Kenyan talent Nyabiya Syekei to represent Kenya at "Our Generation 2024" competition in Russia

Nyabiya Syekei will represent the country at the ceremony - an international children's song competition, from October 5th, 2024.

Syekei is Kenya's first and only representative at this year's edition of the competition, which brings together children from over 10 countries worldwide.

"Jiamini," meaning "Believe in Yourself" in Swahili, encourages children to have faith in their dreams and work hard to achieve them.

It's a fitting anthem for a competition designed to celebrate the voices of the next generation.

Her song was written by Yviona Reign, with audio production by Motif Di Don and video directed by Rahim from Elixir Nation.

Explaining the inspiration behind her song, she says: "Jiamini is about believing in yourself. It's a message to all kids out there that, no matter what your dreams are, they are possible if you believe in yourself and work hard."

Besides being a stellar musician, Nyabiya is a student at Brookhouse International School, where she has excelled academically and artistically.

With nine years of singing experience (she started singing at the tender age of three), she holds a Grade 4 ABRSM Music Achievement, which she passed with distinction.

Her acting career began with her role on Citizen TV's "Zora", earning her a nomination for Best Actress in the Kids Category at the 2022 Women in Film Awards.

Nyabiya has been featured on BBC for a documentary on child labor, and she has performed in various school productions, including "Sleeping Beauty: The Musical" and Shakespeare's "Macbeth".

Her accolades include multiple awards in music and language arts, and she recently performed in South Africa as a special guest at the Little Miss Model Earth Pageant.

In her free time, Nyabiya enjoys playing the guitar, reading, and learning new languages like Chinese and French.

Her musical inspirations include Whitney Houston (Internationally) and Nikita Kering (Locally).

The "Our Generation" competition, where Nyabiya will be performing, is an annual, televised children's song contest that gathers young talent from across the globe to compete in Russia.

This year's edition, taking place in Kazan, will feature participants from countries such as Russia, China, Brazil, and Kenya, marking Kenya's debut in the competition.

The 2023 competition winners were Wang Yichun from China, who won the audience vote, and Idar Kotsev from Russia, who took home the jury vote.

This year, Nyabiya Syekei will proudly fly the Kenyan flag, bringing her unique voice and message of self-confidence to an international audience.