Standard Correspondent

A dream that began in a high school choir and blossomed at the Kenya National Music Festival has finally come true for Esther Nyaga.

A former singer on the Joy Bringers and Sing and Shine television shows, Nyaga has produced her first gospel album, Did You Know?

Nyaga, a school administrator who now lives in Pennsylvania, USA, said fulfilling the dream, which took two years of recording, music arrangement, mastering and production, meant that she had to overcome numerous hurdles. These included limited financial resources and time constraints while working and raising her two daughters.

"It took a lot of patience, determination and commitment to do it," Nyaga said. "On top of that, I’m faced with the challenge of breaking into this realm, which is a new area for me."

Nyaga said the compliments she has received have been so positive that she felt encouraged to do more by using the CD — which includes well-known hymns like "Jehovah" and a rearranged version of "My Hope is Built" — to raise money to help sick and starving children in Niger and other parts of Africa.

"This is the least I can do. I don’t have much money, but I hope that by using my voice to speak out for the helpless children in Africa, I will inspire others to join the effort through organisations like Unicef and make a difference. Hopefully, this will start a wave of similar efforts by the African Diaspora."

Nyaga and guest performers Erin and Steve Cochran, Jenta Mganga and Doug Mwoi will launch the new CD during a free concert on Saturday, November 5, at the Full Gospel Assembly Church, Brookhaven, Pennsylvania.

Nyaga will donate part of the proceeds from sales of the CD to support Unicef’s work to help children caught in numerous crises in Africa.

She has established a web site (www.helpthechildrenlive.org) to continue seeking help for children in need.

"She has a lovely voice," Rev Sara Batson, rector of Christ Church, Media, an Episcopal church in the diocese of Pennsylvania, said of Nyaga, who sings in the church choir. "She has a great talent and a good heart. That, combined, has led her to offer a portion of the proceeds of the CD to benefit those that she knows need it."

Felix Mwangi and Reuben Kigame produced the 12 songs in the CD. Mwangi also provided background voices along with Carol Mungai, and Nyaga. Kigame offered to help and spent one week recording the instruments in Indiana while he was visiting the US.

Recording the vocals — alto, melody and tenor on different tracks — took one year, mostly during weekend trips that Nyaga made to Mwangi’s studio in Boston.The whole process cost Nyaga $5,000 (Ksh360,000).

"If I had to pay singers we are talking about a lot more money," Nyaga said. "I didn’t pay Reuben for the instruments. If the CD sells enough to bring me back the $5,000, that would be great.

She says her concern and that of many musicians is people copying their CDs. Copying kills the CD and also loses quality and what started off as a beautiful project of peace deteriorates as it goes on.

Says she: "I accept that some of it is inevitable and that there will always be a degree of that. The only way to overcome that is to continuously educate listeners about the work and investment that goes into the production."

Nyaga said while she would like to recover the costs of producing the CD, she is not particularly concerned about competition from gospel albums by other singers so long as the spiritual message gets across.

"If I sold only one or two CDs and passed the message, I would be happy. I want the message to be the key factor. If it flourishes in the market, let that be a bonus."

Nyaga recently stunned students, parents and staff at the school where she works by singing "Old Rugged Cross" during the school’s talent showcase.

"They didn’t know that I sing, but when I sang, the entire audience of middle school and high school students, parents and school professionals appreciated it," she said.

"I was taken aback. I was surprised that the kids appreciated that kind of music."

Nyaga, the third of five children, was raised in Nairobi and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education at Kenyatta University. She taught at Matuu Holy Ghost Mission School and at Fairmile School in Nairobi and earned a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration at the Kenya Institute of Management.

Nyaga’s talent as a singer blossomed during her second year at Kenya High School. She joined the Christian Union choir and participated in school performances. She teamed up with Carolyn Kamau Mayinja and Miriam (Maingey) Daher in trios and duets that eventually earned the singers a place to compete in the national music festival.

"We were a great team! I will never forget our performance of ‘Through All I Do’. It was written by Miriam one afternoon and it placed second in the national festival," Nyaga said.

"By the time I finished Form Six, I had been approached by Youth For Christ and asked to sing on Joy Bringers. I was among the first singers on Sing and Shine, but most people remember me because of the song ‘Jehovah,’" she said.

Nyaga and her two daughters, Lizzie, 13, and Leslie, 11, left Kenya several years ago and began a new life as a teacher in a suburb of Philadelphia.

"It’s been a challenge," Nyaga said of starting afresh. "Any starting over in a new place is going to be a challenge. I kept my focus and believed in what I wanted and worked hard. If you move to a new place, you have to be willing and ready to learn about that place in order to adjust properly."

Nyaga built a tight circle of loyal friends and has since achieved key milestones. Besides earning a promotion at work, Nyaga’s daughters have both earned recognition for academic excellence.

"By God’s grace they are very happy children and they are doing well academically. They came and surpassed people who had been here. I think discipline and the stability that I work hard to give them has been good for them. It’s been tough single-handedly, but it’s been good to see them do so well. They have also had to make extreme adjustments and their performance is a reflection of their hard work," she said.

In addition to her role in the choir and other church activities, Nyaga occasionally offers catering services for small, private events and volunteers to make African dishes for charity fundraisers. But she limits her social activities in order to make time for her daughters.