Kenyan gospel singer Esther Wahome is riding high, having achieved what secular musicians in Kenya only dream about. Since teenage years, Esther knew her calling and all she has ever wanted to do was to sing praises to God. The gospel singer, who is in her late 20s, joined the super league of African music when her song, Furahia, from her solo CD by the same title, was selected together with a dozen others by some of the top musicians on the continent for a compilation CD titled, Best of Afropop Series. It has been issued internationally and is expected to chalk up high sales in various countries.

For an artiste seeking new horizons in her career, she has to work very hard and, like many other musicians, Esther has had her share of bad times and regrets, as well. She grew up in a musical family. Her father, William Wahome, is a hobby musician and was her first inspiration. It is through him that she got interested in music, first as a hobby, and later as a career. It all started in a church in Nyeri in 1988, when Kenya Broadcasting Corporation television producer Sammy Oyando spotted her and was so impressed by her singing that he arranged to have her appear on the "Sing and Shine" TV gospel music programme Esther Wahome become the first Kenyan musician to be featured in such a compilation of songs by top contemporary African musicians. More importantly, her entry is through a gospel recording and not dance music, which commands more international attention.

Source: Kenyangospel.com Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.