Naomi Wachira’s Open-Hearted Songs

For Kenyan-born singer-songwriter Naomi Wachira, living in the Yakima Valley for three years felt especially welcoming. Wachira, who sings beautifully and tenderly and who just released a new EP, “Save Everything” this summer, had moved to the Northwest in the early 2000s from Chicago. But as for many, Seattle, where she’d made roots and flourished as an artist, became too pricey. So, she picked up with her young daughter at the time and moved to Yakima with some friends. There Wachira lived from 2016 through 2019 until she packed up again to go on tour, playing her guitar and singing her big-hearted songs to fans all over the world. But when her mother got sick, she moved back to Kenya, where she’s been living with her mom and daughter through the pandemic.