As he walks into the room you can tell he is a man of purpose and direction. Aside from his tall built physic, there is a certain warm vibe he brings with him into the room. Dressed in simple clad, he takes a seat and positions himself; he is cool, calm and collected. Just as clear as day, there is more to what meets the eye when you look at him.
Daniel Ramogi aka Mogi Moggs describes himself as a minister of God through music. Music has always been in his heart since he was young and though the 32-year-old had always been a Christian, it was his deep love of Christ that led him to pursue gospel music.
STANDING AT IMAX
Most of you have seen him standing outside IMAX movie theater on Mama Ngina Street in town selling CDs; he is there every day without fail selling his music. His persistence and perseverance is a unique quality that you don’t see everyday especially in today’s world. But still he manages to make it to IMAX everyday and I couldn’t help but ask him why.
For him, it’s not about making a quick dime, it’s about touching people’s lives through his music and the word of God. It’s about connecting with humanity on a personal level and for him, even though he may go home without selling any CD, making someone happier through God is an achievement in itself.
“When you have passion for something you will always do it with all your heart and I love talking to people on the streets so I just wake up every morning and tell God ‘I will seek your kingdom first”, he explains.
GETTING BORN AGAIN
“In 2000 I decided to rededicate my life to Christ through music. I decided that this was the time I should start working for God”, he continues.
It is his belief that the best way he can serve God and spread the word of God is through music which he adds is his God-given talent. As he began his work as a minister of God he decided to get to know and understand God better by studying in Theology in 2010 at Kingdom Academy. He acknowledges that the course was not easy since he had to juggle his studies, his music career, paying his fees and talking to people at the same time. But continues to assure me that the only way he made it through that period was through God, “God works in mysterious ways”
IMPACT OF SERVING CHRIST
As we continue to chat about his inspiring story I couldn’t help but ask him how his decision to do Christ’s work through talking to people has shaped or changed him over the years. The fact that he willingly goes to interact with people on the street is quite challenging and to some extent disheartening because not everyone would be receptive to the message he is trying to put across.
As a man of the flesh his faith in God and in his mission is tested often however, he calmly laughs it off, “Talking to people has taught me about patience and long-suffering. It has taught me about the fruits of the spirit. It actually strengthens my faith”. He continues to demonstrate that faith in God and hope in humanity are unshakable forces once you establish them within. His upbeat personality, especially when it comes to his faith in God and his tenacity is quite encouraging to hear. There is only one thing he regrets about his mission, “I should have known sooner. But now that I know, I thank God!”, he laughs.
Most Gospel musicians tend to use other channels like music production companies to sell and promote their music in order to reach a wider audience. He however decided otherwise since he felt that he doesn’t get the rewarding feeling he gets when he talks to people.
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS IN GOSPEL INDUSTRY
Despite the fact that he sells his CD’s to the public, the idea of seeking commercial success using the word of God especially in today’s music terrain is something he disagrees with and therefore decided to choose a different path. “I tried selling my music through production companies and radio stations but I felt that they wanted to control the sound I make for their own profit which is something I did not want. The music should be about depth”.
The gospel industry is an industry that suffers a lot from this since most radio stations are interested in playing music that is ‘dance-able’ or has a ‘popular sound’ and they tend to ignore music that has content. It was his belief that there are a lot of musicians out there who have music that has content but go unnoticed or even rejected because of this. It is through talking to people on the street that Moggi Mogs managed to get the right channels and the right connections to promote his music but at the same time maintaining his own type of sound.
He describes his music as old-school and urban with a deep reflective tone as far as the lyrics are concerned. “When I do music I do it to reach a certain type of people. My music is about food for thought,” he illustrates. He has done two albums so far and has even done collaborations with other gospel artistes such as Up to Me featuring Dee His music videos reflect on his fellowship and he encourages people to pursue their God-given talents.
My View
As I had mentioned, Mogi Moggs is an exceptional person who redefines what it means to be faithful, determined and positive. Whenever you happen to pass by Mama Ngina Street, take some time and have a chat with him. Chatting with him is more fulfilling than you might think. He is proof that faith can move mountains, that God is real in the flesh!
YOUR VIEW :
What do you think about Mogi Moggs and should other Kenyan artistes embrace his lifestyle ? Comment below
