Subaru Ya Mambaru most streamed song in Kenya

Geri Inengi (Subaru ya Mambaru) is currently the most popular local song with hip hop bands Wakadinali and Buruklyn Boyz emerging as Kenyans' favourite local artistes according to Spotify.

Data seen by Nation shows that Kenyans have in the last three months been jamming more to Subaru ya Mambaru when it comes to their favourite local music.

They have also been listening more to hip hop music, especially from breakout hip hop artistes Wakadinali and Buruklyn Boyz bands more than any other local genre of music.

Released in October 2021, Geri Inengi went viral this year, thanks to its catchy, punchy and witty chorus that has a new sheng dialect ‘Subaru ya Mambaru’ which has now become a common phrase be it on TikTok challenges, Instagram, Twitter and even on political platforms.

The chorus was created by Wakadinali associate Sirbowy to demonstrate his mastery of sheng.

“Cheki fala amekam na amezubaa na anacheki ati Subaru ya mambaru imekam na imejaa, Subaru ya mambaru imekam na imejaa…” (Look at this fool coming and not staying alert despite seeing a Subaru full of detectives advancing) Sirbowy chants on the hook of the song. 

Subaru is a well-known car model usually associated with Kenyan sleuths.

On YouTube, the song has garnered over 4.3 million views and is among the top 15 most streamed music videos on the platform in the country currently.

Whereas on Spotify, where Wakadinali has 70,381 monthly listeners, the record has slightly been streamed over 626,000 times.

Kishash by Lil Maina and PREE by Buruklyn Boyz, all hip-hop songs, lock the top three records with the most streams in Kenya on Spotify in the last 90 days.

Bongo flava sensation Mario comes fourth, thanks to his collaboration with Kenyan chanteuse Jovial on the hit song Mi Amor. 

Sauti Sol’s band member Bien Aime takes the next three spots of the most streamed Kenyan songs in the same period, with his Mbwe Mbwe creation featuring Aaron Rimbui, Dimension featuring Fully Focus and another collaboration Thick Thighs, featuring his protégé Bensoul of the Sol Generation. 

Buruklyn Boyz are eighth with Dream ya Kutoka kwa block, Nviiri The Storyteller is next with his jam Nikita, with 19-year-old Nikita Kering wrapping up the top 10 most streamed local songs in the last three months with her hit banger Ex.

Overall, Kenyans are listening more to foreign content, especially Nigerian jams with Geri Inengi being the only local song to make it to the top 10 list of most streamed songs in Kenya in the last three months on the App. 

Of the 10 spots, Nigerians took eight with Finesse by BNXN, Buju & Pheelz, Calm Down by Rema, Last Last (Burna Boy), Monalisa (Sar ft Lojay), Sugarcane remix (Camidoh, Mayorkun), Emiliana (Ckay), Buga (Kizz Daniel, Tekno) and Understand (Omah Lay). Wait for You by Drake featuring Future and Nigerian Afro-fusion singer Tems, winding up the list.