Naomi Wachira: "I Am An African Girl"

((  Written By: Staff Writer  ))  Singing since she was 5 years old, when she joined her parents' choir, folk-rock singer-songwriter Naomi Wachira is a natural lyricist.  Drawing inspiration from artists such as Tracy Chapman and Miriam Makeba, Naomi blends elements of African rhythm, American folk, and soul, offering her take on issues affecting society and telling her story as an African woman living in the Diaspora.  Her mission as an artist remains simple:  to write music that is applicable to anyone regardless of their education, beliefs, or socio-economic status.  She says, "I know that my music is not for the sake of music, but for the sake of society, reminding us that we are all in this together ... I sing, because it somehow gives me life.  I find that I am regenerated, taken out of the mediocrity of life and for those few minutes, I feel one with myself.  I can only hope that as much as I feel life awakening, it does the same to anyone listening."

Naomi often plays at coffeeshops around her home base in Seattle, and after stirring a quiet buzz in Seattle's indie-folk-rock scene, she independently released her three-song LP, African Girl, in November of this year.  Although she is from Kenya, her songs broadly speak to the struggles, and more importantly, the hopes of Africans around the world.  The standout track is undoubtedly African Girl, which is about a young woman's journey from Africa to the Diaspora.

Listen to Naomi's music by visiting her YouTube page (Nabema32) and be sure to follow her on Twitter (ImAnAfricanGirl) for her latest updates.

((  Photo Credits: Naomi Wachira  ))