Pitson;Who says God doesn’t like Lingala?

‘Lingala ya yesu’ singer Pitson dismisses critics over his style of music,he also tells of why he might quit singing soon.

You are a fast-rising gospel star due to your unique forte and music style. Tell us about that and what inspired you to adopt that style in your music? I thank God for everything happening in my life. I was inspired by creativity. I love writing music that has humour and other literature elements. And what other genre to do other than Lingala. Let’s just say I have a soft spot for Lingala. The song ‘Lingala ya Yesu’ has, and continues to receive a lot of recognition from the public since it first hit the airwaves. How do you feel about that and what made you write the song? Yes, Kenyans love that song for different reasons. Some love it for its humour, others for the genre, while others are mesmerised by the ‘kaguitar’ and the vocals. For me, the most important thing is that they loved it and for an artiste, that’s a great privilege and not a right. Like I said, the song was inspired by creativity and the message ‘usicomplica’, which means don’t complicate life. What about the dress code? The dress code is inspired by the genre ‘lingala’ and the general attire go together. Have you always wanted to be a musician? Yes, I would give up anything for music. I was a banker before I decided to quit and do music full time. I started singing in Sunday school and every other Sunday, I looked forward to church because I knew I had a gift in me, which I wanted to utilise. I didn’t stop there. When I went to high school, I also sang during the church service and other events. I perfected my singing prowess while in campus. I must say that my childhood church, Christian Restoration Ministries, played a big role in making me a better musician. I also own a sound company, Pitsounds. You have received a lot of negative criticism from the public because of your music style. How do you handle that? I just move on. There is no single established musician whose video on YouTube doesn’t have dislikes. Honestly, you can’t please everyone. The road to success never lacks criticism. If no one is talking about you, then you are not moving. What makes ‘Pitson’ different from Peterson Ngetha? A few years ago, the answer would have been different but today, the difference is the spelling of the names. Everything else is the same. Tell us a little bit of your background. I was born and raised in Eastleigh in a family of four siblings, two boys and two girls. Am the third born. We lived in a one- roomed house. My parents were jobless; my father was a street preacher and my mother a housewife. Life was really hard for us. However, things have since changed for my family. We are not there yet, but we are somewhere. I went to Eastleigh High School and then joined Inorero University to study Law. I later went to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology for a degree in Bachelor of Commerce. You were awarded the ‘Song of the Year’ award at the 2014 Groove Awards because of your remarkable masterpiece ‘Lingala Ya Yesu’. How did that make you feel and how has life changed for you since then? That win felt really good. It’s good when people accept your song and it actually wins an award. It shows that hard work never goes unrewarded. It was a blessing. My life has changed since then. I went from doing music part time to full time, and I love it. What would make me even happier though, is not that my life has changed, but that I have changed the lives of many people with my song. How many albums do you have? Two albums. I did my first album, ‘Utakatifu ni Nguvu’, in a group called Bugg (Brothers under God’s Grace). The second album was a solo album but it did not do well. I was still a student at JKUAT, hence, I did not have the money and ideas to market it. I am working on my third album titled ‘Kijanaa atatoboa’, which has songs like ‘Lingala ya Yesu’. Criticism mounts on the gospel industry’s adoption of secular sounds, as many people today have the notion that some upcoming gospel artistes are only out to make money. What can you say about that? Making money is not a bad thing. Your gifts and talents should open doors for you and one of those doors should be a financial door. However, this must be done within the walls of integrity. People should not take advantage of artistes and, on the other hand, artistes should not be all about money. Ministry should be the first drive for any gospel artiste, passion second, and money third. We should work together to make sure Christ is preached. The public has a lot of expectations from gospel artistes, expecting them to lead a life free from flaws and drama. How do you handle that? Gospel artistes are not perfect. We have our faults; we fall in love, we break up, we make up. We have weaknesses. We are saved by grace and not by works. The phrase is ‘make every effort’ to lead a life of integrity, pray and the Holy Spirit will guide you. How has marriage life been for you? I married my best friend, Carol Mwai, and I must say that’s the best thing that could ever happen to someone. It’s a good thing. Proverbs 18:22 says, “he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord.’ I am truly enjoying that favour. Your most annoying habit is........ People tell me that I’m a dictator. I like things done my way. It’s either my way or the highway. What’s one thing that people don’t know about you? I would like to quit music one day and venture into politics. What do you have in store for your fans? My album ‘Kijanaa atatoboa’ will be out next month. For now, my newest single ‘Kilele’ is out. Check it out on YouTube and listen to it. What advice would you give to other upcoming gospel artistes? Talent is 20 per cent given and hard work takes 80 per cent. I believe in hard work. Prayer, Practice and Passion are important to an artiste’s life in equal measure. If you pray a lot but don’t practice, you will be an anointed singer singing off-key. On the other hand, if you practice a lot but don’t pray, you will be gifted, but not favoured. Passion, on the other hand, makes you stick to your thing.