Kenyan songstress Jovial has opened up about a difficult chapter in her life before fame, revealing how she once worked as a receptionist in Mombasa to make ends meet and raise her young daughter.
Sharing the heartfelt memory through her Instagram stories, Jovial — whose real name is Juliet Miriam Ayub — recounted how life’s hardships pushed her to take up a job at a modest guest house in the Saba Saba area of Mombasa.
She revealed that at the time, her daughter was only four months old and survival meant getting creative.
“My workplace wasn’t one of those fancy hotels, it was a typical guest room — the kind with mixed-color slippers at the door,” she shared.
Jovial recalled how during the day, guests would check in for short stays, often leaving the rooms unoccupied by night.
Spotting an opportunity, she and a colleague would clean up the unused rooms, replace the linens and towels, and secretly resell them to new customers without the knowledge of their bosses. The extra cash helped cover her baby’s needs.
Anticipating mixed reactions, Jovial urged her followers not to judge her actions, explaining it was a matter of survival.
“The salary was little, and my baby needed milk. Someone might ask about CCTV cameras, but God made sure there wasn’t one at the time because there was nowhere else I would’ve gotten that money,” she admitted.
Now a celebrated artist, Jovial reflected on how those tough experiences shaped the resilient woman she is today.
“Life was hard, but it made me tough-headed. Sometimes I look back and break down, but I’m proud because I’m rewriting my story,” she added.
Jovial’s journey to stardom is equally inspiring.
Born on January 1, 1992, in Kisauni, Mombasa, she grew up in a musically inclined family — her father was a guitarist and preacher, while her mother served as a choirmaster at the Anglican Church of Kenya. She is a half-cast of a Luhya Mother and a Tanzanian Mijikenda father.
The nickname “Jovial” followed her from primary school, a nod to her cheerful, lively spirit.
Her breakthrough in music came with the hit ‘Chanda Chema’, which earned her significant airplay and introduced her to a growing fan base.
Since then, Jovial has collaborated with major East African artists like Jua Kali, Arrow Bwoy, Otile Brown, Mejja, and Darassa on popular tracks including ‘Jiachilie,’ ‘Amor,’ ‘Zichune,’ and ‘Jeraha’.
