Popular Kenyan music duo Vijana Barubaru on Wednesday, September 9 announced that hey are taking a break from making music together and are now focusing on their solo careers.
In a statement, Mwanaa and Tutu Kantu say that as they continue to grow musically, there has been a desire for them to explore their creative journeys individually, and therefor, the hiatus.
“This is about self-discovery. It is about taking the opportunity to explore our creative voices, discover new parts of ourselves, and see what more we can become as artists,” the duo said.
According to Mwanaa and Kuntu, Vijana Barubaru has given them the foundation, history, and brotherhood to be succesful in the Kenyan music industry that is otherwise slippery for many, remaining grateful.
“None of what we have achieved would have been possible without the love and support you have given us. In the same spirit, we invite you to experience what those same voices will become in this next chapter we are ushering in.”
The duo have build their identity around the contrast of Mwanaa’s rap and spoken word and melodies from Tutu Kantu. Their music has drawn from afro pop and afro soul and it often uses personal experiences to explore themes such as love, heartbreak, friendship ambition and life in Nairobi.
Their major breakthrough came after they did ‘Sasa Hivi’. Gogo Ashley, an artists who was featured on the hit song, posted it on TikTok and it went viral, with wonderful reception. The interaction between the duo and Gogo Ashley gave birth to another project ‘Nakupenda’ which accumulated millons of views on YouTube.
Besides their own releases they have collaborative projects. In 2025, they released an eight EP track featuring artists such as Okello Max, Sanaipei Tande, Watendawili and Davy Waweru. The project continued their focus on love and relationships while bringing other Kenyan voices on board. Vijana Barubaru also collaborated with Toxic Lyrikali on ‘Ghetto Dala’ which is centred on the realities of struggle, survival and ambition.
Over the years they have also got various awards such as Pulse Music Video awards where they won the best breakthrough Video of The Year Award at PMVA gala awards. The duo made history when they became the first Kenyan artists to receive official streaming plaques from ONErpm. They got a gold plaque for ‘Sasa Hivi’ and ‘Nakupenda’ and a silver plaque for ‘Ni Sawa’ and ‘Romantic Call’.
Vijana barubaru’s hiatus marks the end of a chapter, but their music will live on and their impact will continue to reasonate with fans as Mwanaa and Tutu Kantu pursue their new journey.
