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Tough beginnings in life don’t
necessarily mean the ends will be painful. That rings true for one
Martin wa Janet 30 years, whose journey to the pinnacle of Kikuyu
Gospel Music has been rife with challenges, self doubt, mocking and
faith amidst hopelessness. All that has shaped Martin to fully
depend and trust in GOD, at all times regardless of the pain through
seasons of life.
Early Life
Known for inspiring hits like
Nituririkanitwo and Nitumwinyihire with Obedi, life for this turbaned
man (mkorino) began in Kihiu Mwiri, Muranga County. He attended PK
primary and secondary school up to Form 3 where personal problems
forced him to drop out. Hazy about what to do in life, he left
Muranga for Kiambu and was housed by Mama Jane. He joined a local
akorino church Africa Mission Holy Ghost headed by Bishop Ezra
Njoroge where he played drums with vigour.
In his teenage years, Martin, spent
almost 4 years jobless in Kiambu but got a job in a hotel in downtown
Nairobi around 2003, where he earned Sh100 daily. The hotel job
proved a challenge for his slight frame, and one day the excessive
heat in the kitchen caused him to vomit. The hotel owner reprimanded
him and Martin begged him to give him one more month. He became a
waiter but waiting hassles proved tiring he worked less than 3 months
and quit. He also lost his beloved mom that year.
Trials as Matatu Conductor
A man who had a matatu noticed Martin
jobless and loitering Kiambu town and offered him a job as a
conductor for Kiambu town route 100, a job he did until 2008. As a
conductor he desired to sing and after work composed songs but lacked
recording money. “My heart was in music,” recalls Martin. He was
influenced by fellow akorino gospel musicians like Sammy Nene and
Hezeh Ndungu.
As a conductor, wearing the akorino
white turban he experienced lots of trials. He recalls a time while
hanging on Matatu door his turban accidentally fell off, and a
passenger asked him sarcastically asked him what was that, that fell
off his head. Also being a born again Christian donning a turban,
traffic police loathed him, as he never due to his faith gave bribes.
One police got so irritated at Martin’s refusal to bribe that he
pulled a turban from his head and threw it to the vehicle. “It was
hurtful and being a born again conductor I encountered many
problems,” recalls Martin smiling.
Working with Dennis Mutara
As fate would have it, as a conductor
he met famous gospel artiste Dennis Mutara who sold oranges near a
supermarket in Kiambu in 2006 while dabbling in his budding musical
career. Then in 2008 Mutara released ‘Ngai angikiuga Niukugia’
album which he distributed around Central Kenya with a public address
system. Martin joined his distribution entourage and they would go
to crusades and open air market to sell them. Martin with funding
from Mama Jane recorded his 7 track debut album ‘Ngai niwenjire
Githima’ which was played intermittently on radio.
Still to get the master CD from
recording studio took him 3 months to raise sh15, 000. He followed it
up with ‘Mwarie ciugo cia Ngai’ and ‘Ngai Tutumire Mundu’
both received limited airplay and acceptance. In 2009 he recorded
‘Mwathani Tuonerie haria tugutheremera.’
Breakthrough to Mainstream
Through his albums he got invited to
lead akorino ‘kigooco live’ praise in 2010 every Sunday 5am to
6am at Inooro FM at Muturi wa Muiru’s show Kimuri Kia Inooro. For
two years He pounded the akorino drums for an hour and sing.
Eventually he got invited by Evangelist Lucy wa Ngunjiri to lead
praise in crusades by her Beyond Boundaries Ministries. With 6
albums to date th album Jehovah ni
Muthamaki both played prominently in Kikuyu FM radio stations.
two songs that brought him prominence are
Nituririkanitwo off his latest album and a collaboration with Obedi
‘Nitumwinyihirie’ off the 4
Challenges in Music
To get the recognition he has today
Martin admits it’s been hard and he questioned his musical ability
and God’s will in his life in the song (Ngai Niwe Niwanduire
Mwariria) album 4. He recalls going to major events and selling only
two CDs and getting arrested by the city council while hawking his
music on a small radio. Potential customers also made false promises
to buy his music. One moment that left him shattered, was when he
accompanied Mutara to Nanyuki. Martin carried 300CDs for the event
and by day 3 had sold 5 only for Sh500. Broke and worse off than he
came, Mutara bailed him out by paying for his accommodation and food
as his CDs were selling.
Disappointed, on the last day Martin
stood on stage and announced “I want to know if it’s my music you
hate or don’t have money,” he decided to sell them at half price
of Sh50 to get fare. Travelling back to Kiambu from Nanyuki he felt
disappointed but realized maybe GOD’s time had not come. “If GOD
has to lift you up, you will be tested by fire so that you are full
of revelation,” observes Martin.
Besides lack of money for recording,
Martin says getting his music recognized was hard. Having realized
there are hundreds of thousands of Kikuyu musicians he knew for his
music to reach masses, GOD would have to intervene. “If you are
unknown musician you get ignored at events but work hard on your
craft and leave the rest to GOD to uplift you,” says Martin.
First Radio Airplay
Getting airplay in Kikuyu Radio
stations wasn’t easy and he savors the moment in 2008 when his song
‘Niwe wenjire Githima’ got played first time on air at Kameme FM.
“I felt reborn, reinvigorated and thanked GOD for it,” said
Martin. According to Martin one can spend lots of money on recording
but what matters is GOD’s favor and prayers. “You can write a
song it gets lots of airplay but if GOD doesn’t open the ears of
listeners to love your music, it won’t be accepted or bought,” he
said.
Composing Process
When composing Martin reads the Bible
for revelation and connects the message to everyday life people go
through. It takes him a day or over a month to perfect one song
depending on subject matter he focuses on. For the Nitumwinyihirie
with Obedi he wrote the chorus, and Obedi wrote most verses, a
process that took 6 months to complete the collaborated album. The
tune according to Martin comes naturally as he gets the lyrics.
Besides the Bible he values listening to sermons as they provide him
with songwriting ideas. To produce 1 album costs him around Sh100,
000 with Video shooting included.
Advice to Budding Musicians
His advice to budding gospel artistes
is to go into it if one is sure it’s the call of GOD so incase an
album flops you soldier on. Otherwise an artiste driven to gospel
music for money gets disappointed if his first album flops. He also
advises one not to enter music because of a wave. Personally Martin
has observed people who sold a cow to record because they saw a
neighbor record and be successful. He observes such end selling the
CD”s to family or close friends and go back to the village broke
and disillusioned. Though piracy has hit him he estimates to have
sold almost 100, 000 of his albums VCDs included.
Notable Shows
Martin has sung in notable shows for
Kameme FM thanksgiving at Kirigiti stadium Kiambu, Inooro FM road
shows and at book launch in KICC attended by Kalonzo Musyoka. But
for a visa denial he was to perform in California accompanying
Evangelist Lucy Wa Ngunjiri. The father of one says the key to being
lifted up by GOD is by singing from revelation to give hope to the
listeners and humility before GOD.
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Kikuyu Musicians Publishing Copyrights
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