The Problem with our Gospel Entertainment Industry

Aloha everybody! Or should I be presidential and say, “Niaje….wasee.” just like our son of the soil, Barack Obama addressed us. I hope the hangover of POTUS’ visit is fading away, or should I say withering? I actually don’t know how hangovers work as I have not had the misfortune (privilege to some) of having one. I got to admit it. It was exciting, very exciting. I never imagined that I would be that excited because I wanted to be like the cool kids. You know, the ones not really affected by the Obama mania, “So Obama’s coming! So what!” My little sister was among the cool kids. Her main concern was, “Will Obama coming affect my flight back to school?” she has missed her friends or maybe she was just moody that day. 19 years having her as my sister and I have still not understood a single thing about women. The good thing is she helps me out whenever I fail to understand my girlfriend. Not that she explains anything about this phenomenon called women but she talks to her and tells her to cut me some slack (guys these are the perks of introducing your girlfriends to your sisters) on the other hand, she’ll be the one going, “What were you thinking when you did that! You’re an idiot.” Though she’ll still go out of her way and smoothen things for me. She could be such a darling, when she’s not hell bent on annoying me. For the record little sister, punching me is not cool at all!”

Anyway, I remember how excited I was waiting to see Obama’s arrival. Judge me if you want but that was a momentous occasion (I hope I’ve used the word momentous correctly) I was switching between the local channels and DSTV Channel 199 that had live proceedings of what was actually happening in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. The local channels were just something else. Haha I laugh thinking about it. Those who were watching Ahmed Dharuesh on KTN remember him saying, “Mpenzi msikilizaji, kama mnavyoona niko hapa karibu na gari aina ya beast! Najaribu kuikaribia lakini…” and he continued. For those who did not watch local channels that day, I have basically summarized what they covered. President Obama’s presidential car, The Beast….oh, and the roads that were closed for the day. DSTV channel 199 on the other hand was nothing short of inspiring. The ideas that the entrepreneurs had and their businesses, revolutionary stuff.

Despite the inspiration from the DSTV channel, I couldn’t wait to see Obama. My brother was there fuming every time I switched back to GES proceedings, he is 13 so no reason for him to follow it yet, my Aunt was complaining, my sister…well my sister was in her room, reading a novel (see why I don’t understand women). Then we saw it! Obama’s plane! Flying towards JKIA. Somehow KTN cameramen got that shot. Then When the doors opened, then he came out waving, I’m sure playing in many people’s heads was the heavenly sound, “Aaaaaaaaah” angelic voices singing in their heads as Obama jogged down those steps. President Uhuru standing in wait, little Joan Wamaitha with her flowers. A moment to rememember. 15 years down the line though, guys will not hear the end of it when she shows them her picture with Obama and talks about it. Guys will have to really dig deep to take her out for coffee.

That night we all slept like babies. Imagine our shock on Saturday morning when we wake up to find that our DSTV subscription had run out. Multichoice imposed media blackout! Though it gave me a chance to watch Gabriel Inglesias’ stand up comedies. If you are a fan of stand up comedies, I highly recommend Gabriel Inglesias.

Anyway, that night I took my little brother to his first concert. Actually it should be “concert” because it was actually Mr. and Miss. Kabarak University but for the entertainment, they had all the big names in the Kenyan Gospel music industry. Daddy Owen, Bahati, Recapp, Kelele Takatifu, L-Jay Maasai….and others who I cannot remember their names unfortunately. On the decks was Dj Sadiq, one of the biggest gospel Deejays in the country. Actually, all the stars were there under Dj Sadiq’s Genius Entertainment, in which Dj Sadiq is the CEO (if I’m not mistaken). I had not even planned to go to the event mainly because it was not free. One had to buy tickets. You mention tickets and I go the other way. I say this because I’m going through this phase of my life where brokenness is a synonym to my name. These are some of the things we sacrifice for a better future. In our quest to better ourselves academically and in our careers, we keep ourselves off the job market for a while as we get better. That’s the concept of the academic system. However, I got lucky. My girlfriend invited me. If you don’t know, I date a model guys. I may be broke, but I got game! LMAO, let me not chocha myself here. I usually look at her, then look at myself, then look at her again, then tell myself, “Kalya you serve a living God.” Coz guys, she’s really beautiful, like super gorgeous, hotness redefined. And to think I kept her waiting before I asked her out. It was so bad it reached a point where she told me, “You better ask me out, and it better be sooner rather than later.” Of course I, not being one to make decisions under any pressure, asked her out later rather than sooner. I had to run it by my dad first. Look at all you guys gasping and asking, “You talk to your dad about such things?” yes I do. It’s a real blessing and something we’ll talk about another day.

