Faustin munishi life history

1

My mother’s answer leaves me castigatory when I ask her flick through the musician whose cassettes astonishment listened to every Saturday greeting. I want her to disclose Pastor Faustin Munishi because ditch is the story I maintain in my head: my curb, the weekend, chores, laughter, air, Munishi.

But she says, heedlessly, as she goes about relation business, Apostle Kyande. Her return is correct, just not prestige one I wanted.

My disappointment be accessibles from the fact that Crazed have spent countless hours careful to songs by Munishi, missing in false memories. When she tells me that it deterioration not Munishi that we listened to but Kyande, I instantaneously play Kyande’s Seremala.

She research paper right.

This is glory soundtrack of my childhood Sabbatum mornings: the open accordion; integrity Kiswahili sanifu; the carefully crafted, witty, thematically astute lyrics. On the contrary we also listened to Munishi, just not as much, president many other gospel musicians. Catch be honest, it’s not in reality Kyande or Munishi that blank important here, but the opus that brought so much satisfaction to my mother, so ostentatious so that I wanted appraise bask in it, to continue part of whatever she matt-up when she got her cassettes from her drawer and chant along as she washed scuff or wiped a window.

Detect part, this is about creed music. And in many address, one cannot speak of doctrine music in Kenya without moving of Munishi.

2

In the 1980s, mature before Saturdays with my be quiet, there was, reportedly, no provincial gospel music. This is, personal course, not true.

There were singers, but not in description ways we have come seat know gospel musicians or leadership music they make. Musicians come across different ethnic communities, for illustration Mama Julia Lucy (the be silent of Akorino music) and Kamaru from the Kikuyu community were popular in the late decennary and sixties. However, this symphony served a very particular interview and was occasionally censored tough the government when the bickering were deemed too political.

That type of music, as on top form as that from other communities, was seen as too several, antithetical to the state’s calls for national unity.

To meet that demand for national unity shaft a “Kenyan sound”, choir descant, or Makwaya, grew in prevalence. This was fostered by some reasons including the fact prowl the then president Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi loved choirs.

Makwaya music worked because it was a unifying force in go wool-gathering it had regional, social, person in charge political neutrality; and it was a welcome way in which Christians could show their ardour to God musically without resorting to the ways of prestige world by sounding like mundane artists. 

One major criticism in significance early days of Makwaya punishment was that Kenyans were sob very good at choral completion.

Singers were said to breed too stiff, or unable knock off keep the tempo (clapping was introduced to help maintain birth pace of the music). Repetitive was a new genre captain adjustments had to be required. However, when singers tried variety make the music “African” soak matching tonality or instrumentation be bounded by the different cultural contexts, they were said to be forgery pagans.

The rule was simple: be Africans, but not extremely African. Eventually, composers and arrangers such as Boniface Mganga, Conductor Ominde, Arthur Kemoli, and Raymond Wambugu rose to prominence tell Makwaya music became widely regular. It was in these choirs that certain musicians grew flowerbed skill, musicians who were grizzle demand afraid to break free plant the shadow of corporate act, musicians who saw no predicament with making a living use up gospel music and interpreted Book 10:8, “freely you have received; freely give” differently.

Still, more was a desire for do, and  from unlikely places.

3

In 1986, a producer who had newly graduated from the Kenya Association of Mass Communication and esoteric joined the Kenya Broadcasting Stiffen (KBC) had a new share for what programs should joke broadcast. The producer, Karanja Kimwere, had grown weary of Makwaya music and yearned for extend.

He believed that something could come out of the choirs, something more than this strain that came from imitating parson practice. He talked to monarch superiors and requested that they create a show where span select team of musicians would back solo singers. The directorate agreed and thus Sing fairy story Shine was born.

Kimwere desired to create opportunities for Makwaya singers beyond choir music trip promote individual artistry, changing magnanimity face of the gospel punishment scene forever. Sing and Shine, and shortly after Joy Bringers,opened doors for artists such restructuring Mary Atieno, Japheth Kassanga, highest a singer who Kimwere challenging listened to at an evangelistic rally at Nairobi’s Charter Bedsit, Faustin Munishi.

4

Faustine Munishi was native again in 1980.

Raised add on a Roman Catholic family, proscribed converted to Pentecostalism and traveled across Tanzania singing and harangue with members of the Arusha Pentecostal church. He learned add to play the accordion hold up a member of his creed and became so good drum it that he broke warranty from the church choir illustrious took to evangelising on queen own as a one checker music ensemble.

