Blind pupils move audience with gospel song

By George Orido

When award winning gospel star Mary Atieno sang her hit number Adamu na Eva, she inspired many souls with her composition.

This was the beginning of a new pop culture in the gospel scene and this year, Sarah K’s Liseme was named the best in local Gospel Awards.

But yesterday Liseme got another accolade through Likoni School for the Blind, Mombasa, that won the Gospel Zilizopendwa category for primary schools.

The boys and girls moved the audience to tears with their presentation. Their teacher was overcome with emotions when adjudicator Frankline Etyang announced they were winners.

“I can’t believe it because many times we came here and we were told our children cannot dance,” she said.

Previously the team has made it to the nationals level, but only managed the third position with judges saying they lost on the dance.

“We cannot blame Likoni School for the Blind for being unable to dance,” said Mr Etyang who declared the group a pedigree of sorts, in vocals. The most curious thing was how their teacher Elizabeth Ngare conducted a group that could hardly see her hands like the rest of the other teams in this category.

“I was moving all over and I would tap them to signal when a voice would come in,” explained Ngare, who is also the Coast Provincial Music secretary.

Own input

She revealed that the pupils’ own input played a major role in the excellence of the composition.

Ngare says the blind pupils also have a high degree of self-esteem and sense of belonging that yields a formidable team spirit.

In their song, Liseme, they ask, “Kwani ni jambo lipi hilo yeye asiloliweza?” (What is it that he cannot surmount?).

The song went ahead to goad the audience, “Say it, reveal it!”

The Likoni win was special as it was the only school with disabled pupils. The rest of the 14 entries came from regular public and private institutions.

“I am so happy. I feel like I am on top of the world,” said a Agnes Mwanyingo, one of the quartet soloists in the composition by Ngare.

There were eight distinct but synchronised voices that would make Sarah K’s original rendition look secondary.

Salim Mwachupa, one of the bass singers, says they had to take keen interest in training. “We had to master the key and the dynamics and give it our all,” he said.

“Today, I truly believe disability is not inability,” he said.

Jonah Ayodi, Agnes Mwanyingo, Mazi Kirunga, and Kasyoka Kakome presented a quartet that kept the music alive from beginning to the end. “I liked the touching message in this song. Nothing is impossible in the hands of the God Almighty,” said Ngare on why she chose the song Liseme.

She says her students always tell her everything is possible and the message in the presentation was appropriate for them.

Gala show

“Sarah K is also my best musician and choosing her song was rather given,” says Ngare who is also the Deputy Principal at the school.

Other schools that participated in this class were St Elizabeth Primary from Nairobi, Gatoto Primary School, Kongoni Primary, Viyalo Primary, Kiambani School from Eastern, Makutano Primary from Rift Valley and Maseno Girls School from Nyanza among others.

Likoni School for the Blind has attracted a lot of attention for their unique and quality singing and are often invited to weddings, corporate launches and sports events in the county.

With this win the school will for the first time join Roll of Fame in the prestigious Gala show expected to be attended by Education minister Mutula Kilonzo on Wednesday.

Another teacher, Jane Mutunga, and school head, Grace Kyulu, joined the team in Meru to celebrate the excellent performance.

The festival has adopted an all-inclusive programme with special classes for the hearing, physical, visual and mentally impaired pupils.

Further, each of the stages is fitted with ramps for easier access.

“We are continually working with all the stakeholders to make the festival more friendly and enjoyable for all children irrespective of their status in society,” says Benson Abwao, the Executive Secretary of the festival that has attracted more than 100,000 participants at the national level.