Prince Indah, Ywaya Tajiri lead Spotify's biggest streaming gains among Nairobi Gen Z listeners

Emerging singer Ywaya Tajiri and Ohangla star Prince Indah have emerged among the biggest winners in Spotify's latest streaming data, underscoring a growing appetite among young Nairobi listeners for both breakout acts and established stars.

According to Spotify's June 2026 listening data, Ywaya Tajiri posted a staggering 6,151 per cent year-on-year growth among listeners aged 18 to 24 in Nairobi, with his hit ‘Chai ya saa kumi’ becoming the city's most-streamed song during the month.

The figures also show that veteran artists continue to gain new audiences rather than lose ground to emerging talent.

Prince Indah recorded a 221 per cent increase in streams among the same age group, while Nyashinski grew by 147 per cent, Bridget Blue by 140 per cent, Kinoti by 107 per cent, and Nikita Kering' by 96 per cent.

Even Sauti Sol, the most-streamed Kenya-connected artist in Nairobi during June 2026, continued its upward trajectory, recording 30 per cent year-on-year growth.

The data suggests Kenya's music ecosystem is expanding, with younger listeners increasingly discovering new artists while maintaining strong interest in established acts.

Among the fastest-growing emerging artists after Ywaya Tajiri were OnlyMoh, whose streams rose 5,117 per cent, Virusi Mbaya (4,692 per cent), Codey (3,622 per cent) and JayLo (3,015 per cent).

Female artists also recorded significant gains, with Brandy Maina registering 205 per cent growth and Maandy growing by 201 per cent, highlighting the increasing visibility of women in Kenya's music scene.

"One of the most exciting things about Kenya's music scene today is that growth is happening across the board. We're seeing emerging artists build audiences at remarkable speed while established acts continue finding new listeners. That tells us discovery isn't replacing legacy, it's expanding it," said Agnes Opondo, Spotify's Artist and Label Partnerships Manager for East Africa.

She added that Spotify's ongoing Greasy Tunes festival in Nairobi was designed to celebrate both emerging and established talent by bringing together breakthrough artists, household names and their audiences.

The 12-day event, running from July 15 to July 26 at Heltz House in Nairobi, features music performances, podcasts, fashion, food, comedy and community experiences.

This week's programme includes Fresh Finds and Nakili Sessions showcasing emerging artists alongside the EQUAL Showcase and conversations with established musicians.

On Monday, spoken word artist Gufy brought audiences together for Poetry Night, celebrating storytelling and self-expression through an evening of spoken word performances.

Nyashinski took to the Greasy Tunes stage on Tuesday night, delivering a headline performance that brought his premium Spotify fans together to celebrate one of Kenya's most enduring musical voices.

The latest figures come as Nairobi's Gen Z audience continues to drive music consumption on the streaming platform.

Spotify said listeners aged 18 to 24 accounted for 53.7 per cent of all streams in Nairobi in June 2026, the highest share among Nairobi, Lagos and Johannesburg.

The same demographic also fuelled strong growth across several genres, including dancehall (95 per cent), bongo flava (75 per cent), gengetone (48 per cent) and gospel (37 per cent).