Kenyan singer Bien-Aimé Baraza has lavished praise on Tanzanian Bongo Flava sensation Omari Ally Mwanga, popularly known as Marioo, calling him incredibly gifted.
Bien, who was speaking to YouTubers shortly after being honoured at the Trace Awards on the night of Thursday, January 30, 2025, stated that Marioo is one of the rare artistes from the Swahili-speaking nation whom he truly rates and believes is on a global scale.
During the interview, Bien gushed over the singer’s extraordinary talent and craftsmanship, reminiscing about a recent collaboration they worked on together. He emphasized that, to date, it remains his absolute favorite song.
He recounted that after recording the track, they listened to it about 50 times, mesmerized by the kind of masterpiece they had created.
“My favorite collabo is ‘Nairobi.’ Napenda hiyo song. Hiyo ngoma naipenda. Kutoka siku ya kwanza tumerekodi hiyo song ‘Nairobi,’ tulirekodi hiyo tukakaa tukiisikiza hapo studio like 50 times. Tukajua tumerekodi tu banger maze. And thank you so much Marioo maze,” he said.
Changing bien’s life
Bien, who during the interview flaunted a Ksh128,000 designer shoe, then hailed Marioo, revealing that working alongside him and forming a bond had profoundly impacted his life.
He explained that this was particularly significant as both of them are solo artists, and given Marioo’s chart-topping success, he had drawn invaluable insights from him.
The ‘Mbwembwe’ hitmaker noted that Marioo has his affairs in order, and everything he pursues revolves around securing the bag with unwavering determination.
He further highlighted that the singer maintains an impressive output of content and music, operating at a pace and precision unmatched by most artists in the industry.
“Na kuwork na Marioo imechange maisha yangu sana maze. Marioo is all about his paper. Marioo is focused, ako na high turnover ya content, music, ninini. Yaani, kukaa na Marioo imenifundisha a lot about being a solo artiste,” he added.
Bien also expressed deep gratitude to Marioo, acknowledging that he gained priceless lessons from their time together and appreciated the fact that Marioo never hesitated to collaborate with him.
“Na asante sana Marioo maze,” Bien added.
Ksh 128k shoe
During the event held at the Sarit Centre in Nairobi, Bien was also grilled by YouTubers about the details of his outfit for the evening.
Bien, who was the only Kenyan nominee under the best artist category to clinch an award, did not hesitate to break down his stylish yet understated ensemble, which featured a black-and-white patchwork T-shirt jacket paired with matching trousers.
However, the highlight was his designer shoes, which he proudly revealed were worth a staggering 800 pounds, approximately Ksh128,000.
He explained that the entire look was curated by a designer from Nigeria, while he was styled by renowned Kenyan fashionista Brian Babu.
“Hii look nilidesigniwa na designer kutoka Nigeria lakini nilistyliwa na Brian Babu. Na hii kiatu ni 800 pounds, ebu fanyeni hiyo hesabu muone ni ngapi in Kenyan shillings,” Bien said.
Leave a Reply