Somi Kakoma is a multi-talented individual who embarked on her professional career as a singer, actress, and writer. Coming from a musical background, she found inspiration in her mother’s passion for music and song. Kakoma is passionate about sharing stories and the enchantment of theater, as well as the creative potential of the stage. She made her Broadway debut in Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, which has greatly influenced her life and career. To manage nerves and stay focused during a live performance, Kakoma recommends incorporating meditation and physical warm-up into your routine. She offers guidance to aspiring actors and actresses with dreams of performing on Broadway.

Pebbles: So Somi, you’re a singer, actress, and writer. Which did you do first?
Kakoma: Since I also identify as a songwriter, I would like to believe that I started my professional journey as an artist both a singer and a writer. Playwriting and acting, therefore, felt like a natural expansion of my role as a singer-songwriter.That songwriting process has expanded

Pebbles: Did you come from a musical background? and how young were you when you started singing?
Kakoma: I played the cello throughout my childhood which influenced me deeply, but it was really my mother’s voracious love of music and song that inspired me more than anything. She is not a professional singer but she has a lovely voice that raised us in East African folk traditions, mid century American pop, and opera. As a result, I don’t remember when I started singing because it was something we did often growing up. So much so that I think I sort of took my singing voice for granted. I didn’t begin to really take it seriously until my early 20s.

Photography Credit: Tatenda Chidora

Pebbles: What made you get into acting?
Kakoma: I love telling stories and I love the magic of theater. I also love the rigor and beauty of trying to embody the multidimensionality of a life other than your own.

Pebbles: What genre of writing do you like best or do you just write songs?
Kakoma: I love writing songs and musical theater equally and for different reasons. Both are an invitation to craft a journey within a particular frame or set of rules. I love moving through the seemingly simpler frame of a good song and I also love the world-making possibilities of theater.

Pebbles: You recently debuted on Broadway in Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. What was it like working with the cast of the show?
Kakoma: I was deeply honored to work with so many generous and talented artists. I learned so much from each cast member and it truly felt like family.

Pebbles: Can you share any memorable or funny experiences from your time on Broadway?
Kakoma: During the fifth preview, I forgot a line for a few seconds but it felt like an eternity under the silence and stage lights. It was not funny at the time but it was certainly memorable. A reminder that theater is LIVE and we are only human – so surrender we must.

Photography Credit: D Obasi

Pebbles: What impact has performing on Broadway had on your life and career?
Kakoma: It’s only been two months since the show closed, so time will tell how much of an impact the experience has on my life and career. What I can say is that I appreciate the craft of acting even so much more and I look forward to continuing to deepen my love and exploration of it in future projects.

Pebbles: How do you continue to grow and develop as an artist while working in such a competitive industry?
Kakoma:By saying ‘yes’ to things beyond my comfort zone and by focusing on the work required. I believe that if you do that and lead with humility, the Universe will support whatever your gift might be.

Pebbles: How do you handle your nerves and maintain focus during a live performance on Broadway?
Kakoma: Meditation and physical warm up will center your mind, body, and spirit. After that, I just try to surrender to being present in the story we are telling on stage.

Photography Credit: Michaela Reynolds

Pebbles: What advice would you give to aspiring actors and actresses who dream of performing on Broadway?
Kakoma: Stay encouraged. Listen to your heart. Be humble. Do the work.

Pebbles: What activities do you engage in to unwind when you’re not on stage?
Kakoma: I love to travel to the ocean. I’m currently writing to you from the Atlantic coast of West Africa where I’m catching up on some writing while cooking up new projects. So, being near the water and finding enough stillness to continue dreaming – that’s what I love to do when I’m not on stage