Neema Ntalel is back on top

Neema Ntalel, 26, has received one of the most coveted awards in music, but she has also suffered great humiliation for her mistakes. She takes Shirley Genga through her emotional journey to recovery.We have not heard anything musical from you since 2007. What have you been up to? In 2007, I decided to take a break from my music career and took a job at Access Leo Barnett Ad Agency as a copywriter. I studied media at Daystar University, so it was a logical move. I had just been through a difficult time and I needed change. Neema poses with some children. She has received one of the most coveted awards in music, the Kora Award. Photos: Maxwell Agwanda/Jenipher Wachie.I resumed singing a year later, although I was still employed. Soon after, I got a chance to travel to Netherlands to perform at a concert to provide water for my village in Kajiado. In 2009, I released my first album, Live and Love. The album was very personal to me; it was a healing process.What inspired the album?The resounding message is that everyone has a choice to be happy and whole. At some point in my life, I believed I did not have a right to be happy. I felt like it was a luxury that I could not afford, but in the process of doing this album, I realised I could make that choice and that it was okay.What was the reception?It was very good. The CDs sold out within months. The only problem was that I did not push it as much as I should. I think I was still trying to figure myself out as an artiste.What did you do after the album?I got an opportunity to join a Dutch production called The Daughters of Africa last year. They were looking for African artistes to tour Netherlands. I auditioned and was picked together with Christine Apondi. We joined eleven other female artistes from Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Zambia and Mozambique. It was an amazing experience. We did 86 shows. Sometimes we would perform every night. It helped me grow not only as artiste, but also as a performer.How was your music received in Netherlands?It was very good, as they are open to new music. In fact, since they were not familiar with our style, they were curious and impressed. While touring, I got an opportunity to perform there again at the North Sea Jazz Festival and that was where I met with representatives from my record company in Netherlands, Africa Unsigned, with whom I have just completed my second album.When can we expect your new album?The album is called Dawn. It will be released in Netherlands on June 21 and a launch will follow in Kenya on the second week of August.What can we expect from it?It has contemporary Christian music that is a fusion of world music and pop sound. The message is as simple as the title. We all at one moment in time long for a new beginning and the idea behind Dawn is that we do get that new day everyday.It’s never too late to be better and to live your best and highest life. As long as we are alive, the wheels are turning. We are still in the game and we have an opportunity to be great. Better still, there’s a powerful force of love and light (God) believing in you and keeping you.When did you discover your talent to sing?When I was at Mary Hill High School in Thika, I joined music groups, the choir and the drama club. My dream was to be a lawyer because I was passionate about fighting injustice. However, by the time I was done with high school in 2002, I knew I wanted to pursue music, and that I could still advocate for the oppressed without being a lawyer. My parents were supportive not only financially but my dad would drop me at the gigs and pick me up afterwards. I was working with Wyre and Ted Josiah at the time. I joined Daystar University to study media in 2003 and in 2005, I submitted my first single, Jiwe, recorded with Timothy Rimbui for the Kora Awards. I did not expect to win anything since I was new.My dad insisted that I go for the awards in South Africa because he believed I had a chance. He also wanted me to see the world and be more exposed. When I won a Kora Award for best Female Artiste-East Africa, I was shocked. I thought it was a joke or a mistake. That was truly God’s favour.How did your life change after winning the Kora?I got a lot of attention and recognition, which unfortunately got to my head. I became self-righteous to the point of arrogance. I became law unto myself and began to disregard values that were supposed to keep me grounded.Worse still, I did not notice the slide as my life on the outside was going well. I was in the worship team at Mavuno Church and was getting called for shows, but my walk with God was going downhill. It was also around this time that you fell pregnant wasn’t it?By the end of 2006, I found myself depressed, pregnant and unmarried. I was scared, but after it sank in, I decided I was going to be the best mum possible. It was one of the hardest things I have had to endure in my life. I felt like I had let down not only God but also my family. When the media found out, my life was turned upside down. My church was forgiving, but I had to go through a disciplinary process because of my role as a worship leader. It was difficult not to be part of the team I had helped write music. Sadly, I lost my baby after two and a half months because of a blood condition called Rhesus factor. That was the breaking point in my life; it was one of the hardest things I have had to deal with in my life.How did you heal after your loss?Mavuno Church members were good to me. They helped me regain hope, but it took me two years to heal and to forgive myself. Through God’s grace and mercy, one day at a time, I was able to heal.What advice would you give a young person out there who may be going through depression or a difficult time?First of all, your life is not over. You may think you are in a situation you cannot get out of, but as long as you are alive, remember that God has a good plan for you. Secondly, remember that you are not alone. When you are in a difficult situation, it is easy to believe you are alone, but you are not.What are the challenges of being a Christian artiste?The biggest challenge is the fact that the lines of morality today have become grey. You have to be rooted in God and His word to keep the values that are important to you otherwise the wave of greyness can easily sweep you off the right path.Are you dating?No. I’m happy with the place my life is in now, but if Prince Charming should come along, I’d be thrilled.Who is Neema when she is not doing music; what does she love to do?I am the firstborn of five wonderful siblings — Kokan, Zawadi, Malkia and Maseto. They are my joy, as are my parents. My family comes first. With them, I am involved in community development projects at home. My mother runs the Kajiado Children’s Home and my father is building a school in the village. We work as a team and I use my music to support their work. I am also involved in the campaign against female genital mutilation. I was the first girl in my family not to go through it and I feel it is in my place to speak against it. I’m also passionate about education in the arts and so I teach voice and performance classes as I look forward to doing it bigger in future.What is the greatest lesson you have learnt so far?That I am beautiful and worthy; that experiences and relationships, both good and bad, do not take or add to my value. They may colour my journey, but my worth is intrinsic, innate and embedded in my being, regardless of race, class or sex. I am whole just because I am. I have learnt that I am made worthy by the sacrifice Jesus made for me.

Neema Ntalel is back on top

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