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Singer Vivian Wambui, also known as Vivianne, says that her decision to move to the United States was less about seeking new opportunities and more about stepping away from the pressures of fame.
For her, it was a necessary break from music, fame, and the relentless pressure of Kenya’s entertainment spotlight.
Musician Vivian Wambui. PHOTO | COURTESY
Having lived in Atlanta, Georgia, for almost two years, the mother of two says she longed for a different environment, one where she could simply be a person rather than a public figure under constant scrutiny.
“I had gotten to a point where I needed to learn how to listen to myself. When you are in the public eye, everyone has an opinion about your life and how you should live it. Your family, the fans, the producers, literally everyone. For so long, I had been listening to other people, but the one person I had not trained to trust and listen to was myself. And to hear myself clearly, I couldn’t do it in all that noise. I needed quiet because the noise had become destructive. Entertainment has a lot. We have seen entertainers come and go, some have died, and most of the times all these happening is brought about by the industry pressure that sometimes we struggle with how to go about it or process it.” she explains.
Kenya songstress and author Vivian Wambui.
Vivian says she first tried to slow things down while still in Kenya. At one point, she enrolled in Bible school and even studied physiology, hoping the shift would help her find clarity.
However, the pressure of fame remained constant and she eventually realised that the only way to truly reset was to leave the country and the spotlight altogether.
“When you are in the limelight, and your name becomes big, everyone thinks they know who you should be,” she explains. “Stardom comes with a lot of pressure, something many people don’t see. Your name becomes your brand, your bread and butter, but at the same time, it is still you.”
Starting over in the US, however, came with its own adjustments. Vivian admits the transition was not as smooth as she had imagined.
“In the US, once you arrive, you are simply labelled an immigrant. So to survive, you learn to stay calm and focused because Americans can be very aggressive. And there is almost no social life. Everyone is busy all the time, which creates a kind of loneliness. It is a very different setup from what we are used to back home. I have had my struggles over there, too, but I am not one to glorify struggles.”
