Kaima Mwiti once almost became a doctor. Shortly before venturing into the world of medicine, he discovered a love for piano and jazz that changed his entire life. A presenter on the Capital FM Jazz Club, he will be performing for the first time at the 2025 Bob Collymore International Jazz Festival.
He’s a classically trained jazz pianist whose career started at the Mavuno Church. He also blew up with the boy band Milele. Potentash got a chance to speak with him to learn more about his musical journey.
Get to know Kaima Mwiti
Tell Potentash about yourself.
I’m a husband, a father, a music educator, and a jazz pianist who discovered my passion for music after initially pursuing medicine. I have advanced degrees in music and piano from Los Angeles. I went to Biola University for my undergrad in Music Composition and Piano, and California State University for my master’s in Commercial Music.
How does studying music in Los Angeles differ?
What that taught me is what we suffer from in the developing world is not skill – it’s the lack of an environment that rewards talent, specifically, no rule of law, which leads to under-investment and corruption.
How did you end up a jazz musician?
After leaving my music director position at Mavuno Church, I felt that jazz was the next frontier to explore. It took a couple of years. I’d been doing the church thing for 5 years non-stop so I needed a break from being onstage every weekend. During the break, I joined Capital FM as the Jazz Club co-host and it became apparent that I needed to be conversant with what I opined about, so around 2018, I dove in.
What made you fall in love with the piano? Do you play other instruments?
It came naturally. My dad had wanted me to learn the guitar and my older sister the piano. I went for lessons but fell in step with the piano.
How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard it before?
Harmonic.
Who are your musical influences?
Chopin and Liszt – basically composers from the romantic period. In college, they formed my harmonic palette. From a church point of view: The Winans, Ron Kenoly in the 90s and Take 6. From a jazz PoV, Charles Mingus, Thelonius Monk, and Duke Ellington.
What’s been the most instrumental moment from your musical career?
Being part of the boyband Milele. While on tour in 2000-2001 in Kenya, I remember having Ksh1 million in cash under the bed from CD and tape sales. Good times those.
Please tell us more about your time with Milele. How was your time there? What made you decide to move on?
Milele was great – just four young kids in a foreign land doing what they love and getting paid for it. What made us move on? Women. Kanjii fell in love, and then Mwaura did. Christian and I, the two worst singers on the planet were left, a disaster. On a serious note though, what made us move on is life. We grew older and when you’re 30 years old and the money isn’t quite there, decisions have to be made. Women just accelerate those decisions. That said, we’re still the closest of friends. The music might have moved on but the relationship isn’t going anywhere.
This is your first time performing at the Bob Collymore International Jazz Festival. What are you most looking forward to?
Sharing the stage with other musicians celebrating a great man’s vision.
Performing in front of people can be life-changing not only from a branding perspective but from a growth perspective as well. Performing crystalizes ideas, and mistakes and adds—or removes—confidence.
For the fans? We don’t have a large jazz audience in Kenya – what we do have is people who love to go out and enjoy themselves and that is what the BCJIF delivers.
What’s your favourite thing about performing jazz?
Freedom within constraint.
How does performing on stage differ from performing on radio?
There’s not much of a difference. Within radio I plan but I also improvise. I might have a concept but how it is delivered is unplanned.
You’ve been a performer in Kenya for years. How has the jazz scene changed in the country?
It has grown – largely because of Bob Collymore. What he did was transfer his coolness and accessibility to jazz. Jazz had existed for decades in the underground but it was in the enclave of bourgeoisie hotels like Norfolk, and The Stanley, and even then, it was a mish-mash of traditional jazz and pop covers. Bob Collymore made jazz mainstream and the result is every restaurant that wants to have some swag has a version of jazz, primarily made up of a sax player. In Kenya jazz ain’t jazz if it ain’t got no sax. That isn’t our fault because as alluded to earlier, we don’t have the economic power to educate people that jazz is way more than a person playing a cover of Mariah Carey. Accordingly, our jazz scene isn’t a jazz scene per se – it’s more of an instrumental music scene made up of muzak.
What’s the most challenging thing about being a jazz artist in Africa?
Awareness. I don’t think it’s an African problem – it’s a worldwide problem. Jazz streaming on Spotify? Less than 2%. That’s where the public is. In the 1920s-1960s, jazz was pop music. Not anymore.
Right now, what people want to listen to is mumble rap and lyrics about wet-a** p****. Music has been dumbed down and jazz is a victim. Classical music too. You throw that construct into Africa in addition to the fact that there’s almost no career path for musicians outside pedagogy, then you have talented musicians who—if they’re smart—get out of the industry at 30.
What would you advise people who want to get into jazz artistry?
Jazz, music, and the arts in general is treacherous ground if you get in it for money or fame or the girls. Do it for the love of the game. Love, however, doesn’t pay bills. There’s a reason that not only in Kenya but worldwide, there are incredibly few musicians over 45 making an impact. There’s a reason many adult male musicians are single. Music doesn’t pay. Unless you’re teaching full-time in a group of schools, music cannot support a family. It never has, and it never will. It’ll be prudent for young musicians to remember that Levites (church musicians) in the Bible were maintained by temple sacrifices and even classical musicians like Bach et al were supported by their respective monarchies. The superstars we see on TV are but a tiny fraction of the entire crowd of musicians worldwide and in most cases, those musicians who win Grammys aren’t the best. The musicians who are technically the best are never seen, never acknowledged and most die in poverty.
What young musicians should do instead is go to school. Get a degree in business, or law, or whatever that allows you to get employment. Get a side hustle. For example, my 9-5 is marketing. Marketing gives me the freedom to invest in music without being bound to an industry that can’t reward me for my skill the way a pilot, for example, would be.
To the young male musicians reading this, music is an unforgiving mistress. Dive into her bosom without forethought and she’ll take the most important thing you have, i.e. time, and leave you with zero. It’s OK to experiment in your 20s, but 50 is on the way, and it’ll come very fast. Plan accordingly.
Please tell us what you have planned next with your music. What can your fans look forward to?
Recording an EP.
Where can people find your music?
Spotify, Apple Music etc. But it’s boyband tunes. Sanjolamaaaaaaaa!!!!
Follow Kaima Mwiti on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. The Capital Jazz Club airs every Sunday from 7 pm to 10 pm.
You can purchase your tickets to the Bob Collymore International Jazz Festival here.
Check out:
Bob Collymore’s Life, Passion, Philanthropy, Family And Death
