From being a beloved family entertainer to becoming Kenya’s youngest music superstar, Trio Mio’s ascent has been truly remarkable. His ability to stay at the forefront of the music industry can be attributed to his humility and the wise guidance of his mother Irma Sophia Sakwa, who also serves as his manager. During an interview with her, we gained valuable insights into Trio Mio’s persona and the promising trajectory of his career.
Irma, a proud mum of four and grandma of five describes Trio Mio as a modest and hardworking artist whose talent has made him the pride of the family. His interest in music started showing when he was very young. To put that into perspective, when he was in class four, he was already the family entertainer at house parties though he did not do much more than that in his earlier years.
It was during the Covid 19 lockdown that on request from her older son, Irma paid for the first of many studio sessions that set Trio Mio up for the success we are witnessing today. He released his first hit ‘Vile Inafaa’, then got onto YouTube where the response from the internet was phenomenal. The rest, as they say, is history. He has grown in leaps and bounds in the gentle hands of his mum and with guidance from among other greats, Roy Karuhize and Jabali Africa.
As his journey continued, he released the very catchy ‘Cheza Kama Wewe” which easily turned out to be his breakthrough song. Fast forward, it has come round to become the signature phrase for his partnership with Safaricom Chapa Dimba as brand ambassador for the program.
Speaking of Chapa Dimba, Irma says that her family is very honoured to work with Safaricom, and for her son to be a clear demonstration that talent pays. She is grateful for the recognition that Trio Mio has received and the platform for further growth. Receiving such acknowledgment has inspired Trio to dedicate himself to his craft even more and to blaze the trail for other gifted youths. Music aside, she is also appreciative of Chapa Dimba which she sees as further proof that when talent is recognized and nurtured, it pays off in the end.
Irma attributes her son’s upward trend to his team of professionals who strategically safeguard his brand while he concentrates on creating music. He is backed by a dedicated legal team to safeguard his work and a business team to ensure prudent management of finances. It is a major plus that she has a background in sales and marketing, thus guiding his business from a point of knowledge and experience.
Irma acknowledges that it is quite challenging rising a celebrity, especially because at 20 years of age, he is still very young and barely out of adolescence. Being a mum first and manager second, she still guides him in time management for school and music, seeing that both have to be well balanced. He is a well-rounded child in character, very prayerful and being introverted keeps him away from many pitfalls.
Safaricom Chapa Dimba is a national football tournament dedicated to nurturing the talents of youth aged 16-20, offering them a platform to shine and prosper. Irma encourages parents and guardians of talented children to support their dreams in the pursuit of success, and to be present in the decision-making process of their children’s careers to avoid exploitation which is prevalent in many industries.
She emphasizes on the importance of good talent management because as much as talent is a route to great things, it can also lead kids downhill if not properly nurtured.