Kenyan Gospel Industry Cares Less About God’s Ministry

Gospel music is dead but not resting in peace

By Nicholas Olambo

Industry should have the chosen few who can accomplish what governments, schools or religions can’t do. Artists who can write and perform inspirational songs about how their strong faith got them overcome challenges in the filthy ghettos where they grew up.

Unfortunately we have an industry that cares less about the ministry, fairy tales, fables and nursery rhymes with the word God or Jesus pass for gospel music. This was not the case like a decade ago when the likes of the late Angela Chibalonza, Rose Muhando and the likes made sense of the gospel music writing witty lyrics that pushed the notch even higher.

A crop of money hungry deejays took over the industry with their girlfriends, mistresses and groupies. These guys got the gospel glory all faded, who is going to reshape it? Janet Otieno is riding high with her cricket sound because she has deep pockets, Size 8 is where she is because her man is calling shots in big events and gospel tv shows otherwise she talks, walks and act secular.

Willy Paul is calling his thing gospel because that sells for him and pleases the deejay units that run the game. Loyalty pays more than royalty in this industry but if you dare to say it like I just did, gosecular queens like Size 8 will grab you by the ankles like she nearly did Jalang’o who criticized their shallow lyrics that don’t sound gospel.

But hey! We don’t care how big or long your chain is. Industry should have real artists who live to their titles in terms of content, performance and actions. Ringtone is no longer serving music but his fantasies and infatuations over Zari Hassan. Yes and a good chunk of these fakers are bootlickers who made money from jubilee campaigns / rallies, the same regime that is responsible for the poisonous sugar and rampant looting.

Its money over everything they say but I fear for the next generation that will have to trace the footsteps of failures to succeed. Where did the real gospel music go? I think it never left and secular never closed shop, secular took over gospel, maintained its banging beats that vixens can shake to and shut down hip hop that had socially conscious rhymes that they say is never  selling.

Today we no longer have artists who can write rhymes that can be read even by the visually impaired for the world to realize the deep vision they share. It’s who you date, know or the money that will buy your way the media flooded by bentens and comedians.

No serious producers, writers, shows and awards. Things won’t change if people don’t stick to their lanes; deejays are running everything from events, production, radio/TV shows, management, wardrobe and makeup artists in shooting sets. Long live gosecular.