Kenyan singer-songwriter Becky Sangolo has revealed that her latest single, “Pata Potea”, was born from one of the most significant moments in her personal life, the night she met her partner.
The former Band Beca member, who is now based in Poland, says the song captures the feeling of an instant connection that blossomed into love.
“The song was sparked by the night I met my own partner. I felt that instant connection that felt quite like home, and that inspired a melody and lyrics that tell a story and excite the parts of the heart longing for love,” Becky said.
Released as a collaboration with acclaimed guitarist Fancy Fingers (Polycarp Otieno), “Pata Potea” blends acoustic guitar melodies with East African influences and European production.
Working with a number of collaborators in Poland, the track also features violin by Polish musician Bartosz Słatyński.
Despite relocating to Europe, Becky says her musical identity remains firmly rooted in Kenya.
“Living away from Nairobi has not pulled me from my sound, it has sharpened it,” she said.
She credits her father for laying the musical foundation that continues to shape her work today.
“My father gave me the harmonies and grooves that shaped my ear since childhood. Those instincts carried me through Band Beca, and I still lean on them as a solo artist finding my own lane.”
For Becky, building a career abroad has never meant leaving her culture behind. Instead, she sees her journey as an opportunity to take Kenyan music to new audiences.
“Being a Kenyan musician in the diaspora means carrying the culture wherever the work takes me and trusting the world to meet me there,” she said.
“Pata Potea” also marks another chapter in Becky’s evolving solo career. She has confirmed that another single will be released in July, ahead of a full-length album expected in August.
The forthcoming project, she says, will feature “more rawness, more harmonies, and more storytelling,” while a long-awaited homecoming performance in Nairobi remains high on her list of ambitions.
