Cheruu is a Kenyan singer, songwriter, and event producer whose music bears the characteristic mark of soul and emotion. Growing up surrounded by the music of legends like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, as well as soft rock influences, she developed a deep connection to music that shines through in her artistry now as a professional artist. In this conversation with Harmony Boulevard, Cheruu reflects on her journey, the impact of her music and her evolving sound, as she experiments with jazz and classical influences while curating spaces like Between Friends for artistic expression.
Your music is very soulful. What inspires the emotions and stories behind your music?
So far, it’s the things happening in my life. My life inspires everything I put out, that's what I would say.
Soul was your debut project. What did putting together this EP teach you about yourself as an artist?
It taught me a lot because when I started writing the songs, especially Sema, the first song I ever wrote, I was still figuring out who I was as a person and as an artist. I wrote the songs on this project during the pandemic, and at the time, I wasn’t very confident in my writing. After finishing Sema, I sent it to my friend Nkatha Muthoni, an amazing songwriter, and my producer SHLM. They both told me it was a really soulful song and that I could do something special with it. That was the moment I realized I could actually write songs. From there, I decided to dig deep and keep writing, and the project naturally took shape, telling my life story. The entire experience affirmed me as a songwriter.
You've spoken about how you used to write with your brother. What was, what is that like and have any of those songs made their way to us?
I didn’t mean actively writing, it's more of me testing my songs on my brother. He's young, right now he's like, 12. But I used to test my music on him, so if he repeats the chorus hours later after listening, then I’d know that there was something special about the song.
You and your producer SHLM have such an incredible creative synergy. What makes collaboration between the both of you work so well?
SHLM is actually the person who encouraged me to do a project, the whole Soul project. Before that, I hadn’t even considered putting together an EP. But after Sema, he told me, "Now that you have this song, bring other songs to the studio so we can record them." He really pushes me as an artist, and we’ve been working together since university. Our creative synergy comes from that foundation, we understand each other. The vibe is always, "I’m trying to make you the artist I know you are." He constantly challenges me to step out of my comfort zone, and I’m really grateful for that.
What was the concept behind your collaborative project Apt.14 and what story are you telling?
Apt.14 happened by accident. SHLM and I were in the studio, just chilling, and he was making a beat while I was there. I remember vibing to it and wanting to see where I could go with it, so I wrote to it. That ended up being the second track on Apt.14, What You Do to Me. A few weeks later, SHLM told me he wanted to extend the beat. I had never heard of such a thing. In that following session, I wrote I Like.
From there, we started coming up with concepts and ended up creating around the idea of a house party. We had gone on a trip to Mombasa and saw this place called Apartment 14. That sparked the idea. What if this apartment had a party? What if there was a girl vibing with a guy in the sitting room, then it proceeds to the kitchen, and ultimately the bedroom? What would that look like sonically? That’s how we built a world around it.
Soul and Apt. 14 are distinct projects, one is personal, while the other is collaborative. How did your creative approach differ between the two?
Well, I would say one major difference is that Soul is deeply personal. I was writing those songs to heal myself first and, hopefully, to heal others as well. The stories in Soul come from a place of knowing. I was speaking about experiences that I had lived and emotions that were very real to me. With Apt.14, it was different. I was creating a story, building a world that wasn’t necessarily my own. I didn’t know the people in the songs the way I knew the ones in Soul. It was more of an imaginative process, crafting a narrative from scratch. So, one project came from my heart and my mind, while the other was a world I created. That’s the biggest distinction.
What is your favorite memory from working on these two projects?
For Soul, one of the most memorable moments was recording Sema. I actually cried in the studio while singing it. That was a huge highlight for me. Another unforgettable experience was filming the music video. As for Apt 14, seeing the entire concept come to life was incredible. It took a lot of refining and re-recording, so finally hearing it all come together during that one special listening session is a core memory for me.
Between Friends is such an intimate and intentional name for an event. What inspired you to create and curate this event and space?
In my journey as an artist, I’ve been looking for platforms where I can perform, but often, the response has been, ‘Who are you? What have you done?’ So I thought, why not create my own space instead? That’s how Between Friends was born. I had already tried organizing two other events before, so Between Friends became a product of my growth, knowledge, and everything I had learned along the way. Beyond being a platform for myself and other artists to perform, I also wanted to celebrate different forms of art, like painting. That’s why I incorporated painting into the very first edition. In the future, I’d love to include dance, poetry, and other forms of creative expression, making Between Friends a space that honors all kinds of art, in a setting that feels intentional and intimate.
Being both an artist and an event producer, how do these roles influence each other? Does organizing events change the way you approach performing?
I would say so, yes. Now that I think about it, organizing events has made me more intentional when creating a set. I consider the event itself, the audience, and the overall vibe. It definitely influences my approach because I’m always thinking about what I want the audience to experience by the end of the performance, not just as an artist, but as someone curating the entire atmosphere.
What challenges have you faced curating events in the indie/alternative space, and what keeps you going?
There’s a reason I haven’t done another event yet. It might sound cliché, but funding has been my biggest challenge. I really want to elevate Between Friends and make it even better than the first one, but securing the necessary resources has been difficult for both events. That said, I’ve been seeing Cheruu grow into a more recognizable brand, and I’m using that to create more opportunities and attract the right people to support the vision. That keeps me going
What has been the most fulfilling thing about your journey thus far?
I would say the impact I have had on people, especially with the Soul EP. It’s not just the messages I receive in my DMs. Like recently while performing, someone came up to me and said that the song River really touched them. Moments like that remind me why I do this. Knowing that people connect with my music, understand what I went through, and that it is helping or uplifting them in some way…..that means everything to me.
What’s something you’re currently experimenting with or excited to explore in your music?
This year, I’m in a very collaborative mood, and through that, I’ve stumbled upon my jazz side. As a music major, I had a strong classical foundation, but for a while, that part of me faded into the background. Now, I’m rediscovering that serious side of music; jazz, classical, and everything in between. That’s what I’m experimenting with this year, and I’m excited to work with some incredible artists who are helping me explore this sound.
If people could take just one thing from your music, what would you want it to be?
If there’s one thing I want people to take from my music, it’s the feeling of home. I want them to find peace and joy, to feel a sense of belonging when they listen. That’s how I experience music too, it is a place of comfort. So when I write or perform, my hope is that people feel that same warmth, like they’re exactly where they’re meant to be.