Being Miss Tourism Kenya, and a student at Kabarak University, Jacquie (that’s her name) was automatically invited to the occasion. I live in Kabarak, when I’m not in Nairobi, and I was in Kabarak and so she invited me. Being the Kenyan that I am, I took the invitation and extended it to my brother and cousin who both wanted to come. My cousin was already in his pajamas and he figured getting out of was too much hustle so he was like, “You guys go. I’m too tired.” I was very tempted to say, “Too tired? Take dettol cool!” though I think he just wanted to watch the Manchester United Vs Barcelona game, which I was streaming. I connected the HDMI cable to the TV and left him watching the game. My folks were fast asleep by then. For the record, Man United won 3-1 #GGMU. (btw did any of you notice how I just nonchalantly stated the fact that my girlfriend is Miss Tourism Kenya? Like it’s nothing. Oh you noticed? Just had to make sure). So we went to the concert. Got VIP entrance and sat on the front seats, the best seats in the house (I wonder why while in high school we used to fight for the seats at the very top) and the show was underway. We were actually late, she had to make an entrance (like duuuh!).

The ardent followers of this blog know that I have written on this topic before. Should be two years ago, maybe you could search for it and read it as well but I shall write something similar, if not the same thoughts again, because things to do with the Gospel is not something that we should play with. It’s not something we should take lightly. With all the big names coming out on stage, it was correct to dub it a “gospel concert.” And one after the other, the artistes took to the stage, did their thing, and left. This is something that usually bothers me with our gospel artistes. What is the essence of you coming on stage and then leaving to chill in your car? Makes no sense at all! The songs that are being sang, being gospel songs, they do praise God and as such they edify the congregation. Being a gospel concert, the crowd ceases to be an audience and becomes a congregation. I remember talking to one Emmanuel Mwongela, very bright young man. He’s in recap and we were sharing and he was telling me how they have gone to over 120 schools in the country just ministering and that’s big! That’s service and after talking he was like, “Let’s go in. I got to see the other guys. You know these are the guys who have nurtured us and helped us grow.” (at that time Kelele Takatifu were taking the stage) and in my mind I was like, “If only all the other gospel artistes were like him. We’d be different. It would be great.” And we went in and got involved and stuff.

I have a big big problem with our gospel artistes just performing and leaving not only the stage but the whole building just to chill in the car. I understand if you have to rush somewhere but if not, I advocate they stay in church, or the tent or wherever the concert is taking place. Basically, stay in the sanctuary and here’s my logic: the congregation who are gathered are there to praise and worship God. They have been blessed by your songs and they come with the hope, expectation and belief that they are going to be blessed when you present the song. Not that I have said present, and not perform. Why? Because there is a divine element to your song. It is not just some song put together but it ultimately glorifies God. God has given you the talent and you are not performing it to the people or to Him, but rather you are presenting it to God. I take it to be a sacrifice that you are presenting to God. From the talents that God has given you, you make a sacrifice of praise which you, and all of us in attendance, make to God. As we all know, God has rejected sacrifices in the past. That of Cain, King Saul, where Prophet Samuel told him it is better to obey than to sacrifice. The same can happen when in the presentation (or performance) it is not done with the aim of praising God or the focus not being on Him. Let it not reach the point where it is like in Amos 5:21;

            “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.”

This not only affects the gospel artistes but also we who go to the concerts. When we go to the concerts we should go with the aim of worshipping God in truth and in spirit. Having fun and kujibamba should be secondary things. The main thing should be God. This is being lost however when we say we have a vibrant “Gospel Entertainment Industry.” Once the focus becomes entertainment, then we lose it. We lose the purpose of the gospel being preached. Because the focus turns to money, fame, making other people have fun, churning out hit song after hit song without regard to the one who gives us the talents.

