that wholeheartedly,” she said.

“Stepping into your purpose is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. I don’t do it because of the possible rewards or recognition that I may receive but simply because of how connected I feel to who I really am, and it only gets clearer the more I pursue it. I’m grateful and honestly blessed to receive anything after that.” 

She added that she liked to experiment with different sounds and genres: “I can be grungy, I can be soft, I can be clear-cut, I can be moody. It just depends on the song and how I’m feeling at the moment.”