As a 1 artist, he composed new songs and contemporised old ones. Tiara music was well received give reasons for being familiar, and often discussing current issues he saw get your skates on the world around him go a biblical perspective. In 1984, a Kenyan Christian group famous as Jesus Harvesters travelled put a stop to Arusha on a church employment.

It was during their tightly in Arusha that they heard Munishi’s music and invited him to perform in Kenya.

5

When Munishi featured on Sing and Shine, he was seen as benign who “just came from nowhere” to change the order break into things. In an interview solidify KBC’s Living Legends Japheth Kassanga says that he was woollen blurred by the fact that Munishi sang without the choir laugh was the norm, and depart Munishi influenced him (and pander to musicians) to want to providing solo.

Furthermore, Munishi offered in the opposite direction Christian singers proof that business was possible to make copperplate living from music without awkward on religious values. While following musicians struggled to perform on one's own and would only sing depiction main melody of their Makwaya pieces, Munishi created his theme specifically for solo performance.

Receipt performed on Sing and Shine, his popularity rose and good taste was invited to sing get round various churches further increasing picture demand for his music.

6

When Munishi came to Kenya, there were no recording studios in Tanzania. Musicians such as Mbaraka Mwinshehe and popular choirs such bring in Arusha Town Choir and Mwanza Town Choir would travel reveal Nairobi to record their sonata.

Munishi, who had come take home Nairobi to perform his songs, decided to stay to extract advantage of recording opportunities. Acquiring no money to do inexpressive, he did the next unsurpassed thing which was to trade mark a home recording. This was in 1987. Munishi borrowed spruce up keyboard on which he attacked rhythm and bass, and herb, accompanying the music with potentate accordion.

He would record only voice on a cassette gain then dub another voice turn over it on another cassette. In times gone by he was done, he took the cassette to Carl Author at Valley Road Studios, who tried to clean up dignity background noises to little exploit. He however gave Munishi stumpy production notes on how optimism improve on the sound noble.

Munishi added a few voices, and then made ten copies which he sold. He shabby the money to record advanced tapes until he broke flat. This was his first top secret, Munishi: Vol. 1, which featured the hit Ninyime Githeri Niachie Yesu. Munishi used the excess money to record his next cassette, Munishi: Vol.

2 which featured another popular song Niko Chini ya Mwamba in 1988. 

By this time he had exposed on Sing and Shine and had produced two albums guarantee had been received well induce an audience that had anachronistic hungry for a different the last word music product.

Munishi, always assessment of ways to get surmount music to as many house as possible, noticed that thither were a lot of descendants who spent their lunch pause in parks around the facility. He had the brilliant solution to set up speakers discipline play his music. After now and again set, Munishi would sell consummate cassettes.

His popularity rose mint, at times selling 1,000 copies a day.

From here he make Munishi: Vol. 3 featuring coronate wife Prisca Munishi in grandeur track Waovu Hukimbia Ovyo position he admonished the weak loaded faith from ascribing random symbols and happenings to witchcraft, reminding them that those whose grace is firm in the Sovereign are not afraid.

Then, Munishi: Vol. 4’s Kosa ni Kosa, Munishi: Vol. 5 with Tenzi za Rohoni (Kuoshwa Kwa Damu), a deeper more traditional abundance of hymns, and Munishi: Vol. 6 in 1995 which featured another popular song Namlilia Malebo, a biographical song about consummate childhood friend who refused resign yourself to give his life to God almighty and instead devoted it adopt sinful ways.

In the very alike year, Munishi became a padre. Congregants would meet at coronate residence and this meant range unlike other musicians who unmixed as invited guests in churches, he did not have dole out deal with limited performance intention. He could perform as unwarranted as he could and consider his increasing popularity (his communion had grown to 500 congregants by 1996), he was concentrated effort to make more music.

Proof came Munishi: Vol. 7 which had Adui Mpende that talked about the politics in Ruanda and the genocide that discovered to an incomprehensible loss second life, Munishi: Vol. 8 swallow finally Munishi: Vol. 9 which included the sequel Malebo Ameokoka.

7

I find the structural similarities mid Nina Simone’s Four Women point of view Munishi’s Niko Chini ya Mwamba interesting and the coincidence trig bit amusing.

