Ringtone has released a new video for his song ‘Jehovah Bless Me’. The song is a collaboration between the Kenyan gospel artiste and Joe Praize, one of Nigeria’s best known gospel artistes.
The flamboyant singer, whose real name is Alex Apoko, reveals that this latest song comes after a particularly low season when he had considered giving up on music to pursue other interests. His most recent hit, ‘Tenda Wema’, a collaboration with Tanzania’s Christina Shusho, was released to critical acclaim signalling a return to form for the popular singer who has built a dedicated fan base since he burst onto the scene with 'Pamela'.
“When I personally I decided to quit music I went before the face of God seeking guidance on my next move. As I prayed for many days with diligence and patience while the media and my enemies made laughing stock of me. God told me that he was refusing my resignation prayer request because He was promoting me to Africa and the rest of the world.
“I cried like a baby that day as I was blown away by the exceptional amount of love from my Lord. It dawned on me that God's goodness is given to all, just like the sun shines on all and He makes available the air to breathe to the righteous and the sinners alike. This inspired me to write the song and shortly thereafter, He God led me to a chance reconnection on Facebook with DJ Gosporella who then invited to Nigeria because he had a vision where God called on him to connect the west with the East,” he says.
The DJ, who is the biggest gospel DJ in west Africa, also owns his own radio station and runs the biggest gospel show in Nigeria on Beats FM in Lagos.
“I know Ringtone from the time he performed at my Funfest concert in 2013. I had a dream to make gospel big in Nigeria as it was in Kenya well as bridge the gap between East Africa and West Africa music.”
During their meeting, they decided to work with Joe Praize, an award-winning Nigerian gospel artiste. The result of this collaboration is a song ‘Jehovah Bless Me'. In both Kiswahili and pidgin, it celebrates the unique way God showers his blessings unlike human beings who are nice only to those they like. The upbeat song still retains Ringtone’s personal style that is at once danceable and catchy that will have many fans on their feet as they sing along.
“I wanted the song to be as much Kenyan as it was Nigerian and I therefore travelled to Nigeria with Timothy Boikwa of Still Alive productions to give it the Kenyan touch,” Ringtone adds. “The video is however, a purely Nigerian affair as it was produced by Lawrence Omo of Iyare Montage and shot on location in Ikeja Lagos.”
Featuring a rich tapestry of the vibrant and bustling city not unlike a city in Kenya. Where the two countries differ is in their preference for music. Ringtone explains that Nigerians prefer secular music and the biggest artistes are the secular ones. He points out that Kenya’s gospel artistes receive more love from the fans even as they enjoy Nigerian secular songs.
“Kenyans play gospel music in the night clubs, at parties, in hotels, and enjoy massive airplay on radio. We produce a lot of gospel music but it hardly spread around Africa. Also, Nigeria secular is appreciated all over Africa yet very few of their gospel music lags behind.”
This apparent difference between the two industries caught the attention of industry players and has set off a slew of collaborations of Nigeria-Kenyan, gospel-secular productions.
Speaking on the project, Ringtone says he is hopeful that Kenya can export Gopsel music to the rest of the continent. “Africa is big and we need to do collaborations to be able to spread the Gospel message wide, uplift the artistes and take the industry to the next level. What I am doing with Gosporella is just the beginning.
DJ Gosporella agrees, "Gospel musicians in Nigeria are not getting as much attention as these people are in their country. It is time to see what they are doing right and what we are doing wrong, and apply that to our industry. We also need to export our Christian music as well. This collaboration will be a good exposure for gospel music both in East and West Africa. I have no doubt about that.”
