By Caroline Nyanga
Musical career founded on tears best describes Sarah Wambui Mwangi’s gospel artistry.
Her songs have earned the trademark ‘sob sob lyrics’ due to their sorrowful nature.
But despite the label, she has grown in her trade.
Her maiden song Hagari in 2006, a title that was to become her stage name was a hit. The song was about a housegirl impregnated by her boss and later kicked out to fend for herself.
"I have endured so much suffering in my life and career that I have no option but to be a face of consolation to all those facing vagaries of hard life," she says.
Gospel singer Sarah Wambui Mwangi. |
Her first setback in life came after she became pregnant in 1992 at the age of 17.
Faced with the huge responsibility of providing for her child, she resorted to odd jobs.
Debut album
She ventured into rice supplying business from Mwea to Nairobi to fend for her child.
She did not set out to be a musician, she says.
"I started open-air evangelism in 2001 when I became born again. But I realised gospel delivered in speech was not appealing to people so I tried my hand in music," she says.
In 2006, she released her first album Hagari with nine songs. She says piracy denied her ‘rightful’ earning from her music.
She released another pre-election song in 2007 Atumia Ukirai (women arise.)
"I had foreseen the trouble ahead of the elections. I was wary of the hard tribal grandstanding that was taking shape and I knew great trouble lay ahead," she says.
She extolled women to fast in prayer for the nation. Her recent album Ebenezer is highlights the life of an ordinary Kenyan that is shadowed by conflict and sorrow.
She sings about hunger and thirst, sickness and bankruptcy, conflicts and revenge –– but giving solution she says are founded on belief and repentance.
