Nadia Mukami reveals horror Bongo star collab that cost her Ksh 1mill

Nadia Mukami, widely known as the “African Popstar,” has opened up about one of the most challenging moments in her career—an international collaboration that turned into both a professional and financial setback.

Speaking during a recent podcast interview with Maandy, the award-winning singer revealed how the project, which involved a non-Kenyan artist, left her emotionally drained despite careful planning and heavy investment.

A Costly Trip to Tanzania

Nadia disclosed that she spent close to KSh1 million on the project. To cut costs while transporting equipment, she travelled by road from Kenya to Tanzania with a team of six, including her video director and management. The journey, which lasted about 14 hours, was both long and exhausting.

They arrived late at night, preparing to begin filming early the following morning. To help offset the expenses—ranging from vehicle hire to fuel and food—Nadia had also booked a performance in the area.

“I spent almost a million on that project… we travelled to Tanzania by road,” she said.

Hours of Waiting in Vain

The music video shoot was scheduled to start at 7:00 AM, but the featured artist failed to show up. As hours passed, attempts to reach them proved unsuccessful, with neither the artist nor their management responding to calls.

Nadia and her team ended up waiting at the beach location for 12 hours. By the time the artist finally arrived at 7:00 PM, the conditions had taken a toll.

“We sat on that beach waiting. My makeup melted and my hair was ruined,” she recalled.

The prolonged silence, combined with the mounting costs, became overwhelming. Nadia admitted the experience pushed her to tears.

“I cried. I literally cried… because of the money I had spent and the artist was not picking up the phone,” she said.

A Difficult Compromise

When the artist eventually showed up, Nadia claimed there was no apology, and the situation took an unexpected turn. Filming began late into the night in an effort to salvage the project.

However, at around 3:00 AM, she was reportedly told she had to record a feature for the other artist’s song. She claims she was informed that failure to do so would prevent her own project from being released.

Despite the exhaustion and what she described as unprofessional demands, Nadia agreed to record the additional track to avoid losing her investment.

Although she chose not to reveal the identity of the artist involved, Nadia noted that she has since moved past the experience, using it as a lesson in navigating the complexities of the music industry.