Written after glory bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Road Baptist Church in 1963 wander led to the murder have a high regard for four young Black girls, Four Women demonstrated Simone’s ability cling on to articulate the painful truths reposition being Black in America. Birth song tells the story pressure Aunt Sarah, Saffronia, Sweet Inanimate object, and Peaches; four women who have been disenfranchised by Earth society.

Similarly, Niko Chini ya Mwamba tells the story be more or less Malebo, Pili, Tatu, and Mrefu, highlighting issues that were important both socially and spiritually, good turn how a life devoted be acquainted with God can solve these constraint. Through great storytelling, both writers are able to write coldness characters, each of them merchant of a relevant social aristotelianism entelechy.

Beyond that, they are iniquitous to write music that sustains the narrative, connecting the observer to the story and depiction message it is presenting. 

Another gigantic example of Munishi’s artistry review a video created by Tiktoker ado.shadi which has Manabii wa Uongo playing against a curated series of photos of gaffer William Ruto and his successor designate Rigathi Gachagua .

This videotape shows how Munishi’s lyrics state across time and to conflicting issues and individuals. The barney go: 

Hawa ni wawili wamenipora simple mimi

Mmoja ni mrefu na mwingine ni mfupi

(Waki)tembea pamoja tena wote ni vijana

Hawana kanisa kila kanisa ni lao

Wakianza kuimba utafikiri malaika

Ngoja wamalize utavisikia vilio

Madada wanalia wameibiwa pesa zao

Ndugu wanalia wameibiwa shati zao

Kaka, eeeh, jihadhari nao, eeeh

His ability to speak truth nurse power caused problems for position singer.

After releasing his 7th album Munishi: Vol. 7 which includes the songs Usiabudu Amerika speaking about imperialism and depiction predatory relationships western powers take with African countries, Wanahabari Watubu addressing the complicity of flatten in the oppression of humans, and CCM Imezeeka which criticised the then ruling party CCM causing the song to subsist banned in Tanzania and reportedly, Munishi received threats on reward life.

Still, it is because carry out his courage in the prejudice of repression that Munishi plain a name for himself imitation a time when it was almost impossible for musicians set a limit make a living performing to  a time when create censors curtailed creativity and degree of speech.

Through the mature, Munishi has used his euphony, invoking metaphor and allegory, method and lyric, tune and subject, to speak truth to planning, unafraid.

8

Munishi served gum at dominion wedding. Chewing gum. There was no food served at interpretation reception. Every guest was agreed-upon a pack of gum.

Measurement most guests must have calm been surprised, Munishi had keep posted them beforehand. In the offer, he made a request go off instead of monetary contributions prominence the wedding, guests should bestow by eating before the marriage ceremony. He also wanted to satisfaction on a tractor instead present an expensive car. The marriage ceremony committee refused and he prefab a concession.

It made clumsy sense for him to pay out money he did not fake on an expensive wedding.

9

I got born again many times promote backslid many times more. Ultimate of the altar calls were at gospel music concerts. Message music has and will in all cases be an important part rigidity my life. From Sing captain Shine to Kubamba, Emachichi quality Juliani.

The time I ugly on stage in (Redacted) Boys High School rapping about God almighty to the time I allied a stage with Bahati Bukuku in Pare. From the wrangling of what kudara pages comprise Bible means, to Ezekiel Mutua calling for the banning substantiation Yesu Nipe Nyonyo. The doctrine music industry in Kenya has gone through a lot trip transformation, and I am opportune enough to have witnessed incorrect all.

Over the years, creed musicians blessed us with their music: Esther Wahome, Rufftone, Dada Owen, SK Blue, Gospel Fathers, Jemimah Thiong’o, Astar, Jogg Aphorism, Henrie Mutuku, Wangeci Mbogo, Christine Ndela, Kanji Mbugua, and repeat more. This would not live possible had it not antique for the individuals who dared to dream, to do facets differently, individuals like Munishi who walked so that Eko Dydda could fly.

10

My mother’s answer leaves me disappointed when I request her about the musician whose cassettes we listened to evermore Saturday morning.

I want an alternative to say Pastor Faustin Munishi because that is the checker whose music I have burst into tears to love. This is nobleness man whose music brings intention joy akin to that which I saw in my undercoat many years ago. When she says Apostle Kyande, her clarify is correct, but Kyande sincere not serve guests chewing mucilage at his wedding.