Samson Otieno

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Samson Otieno better known to his fans as TYMILYFE is a 29 year old singer, song-writer, and actor from Kenya. An abbreviation of ‘Thank You Mum I Love You For Ever’, the name is a heartfelt reminder of a tragic loss at a young age. Facing reality head on would become something Samson would have to do time and again before reaching adulthood. Amongst other reasons, this is why he wears the loving memory of his mother like a badge of honour.

Just last February under the auspices of his own label Tymilife Limited & the help of local TV & Radio he released Lipstick. It has been positively received in east Africa, which as you can imagine for Samson came as a great relief. Building on this success, two more songs have since followed. Surely, an album is just around the corner.

All of this recent success belies the fact that the road to this point has been far from straight-forward. Mr Otieno was born in one of Africa’s largest informal settlements, Kibera, a collection of slums located in the heart of Kenya's capital city, Nairobi.

Having lost his mother at the age of 10 to a mystery illness, Samson was forced to leave home a year later after his father married another woman who rather than bringing the family together made his life intolerable.

For the following four years Samson was forced to live on the streets, staying amongst other street kids to remain safe. Begging and scavenging for food was a daily necessity that was often as dangerous as it was fruitless.

That was until his luck changed and he was effectively rescued by KUAP (The Kisumu Urban Apostolate Programme). In addition to rehabilitating through education, the charity attempts to reunite street kids with their families. Frustratingly, this is not always possible or indeed welcomed by the families themselves. In Samson’s case it was an empathetic and loving aunt that on discovering the extent of his suffering, immediately took him in.

Not just thinking of himself Samson asked his aunt to take in another couple of kids, promising it wouldn’t cost her any more as he would work to take care of them.

As well as working where and when he could, Samson was also focussed on improving his future prospects with the help of KUAPs education programs. This was easier said than done. Studying is difficult at the best of times, never mind also having to work at night to feed others. Naturally his chances of progression began to suffer.

Fortunately, thanks to the concern of a caring teacher who took her time to find out why Samson was struggling with the workload, he was able to get the support he urgently required. It was another stroke of incredible luck when he needed it most. The teacher offered him personal tuition at a set time convenient to Samson and suggested completing the exams as an independent candidate.

“I ended up doing a certificate in Masonry at KUAP, the childrens’ centre, followed by a diploma in ‘Hospitality and Tourism Management’ at NIBS (The Nairobi Institute of Business Studies)...”

While these qualifications gave Samson a renewed confidence they didn’t exactly inspire him. His true calling remained elsewhere as an entertainer and he knew it. Samson’s love of music can be traced back to joining St Mary's Nyalenda Choir at the age of 9.

“I didn’t realise how passionate I would become about music at this time as getting in the choir was just a way for me to escape everything else that was happening in my life. Even if for just a few hours...”

Across Kenya and indeed Africa, creatives and performers alike routinely gather together in all types of communal ‘practice spaces’. This is where artistes of all levels share their talents with the wider community.

In Kisumu Ndogo, Samson’s neighbourhood, these gatherings happened frequently. However, Samson didn’t get involved until his girlfriend, herself a poet, asked him to recite one of her verses.

“This was my first ever performance. I was so nervous, I was sweaty and couldn’t stop shaking. But the older boys liked it and they encouraged me to do more and keep practicing, that definitely meant a lot to me at the time...”

Not long after this inaugural performance, an up-and-coming producer, working out of a small studio in his bedroom offered to record him. The result of that session never left the studio.

“Yeah, it was that bad. It took me at least two more years before I did another recording session but by then, I was a lot more confident and able to deliver my energy...”

He would go onto work on a number of projects between 2007 and 2012. Frustratingly however, he pretty much gave up on music soon after this period since he felt he wasn’t making the kind of progress he was hoping for.

However, in late 2016, his good friends Shamir and DJ Lorc urged him to get back in the ring. And with the help of them both, he refined his musical style, simultaneously reinvigorating his passion and self belief at the same time.

“I’d say my style is definitely Afro-Pop. However, I like to experiment with different genres and often look to add elements of more than one style in my projects...”

A perfect reminder if ever we needed it, that one should never be put off trying again, no matter how disappointing your initial experience might be.

This journey has culminated in the launch of his official debut single ‘Lipstick’ on Valentine’s Day earlier this year. The song itself was recorded in Kibera while the video was shot in London. Two further singles ‘Wrong Information’ and ‘Agenda’ have since been released to equally positive acclaim.

It is fair to say that TYMILIFE’s musical style is naturally inspired by icons like Bob Marley and Ray Charles to name just two. Beyond the obvious legends, he continues to be influenced to this day by artists closer to home, such as the great Zimbabwean Oliver Mtukuzi, and of course his friend and mentor Shamir Tadeiya.

“I probably wouldn’t have gotten back to music after my long break if it wasn’t for Shamir. He’s an absolute legend on the Kenyan music scene, building up so many careers. Not only did he give me vocal lessons but he also ended up producing most of my music around that time...”

I am humbled and proud to say that Samson has invited me to visit him in Kenya and record some of my verses at his studio. I will certainly be taking him up on his offer. While I am very grateful for this musical opportunity I am perhaps even more excited by the prospect of seeing his homeland for the first time and experiencing a whole new culture along the way.

Samson is already an inspiration to many kids back home because of his achievements so far. Naturally, he wants more but not just for himself. His dreams extend to the countless others that have yet to find their way on the streets of Kibera.

While currently based in London, Samson remains in charge of Tymilyfe Limited. That’s his Kenyan-based entertainment company, committed to supporting talents from less privileged backgrounds throughout Kenya’s informal settlements.

“My dream is to influence and help others just as Shamir helped me. I want to be the reason someone did not give up on their dreams. I want to be the reason someone's art is putting food on their table. I want to be the reason someone is themselves an inspiration to others...”