Pia waweza pata Biography yake hapo chini.
ESTHER WAHOME |
She becomes the first Kenyan musician to be featured in such a compilation of songs by top contemporary African musicians. More importantly, her entry is through a gospel recording and not dance music, which commands more international attention. She has her agent, Mick Andrews of AI Records, to thank for the achievement. He walked into the offices of the AMR Records company in London with the song and the firm's executives liked it.  The CD will introduce her to the millions of fans of the big stars featured on the compilation. The Kenyan gospel music star is flattered by the prospect."It may sound crazy but I pray everyday and I truly believe in miracles," says the likeable Esther. Right now, the miracle she wants is to see her music being discussed in the same breath as that of Africa's pop luminaries. Her latest release, Furahia, featuring the winning song, is available on cassette and shows all prospects of attaining her much-desired breakthrough. Big hit at Christian crusades Her promoters at AI Records are a bit disappointed that the local FM stations have been slow to pick up the song. However, the cassette is a big hit at Christian crusades, where whatever she brings along sells out in a matter of hours. "I usually take up to 500 units and they all sell out," says Esther. Well-mannered and wholly engaging, Esther smiles easily and will repeatedly proclaim her faith and the comfort of a happy marriage. The couple have a four-year-old baby girl and this has brought incredible joy into her life. "I always look forward to having more time at home with my husband and our baby, who are my best companions." For an artiste seeking new horizons in her career, she has to work very hard and, like many other musicians, Esther has had her share of bad times and regrets, as well. She grew up in a musical family. Her father, William Wahome, is a hobby musician and was her first inspiration. He plays most of the instruments in a band. It is through him that she got interested in music, first as a hobby, and later as a career. It all started in a church in Nyeri in 1988, when Kenya Broadcasting Corporation television producer Sammy Oyando spotted her and was so impressed by her singing that he arranged to have her to appear on the Sing and Shine TV gospel music programme. The Karanja Kimwere production is credited with tapping and promoting most of today's top gospel music artistes in Kenya. Esther's repertoire then was mainly music by South Africa's top gospel singer Rebecca Malope, who was (and still is) her greatest musical inspiration. She says: "I love her music and my initial dream was to become like her, but I now want to be a star in my own right." Her continental breakthrough is a compliment to her idol in both singing and music arrangement. Esther completed her high school studies at Pangani Girls School, Nairobi, in 1992, knowing that she wanted to be a career gospel singer. The entertainment business Being a musician meant staying in Nairobi and she ventured fully into music, naive about the ways of the world and the entertainment business. She believes she is not any different from other newcomers whose main interest initially is to perform, forgetting that there is a business side to such a career. "It's more so in gospel music because everything is viewed in the context of prayer and the idea that somebody is making money from it does not come to mind until it is too late." Esther says she has found herself often hard-up after a performance at a crusade or after a recording "because I had overlooked the business side of my career". She admits that her naivety has landed her into several bad deals, which have cost her dearly. At the beginning, she says, she merely survived but refuses to acknowledge having undergone real tough times. Esther prefers to paraphrase it as having "lived everyday at a time". She has learnt the hard way that the financial aspect is as much part of the deal. "I still do gospel as a calling, but I believe that if there is money to be made I'm entitled to my share." With this recently acquired business acumen, she is careful about signing documents she does not understand and will seek legal advice when need arises. But Esther admits that as an artiste, getting involved in the business aspect is a constant nightmare and would prefer assigning assistants to do it. However, she has not developed to a point where she can set up such an administrative system. Besides her latest release, Esther has two earlier recordings she did on her own and which she still markets and distributes. "I have to wake up every morning to do the rounds in the shops. It is tedious, but it has to be done," she says. Her association with AI records started with the CD, Lazima Tuwe Kama Watoto, which was a collaboration with fellow gospel musician Mary Wambui, of the Ahadi ya Bwana hit song fame. The venture did quite well. Response was encouraging The two even had a chance to perform in South Africa, where the response was "very encouraging," she says. But her colleague opted out of the next project and Esther went solo. She loves all the songs on the new recording and she, indeed, sounds good on all of them. To promote Furahia, she has been singing at crusades organised by her church and is hoping to go on tour in and out of the country. "Things are looking good and I pray that this will be my breakthrough year," she says. A leading Kenyan Gospel artist, Esther Wahome, has released a new song, Kuna Dawa, which reminds all of us that all is not lost - Jesus Christ is still our hope. The song, which addresses societal ills, such as the HIV/AIDs pandemic, contends that despite all the suffering we see around us, there is still hope. Esther Wahome entered Kuna Dawa for the annual Kora Music Award which is held in South Africa. Other Gospel songs entered alongside Esther's is 'Jubilee' by Angela Chimbalonza (a Democratic Republic of Congo citizen resident in Kenya), 'Watoto' by Inkane Ambasada (Uganda), and 'He s Able' by Nkatha, a budding Kenyan Gospel music artist. The nominees to the 9th Annual Kora All Africa Music Awards will be announced during a Launch Ceremony on September 22 in Johannesburg, South Africa.To reward the attendance of awards ceremony in December, nominees who win a Kora will also win a cash prize of US$ 5,000 Since teenage, Esther knew her calling and all she has ever wanted to do was to sing praises to God. This month, the gospel singer, who is in her late 20s, joined the super league of African music when her song, Furahia, from her solo CD by the same title, was selected together with a dozen others by some of the top musicians on the continent for a compilation CD titled, Best of Afropop Series. It has been issued internationally and is expected to chalk up high sales in various countries. The CD is already available in Kenyan music shops and several other countries. This has put Esther alongside renowned African singers, including Cameroonian veteran Manu Dibango, whose 1970s song, Soul Makossa, was a big international success, Senegal's Youssou N'Dour, whose hit, 7 Seconds, blazed the overseas charts, and the Belgium-based Congolese all-female group Zap Mama. "It is very exciting to be featured with these world famous artistes and I'm hoping that it gives me the breakthrough I crave in my own right," she told Lifestyle in Nairobi. All the other artistes featured on the CD have made their careers working overseas, where they have enjoyed the use of state-of-the-art studios, under professional supervision. Esther is the only one to join this music elite with a recording done on the continent. |