For secular artistes it should not be a problem when they perform then they leave, they have done what they came to do. For gospel artistes, whenever we take the stage, after we are done, let’s go back to our seats and not our cars. Let’s also get blessed the way we have blessed others. Tuwe na moyo mkunjufu. Everybody should be one in spirit and purpose. That the main aim is to glorify God our savior. Bahati should come on after listening to Kelele Takatifu sing and should sit down and listen and sing with Daddy Owen. That way you also get edified and blessed. You do not leave the sanctuary the same way you came in. It takes humility to do that I believe. Let it be something that our artistes start doing. All meaning is lost when we focus it on entertainment.

When Daddy Owen took the stage, he did something that I really liked. He said a short prayer then sang. He did a song or two, then took some time and just spoke to the congregation about the word on following God in spirit and I remember turning to Jacquie and telling her, if all the other artistes did the same, there would be a biiig difference. People would be touched, lives would be touched. People would be challenged. Who knows, maybe the drunks who were in the congregation would be challenged you know? That is what I would like to see. A few years back when Lecrae and Tedashi were in the country, two of the biggest hip-hop gospel artistes in the world,  they took some time in the course of their presentation/performance and gave mini-sermons. Not looong messages but something to take home other than their songs. That was amazing and it is something that our local artistes should pick up and be doing. It drives you to keep reading God’s word, keep meditating upon it. It keeps your priorities straight. You do that and you realize that, “Hey, I am actually supposed to sit and listen to the other guys, worship with the rest of the congregation.” And that your presentation is not all about, “Wapi nduru za Kabaraaaak, wapi nduru ya mamaaaaaaa.”  Meditating on the word of God keeps you in check. The word of God guides you and automatically you know what you ought to do. It keeps one’s pride in check. One is able to realize that it is not all about the fame. There is a greater thing here. A greater message. A great commission that you were sent to bring people to Christ. I would love to see after a performance and short message, Bahati asking people to come to Christ. That would be amazing. It’s a challenge, and it would be taken up once we realize that it is not about entertainment but rather about taking the message of Christ to the people.

What actually made me write this post was about what happened after Daddy Owen performed. He is the biggest name in the Gospel Music scene and as expected, he was the last to perform. After he left, the event was not over. Remember it was a beauty pagent. However, after a few minutes, guys got into the auditorium, Genius Entertainment guys because they had the t-shirts on (Dj Sadiq’s guys) and they started dismantling the stage which had been assembled. Started taking down the speakers and banners and stuff without regard to the fact that the event was still going on. Mr. and Miss Kabarak University were to be crowned on the stage which they were dismantling, the MC had to shout coz the microphones were being switched off and it was all so rude and unfortunate. So I got out and tried to get to the bottom of the situation and possibly talk to Dj Sadiq and tell him to not let his guys do whatever they were doing. When I got out I found out that there was an issue with the payment. There was a deficit which they had not been paid and they were mad about it. Their solution? Make the guys who paid to see them suffer. Take down the stage go with everything! That was so rude and so crass. It’s not like the organizers had refused to pay, just that ticket sales fell short of what they expected. It was a Saturday night, they are students no one has got the money with them, wait till Monday and they would be sorted but they did not want to hear any of it (though eventually they did they had no choice)

I understand it’s a business, the artistes got to eat and earn a living and stuff. But this is not just any business. This is a business that was created to spread the word of God to others. You ought to have some values. What kind of example were you setting to the kids Dj Sadiq? Having your men tear down the stage right there. What happened to the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Love, Joy, Peace, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, goodness, gentleness, SELF-CONTROL? Ilioza ama? I was really disturbed by what I saw. I mean you claim to run your business with Christian values, then do so. If anything else, business is a matter of good faith. You provided a service, you will be paid. As a businessman, you expect risks and you should have contingencies and provisions. You do not behave in such a manner. If Homeboyz did that I would have no problem. They do not have anything to do with the spreading of the gospel in their value system but Dj Sadiq and Genius Entertainment have Christian values and that was not a good thing to see. I was even happy that I had taken my little brother to sleep way before the event was over. When I finally got to talk to Dj Sadiq, he wasn’t even in the least bit interested. The guy was counting his money in his thousands. His pay for the day. Very disturbing. I don’t know if Dj Sadiq or any of the gospel artistes will read this but I hope that they will get the message one way or the other. We need to take another look at ourselves and prioritize. We should know who we worship and that we are to worship Him. Let us not lose sight of the goal towards which we are pressing on.