A beautiful song out of bitter experiences

By EDWIN CHESEREK

Michael Mburu Mbugua, 37, was among the thousands of Kenyans displaced from their homelands in December 2007.

It has been three hard years for the father of five who, nonetheless, did not allow his depressing circumstances to stunt the discovery of a gift he never knew he had, but what is now turning to be his lifeline.

Mburu is slowly transforming his adversity into optimistic melodies, reliving his experiences as an IDP, and urging Kenyans to give peace a chance.

Mburu at the studio where he recorded his debut album, mainly drawing from his experiences as a displaced person. [PHOTO: KEVIN TUNOI/Standard]

Mburu says when he sought refuge at the Eldoret showground after being displaced from Trans Nzoia County, a calling struck him to preach peace.

He says he spent sleepless nights reflecting on the kind of songs he would compose to unite the warring communities in the North Rift.

DEBUT SONG

"I was moved by the suffering of fellow IDPs, and decided to compose a song and move around the camps preaching peace," he says.

Mburu started his musical journey when he encountered the Full Gospel Choir that was touring IDP camps, singing to uplift the spirits of IDPs.

Mburu’s debut song, ‘Vita Hivi’, gained prominence among the church fraternity, and this spurred him on.

But since he had no money to help him produce the song, Mburu approached Reuben Kigame, an accomplished gospel musician and owner of Eldoret-based Fish FM gospel radio station for assistance.

"Kigame assisted me to produce at his studio for free," Mburu says, adding that lady luck would smile on him again in January last year when the Government offered money for IDPs’ upkeep.

"When I heard that each person would be given Sh10,000, I saw it as a major boost in the production of my song," Mburu says, adding that when he received the money, his first stop was at Hillsong Studio in Eldoret town where he later produced his nine songs.

DESIRED DREAMS

"Hillsong was charging Sh1,000 per song, and I still needed money to buy food for my family. But I was optimistic that God would give me more," Mburu explains.

The release of his audio CD was a dream come true. "I started earning income from the music sales, and realised that there was a ray of hope. I resolved to defy all odds to achieve my desired dreams and ambitions," he says.

As fate would have it, the Ministry of Special programmes paid IDP families Sh35,000 for relocation in operation Rudi Nyumbani.

With the cash in hand, Mburu’s next step was to head to the field and film the video to go with the song and the release of VCDs, which he later sold and raked in some good profits.

Mburu’s efforts started paying off when various churches and Government offices started inviting him to entertain guests during national celebrations.

"I gained more confidence through the exposure. I never imagined that one day I would be recognised by the Government as a singer," says the industrious man.

To date, Mburu’s healing songs resonate in churches across North Rift, where some of the ugliest of post-election mayhem were reported.

Healing message

Mburu has been invited to rallies organised by politicians to pass his healing message, which he believes has touched many hearts.

"Every politician from the North Rift congratulates me for my efforts, and even some of them have expressed willingness to support me in my music venture," Mburu says cheerfully.

He says his musical gamble paid off as he is now able to feed his family from the proceeds of his music, and see his children through school.

He sees the wisdom as godsend and vows to continue using his musical gift to spearhead healing and reconciliation between communities.