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| Strongpoint Studios |
Since 2004, John Chege of Strongpoint
Digital Media in Rwaka, has distinguished himself as the go to, music
producer among established and upcoming Kikuyu Gospel Musicians. To
date by his estimation he has produced around 3000 gospel musicians.
His production credits, has the who is who in Kikuyu Gospel Music
like PJ Kongo, Jane Muthoni, Ann Kariuki, Carol Wanjiru, ND Githuka,
Hezeh Ndungu, Dennis Mutara, Jeremy Damaris, Beatrice Wangui
(Jordan), Solomon Nganga, Shiru wa GP and others.
Early Starts and Musical Exposure
Yet for this soft spoken man, his early
beginnings in life, music and eventually production were humble and
required faith. Born in Kangema, Muranga, he relocated with his mom
to Banana, Kiambu when he was 7 years. The relocation in 1985,
exposed him to a church with instruments unlike ones he attended
earlier in Rwathia village, Kangema. By 1992 on completing class 8,
he began dabbling with musical instruments and gadgets like mixers at
Restoration Victory Ministries Banana, where he attended.
“Anything musical had a pull on me
and fascinated me,” Chege recalls. That exposure enabled him to
learn how to control solo and choir voices in a mixer. Also, as a
self taught bass and keyboard player, he could detect when songs were
sang on or off key. “God had placed me there for a reason, I
realized later” Chege told Kikuyu Musicians. Controlling the
instruments on mixers gave him an early idea on what a studio
requires, to be fully functional.
Early production forays
At one of the Church’s youth retreat
Chege met Paul Mbugua, of Ndakinyite Beshrani fame, who informed him,
on use of computers to record music. That realization, bugged his
conscience and he thought of buying a computer and trying it, but
could not afford one. Early 2004 with Mbugua tutelage in a small
house he could barely afford rent of Shs800, in Banana, they borrowed
basic recording machines. There, Chege recorded his debut album
“Nikwari Mundu” on Job’s tribulations. He followed it up with
a quick launch in April 2004, which netted him Shs37, 000.
After paying all debts he owed like
rent, he was left with Shs26, 000 and bought a desktop computer he
uses to record to date. His foray to mainstream production and
recognition began after meeting PJ Kongo who added to Chege’s
musical knowledge. Chege had never studied computers formally, but
learned to operate it by using his’ Bishop Michael Chege’s
computer. Kongo introduced him to Fruity Loops music programming
software. For 6 months he produced Kongo’s “Raha Ciathi” album
in his home makeshift studio, using a church microphone plugged to an
old cassette deck to capture vocals.
Production Breakthrough
The song became a hit after Joe Rugano
then of Kameme FM, played it after being impressed by its digital
quality production. “Then it was rare for Kikuyu Gospel Music to
digitally produced, most studios produced with live instruments,”
recalls Chege. People who heard Kongo’s song, begun enquiring where
it was recorded. “Musicians begun flocking to us, and always got
shocked since they expected to find a huge recording studio, with
pricy equipments,” said Chege. Since there was no recording booth
they would start near the computer and sing. “If there was an
interruption we recorded again,” Chege recalls.
Importance of Focus and Single
Mindedness
Solomon Nganga followed and recorded
his debut album ‘Ngai atua itua niegukurathima.’ Today Chege
acknowledges Strongpoint Media is where it is, because of those
humble beginnings. In growing his studio Chege admits its taken
faith, focus and single mindedness. When he decided to be a
producer, he closed a milk kiosk that guaranteed him some basic
income, to focus all his strengths in the then, fledgling Strongpoint
Media. “My mother thought I’d gone mad, since the studio didn’t
earn me anything then,” Chege recalls he had unpaid rent arrears
and ate food, at his mom's place.
Still, his passion kept him going. A
vital lesson he learned is the importance of avoiding distractions
when pursuing one’s passion. “I feel we Africans, dabble in so
many things at once, than focus on a single goal, and give it 100
percent,” he said. Even when initial outcomes of a venture may not
be promising, Chege urges people not to quit. “I never gave up
though I knew Capital required to start a studio is much,” he
recalls. The story of Moses encouraged Chege, when Moses was asked
by GOD what he had in his hand, when he had a rod. Chege is still
attached to that computer he uses to date. “It’s only the screen
I’ve changed and rather than lose it, I upgrade it,” said Chege
sentimentally.
Chege attributes his success to prayer,
honesty and GOD. “If I ever walk away from GOD that will be my
downfall, God started this,” he said. Before an album project
commences, they pray for it with the musician, and every morning
before he starts producing. Also he listens to aspirations the
musicians have for how their albums will sound like. “As a
producer, I can’t stifle his creativity my role is to make
suggestions, and correct errors if I interfere, I could stop the
album being a hit,” said Chege.
Producing Shiru wa GP’s Agiginyani
This is the way they worked on Shiru wa
GP monster guitar driven hit album “Agiginyani.” Shiru came up
with ideas for guitar; Chege sourced the session guitarist best
fitting the album in Utukufu. He also ensured they were recorded to
improve the song, not take anything away. His belief is, if he
engages a musician in the creative process, they will all be
satisfied in the final project. He remembers once, Jane Muthoni came
with a song that had been recorded 4 times without her satisfaction.
He listened to what she wanted, and recorded it once and she was
happy with it.
Production Philosophy
Each day in his studio he books one
musician daily, so that he perfects the production and delivers on
time. “If I do one great job today it guarantees me a future as a
producer,” emphasized Chege. He is also a firm believer in peer
consulting not being a know it all producer. Where he feels
cooperation with a producer or an instrumentalist will improve the
album, he engages them. That ensures every album produced is unique
and doesn’t sound like another out in market. “At the end the
musician is satisfied and listeners love what came out,” said
Chege. To finish an album takes him 1.5 weeks, and he charges from
Shs5000 onwards for each song produced.
For the last 3 years, Chege has been
working with students interested in learning music production from
him. He also has enrolled to study music production at a college,
having never studied it formally. He urges budding producers to
learn to play instruments, as that way, they can easily spot errors
in instrumentation and understand their coordination with vocals.
This father of a boy and a girl also urges producers not to be driven
by money. But focus more on moulding, even a least talented musician,
to be a success and leave the uplifting matters to GOD.
Contact Us on kikuyumusicians@gmail.com
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