By Kiundu Waweru
It’s a Friday night and Lang'ata Road is bustling with traffic as thousands of music fans head to the Bomas of Kenya. Tonight, America's, and indeed the world's most successful gospel singer, CeCe Winans, hosts a live concert at the venue organised by Orange, Flame Entertainment and The Standard Group.
At Bomas of Kenya, the 3,000 capacity auditorium is filled to capacity, with scores of people standing. All eyes are expectantly trained on the brightly lit stage, with flat screen TVs in background. In the crowd are Ida Odinga, musicians Wahu and Achieng’ Abura, among other prominent personalities and famous musicians. The emcee is Big Ted.
Before the big moment comes, Kenya’s gospel musicians take to the stage in a series of curtain raisers. Headlining the show is Jemimah Thiong’o, who sets the mood with her evergreen song, Akisema Atakubariki.
CeCe Winans sings one of her populaer songs at the Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi, on Friday. Photo: Evans Habil/Standard |
Finally, the moment the expectant crowd has been waiting for arrives. CeCe, together with her band, climbs to the stage, adorning orange Kikoi scarves. The ecstatic fans go wild. She salutes them and then kicks off her performance with her number, Hallelujah.
Backed by a live band, CeCe literally brings the house down with her amazing vocals and enthralling stage moves, eliciting wild cheers.
After 15 minutes of performance, CeCe Winans engages the audience in an encouraging banter, saying every one is a winner. "You are a winner; you are a winner, keep trying... " she says and the crowd responds with jubilations.
And in a brief speech, she says she is happy to be in Kenya. "It’s an honour to be here tonight. I thank you all beautiful people." And alluding to the fact that she is black, she adds: "It’s good to be home. You guys talk so pretty."
Born to a musical family, Cece Winans, 46, started singing professionally at the age of 17 in a career that has seen her record tens of songs that have earned her 11 Grammy awards, 21 Grammy award nominations, 20 Dove awards, and numerous Stellar awards.
In an interview with this writer earlier on at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi, CeCe said thus about what inspires her: "Life inspires me. But I think the main thing that inspires me is my relationship with God for with Him everything is possible."
And her love for God was evident in her performance and songs, which have diverse themes.
"In all these years, the Lord is more than I ever wanted," CeCe told ecstatic fans before performing the song that perhaps most Kenyan knows her for, More than I ever wanted. As she belted out the number, the crowd could not help but sing along. At the end of the moving song CeCe said, wiping tears from her eyes, "you have made me cry."
CeCe was accompanied on stage by her son, Alvin III, who co-writes most of her songs. Accompanying her also was her husband, Alvin Love, who CeCe said is her pillar of strength.
In her early years as a gospel singer, CeCe performed with her brother BeBe in a duo called the PTL singers. In 1987, the two released their self-titled debut album with vocal contributions from nine members of the family.
Four albums followed in the next seven years, two of which went gold. The duo’s success increased as they added contemporary productions to their staple.
In 1994, CeCe recorded her first solo album, Alone in his Presence, which had songs like Great is Thy Faithfulness, Blessed Assurance, and I surrender. The album, which was released in 1995, won her a cocktail of awards, including a Grammy and two Dove awards, one of the the Female Vocalist of the year.
And Cece doesn’t seem to be slowing down, as she continues to tour the world, spreading the gospel using her singing talent. No doubt, it was a night to remember for those who attended the show. According to a security guard, there were around 3,000 revellers at the venue.
