Singer Gogo Ashley revealed how a single TikTok video led to a viral collaboration with the popular music duo, Vijana Barubaru.
Speaking in an interview with Media personality Alex Mwakideu, on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, she noted that while posting consistently on TikTok, she came across one of their a acapella videos of the song Hivi Sasa.
She revealed that she was drawn to the lyrics, how they were put together, and the emotions they evoked in her.
She noted that the video inspired her to create her own a acapella cover around October 2022, close to her birthday. She revealed that she did not have any instruments at the time and decided to focus purely on her voice.
“Katika harakati zangu za kupost pale TikTok, I came across their video at the time it was an a acapellaand I liked it because of how the lyrics were put together, how they made sense, and the feelings they evoked in me. Nikasema wacha nifanye cover. Sina instrument, let me just do an a acapella. It was around October 2022, almost next to my birthday, so I did my a acapella,” she said
Viral attention at school
Gogo Ashley revealed that a few days later, while at school and just coming out of class, her phone kept pinging unusually.
She noted that she normally did not get many notifications due to limited communication. Upon checking, she revealed that her a acapella version had been featured as a duet on TikTok by Vijana Barubaru, with fans widely sharing the link.
She noted that fans encouraged her to reach out to the duo, and within days, it resulted in a professional collaboration.
“Within three days, people were confused whether it was mine. They told me to reach out to them so we could do something together. That’s how we met and how the song came out,” Gogo Ashley said.
Breakthrough
Following the collaboration on Hivi Sasa, which currently has 19 million views, and the follow-up track Nakupenda, which also garnered 19 million views, both Gogo Ashley and Vijana Barubaru saw their music careers skyrocket.
She noted that these projects, among several other collaborations, solidified their presence in the Kenyan music scene and opened doors for further opportunities.
She revealed that Vijana Barubaru welcomed the partnership and that their collaborations helped expand both parties’ reach while strengthening their connection with fans.
Gogo Ashley revealed that the organic and spontaneous start of the project made the collaboration even more special for her and Vijana Barubaru.
