Milele; Gospel with a mission

December 30, 2008

This is the second feature on Kenyan artists in the Diaspora. Last week we featured the tragic story of Bianca, a Kenyan-born artist who passed away way too soon. She was one half of the Neutral Sisters reggae duo. May she rest in eternal peace. This week’s feature is Milele, a California-based Kenyan gospel music group.Kilimanjaro Entertainment had the pleasure of hosting Milele in Minnesapolis and I just have to let you know that you have to catch their concert sometime. The energy and talent is breath-taking. The following biography was exctracted from their website.

The members of Milele were childhood friends in Kenya, up until high school when they were separated to follow the path of their individual lives. Each of them pursued school and work in different arenas, however, one day, 10 years later and 10,000 miles away from home in California, all four of them found themselves in the same room at a prayer breakfast. They had all come to the US separately to pursue further education.They started singing together as a pastime but it slowly not only evolved into a successful musical ensemble, but also a unity of friends committed to remedying social injustices, poverty and resulting oppression. Milele has traveled extensively and succeeded in becoming well known musical ambassadors in Kenya as well as Christian circles In the US. What began as a celebration of God through music became using music as a vehicle to carry out work that would move and spread the love of God.

Mission
The members of Milele became bound by their passion for remedying social injustices that riddle their home country of Kenya and the African continent as a whole. They realized that with their God given musical talents, they could use their voice to bring about much needed change. However, their musical success and endeavors do not begin to express the expansion and evolution of their mission;

Milele’s mission is to gather awareness, compassion and action through music to alleviate the burdens imposed by poverty, lack of resources and disease, on people in Kenya and Africa as a whole.

By embracing this mission, Milele are now better known for their humanitarian involvement rather than their music. While their music remains popular and enjoyable to many, their presence and contribution through the Change Africa Campaign and Milele Homes Project acts to propagate hope to those who are the benefactors of the efforts of the organization. In 2000 Milele Ministries Incorporated as a non-profit organization under the 501(c) 3 American tax code to better accomplish this purpose.

Music
Milele as a musical group continue to record music and perform statewide in the US and return home to perform in Kenya at least once a year. Music is the vehicle for change for Milele and is an enjoyable and fruitful means. It is for this reason that it is of importance that Milele continues to produce good music and continues to tour as a medium to spread the work of their mission.

Change Africa Campaign
Milele has launched the Change Africa campaign in order to drive the vision of being able to see Africans embracing the idea that the change they wish to see in their individual lives and societies can be created through empowerment, knowledge, unity and hope. Through the Change Africa campaign it is Milele’s vision to continue providing means for impoverished African communities to gather strength to make steps towards better living standards.

Milele Family Homes Project
The Milele Family Homes Project is Milele’s largest and most exciting undertaking. It entails the provision of cost-efficient, quality housing for children who have been orphaned by AIDS. It is our vision to set up two to three homes per year. These homes will be resided in by two parents and between 3 to 6 children who will be adopted by the couple. Our vision is to provide orphaned children an opportunity to grow in a family setting, away from the institutionalized set-up of a traditional orphanage. It is our vision, in keeping with the philosophy of the Change Africa campaign, to nurture the Milele Family Homes to reach a state of self-sufficiency whereby the adoptive couple will have a means to maintain their household, while the children grow in a loving, holistic atmosphere where they will receive the love and attention that any child requires. It is ultimately our vision that the children, in being provided a comfortable childhood will be able to replicate our work and become important and capable members within their society who will create positive change in their city, country and world at large.

To learn more about milele, visit their website milele.com

Jojo

MILELE PERFORMS SIMUNYE LIVE-WATCH VIDEO

Filed Under Kenyan Scene · Leave a Comment

African

December 26, 2008

The African video pick of the week is from Zimbabwe. The song is Idya Banana by Joseph Garakara and Mbama Express. The music sounds awfully similar to Benga music from Kenya. I do not know what the song is about but I hope it says “to heck with Mugabe, we will have our fun.”

WATCH VIDEO