At home with Emmy Kosgei Madubuko, the music pastor
About 17 years ago, the African music industry witnessed the launch of a new entrant. She came with unique East African vibes under the stage name, Emmy Kosgei.
As well, she chose a different path in her career. Instead of the popular hip hop, which many Kenyan musicians do then, she settled for the gospel genre.
Moreover, she renders her inspirational, melodious and danceable gospel songs in Kalenjin, her native language.
She interprets her music through her culture; donning African regalia, creatively choreographed African dancing and the spirit behind her songs is the ‘Power of God’, she states.
Now married to Apostle Anselm Madubuko, founder, Revival Assembly Church Lagos, Emmy is a music pastor.
Raised by parents who are pastors, the gospel artiste is a born again Christian, brought up in the church with the natural love for gospel music.
She sees music as food for the soul, a powerful tool that can be used to pass any message across and believes that the spirit behind the music is more important than the language of communication.
“Music has no language and barrier. Music brings people together to preach peace and bringing healing. African culture and music are powerful and attractive”, enthuses the artiste, who is also the patron of Revival Assembly Women Fellowship.
Considering her consistent appearances on stage, she gained confidence and started working on her first album, Katau Banda, which came out in 2005. Since then, Emmy’s music career has been on the rise.
In 2006, she staged her first performance in South Africa, the US tours followed, among others that have seen her perform on global stages alongside world’s music greats.
Also, since the release of her first album in the US, which was well received, she has become a regular festival performer there and internationally before it was even acclaimed in Kenya.
Along the line, she has built a huge followership world over with people who appreciate her music. She is currently working on her 7th album in Lagos (where she has lived for seven years now) with a production team and producer led by Orliam.
The album project includes released single titled Maloo, a gospel Afro-fusion blend of Kalenjin, Swahili and Igbo languages with jazz infusions. The rest of the album is expected to be released by the end of the year. Emmy describes her musical style as richly Afrofusion and patriotic. She further describes it as a source of inspiration for her audience. Some of her highly acclaimed songs from her six previously released albums includes; ‘taunet nelel’ ‘Ategisin’, ‘ololo’, among others, which have won her numerous awards on local and international music scenes.
However, her over 17 years in the music scene are dotted with many recognitions and awards.
Emmy is a peace and cultural ambassador for Kenya and the visionary for the annual Pamoja Concerts, which is now in its 10th edition. The concert is a platform that preaches peaceful co-existence in Kenya and brings together close to 40,000 attendees. Her project is peace. After receiving an honorary award by the Kenyan head of state, she was also officially appointed tourism and cultural ambassador of her country (both nationally and globally), and has severally represented Kenya globally at festivals, which she presents another side of Kenya than the popular tourism front. She represented Africa at one of the Master Peace Concert Amsterdam, one of the biggest global festivals that take her music of peace globally. She is a multiple award-winning gospel acclaimed musician not only in her home country Kenya, but also globally. She has won BEFTA Awards UK, AGMA Awards UK, Over 10 Groove Awards, EAM Awards, and has also received the Head of State Commendation by the president of the Republic of Kenya. Emmy is a philanthropist, who has touched children with disability. In her Hope Academy, she educates over 70 children from poor backgrounds through proceeds from her music, among other projects.