Everything You Need to Know About Gospel Songstress Kambua

The celebrated gospel singer gave an inside peek into her personal life to eDaily.
Here’s her story:
Share a little bit of your experience growing up
“I was born and raised in Nairobi. I am the second born in a family of three – sandwiched between brothers. Growing up as the only girl was fantastic; though in several instances, I wished I had sisters. But then, my brothers made growing up such a great adventure – at some point I was like: ‘I am kind of glad I did not have sisters.’ I was a quite tomboy.”
Being the only girl among your siblings, were you accorded preferential treatment by your parents?
“No, but I did have a special relationship with my dad. I think that goes without saying. But we have never known preferential treatment in our home, no.”
Which schools did you attend?
“I went to Kianda Primary School, Lukenya Academy for high school. I remember my high school experience quite vividly. It was my first time to be in a boarding school, so it was a new experience. Kianda Primary School was an all-girls institution, and when I joined Lukenya, which was a mixed school, I had another experience. It was a good phase in my life, and it helped discover who I am and what I want to do.”
Did you discover your music talent in high school?
“Not really. I started to sing when I was very little – I cannot lay a finger on the exact age, but all I can say is: I was very young when I discovered my music talent. High school maybe defined that a lot more for me. I started performing a lot more intentionally at school. Music has been such a huge part of my life because my parents were musical as well – my mum sings, my dad used to play the guitar.”
How was it like being brought up in a Christian family?
“Growing up in such a family is one of the blessings that I count because it formed the foundation of who I am today. It was obviously a little difficult when I was becoming a teenager and I started to question a lot of things – why we do things a certain way, why we can’t go to certain places, listen to certain music? I probably struggled with my personality – and the home that I was being raised in. But when I was able to – thankfully – overcome that, I really appreciated having been brought up by Christian parents. My music ministry has a lot to do with my upbringing.”
When did you get saved?
“I gave my life to Christ when I was in Standard Six. In high school is when I really understood what it meant to be a Christian – it is when I really started my relationship with God.”
Your lowest moment… It must be when you lost your dad…
“My lowest moment is when I lost my dad. I cannot say that I have come out of it; I won’t say I am at the place that I was before. It is such a difficult journey that no one prepares you for and I ask God to give me strength for every moment. It has now been two years, but there are times when I feel that ‘this is so difficult’ and I ask God to give me the strength for now. And God does. I have been taking each moment at a time – remembering the man that he was; the kind of woman that he’d want me to turn out to be; taking the things that he did really well and using them as a bar for myself; and also looking at the areas where he felt that he failed and learn from those lessons as well.”
What kind of relationship would you advice men who have daughters to pursue?
“What I would say to every man who has a daughter is the importance of telling her that she is valuable. For me, my self esteem and who I am; my confidence, of course comes from God ultimately, but a good chunk of it came from my father telling me constantly that he believed in me; that I was valuable; that I was beautiful; that I was capable; that I was intelligent; and the fact that I knew my dad believed it did not matter what people thought; my dad taught me that it was okay to make mistakes and learn from them; he told me that if I don’t know something, it is okay to ask. He made the world such a place of all sorts of possibilities. Fathers who have daughters, you are our first love; and if daughters can get that affirmation from you, there is absolutely nothing that will stand in her way.”
What do you think makes a successful marriage?
“Just looking at people who have been married for 10 or 20 years; I think that one of the things that comes out clearer to me is being friends with the person that you are married to. When you have that friendship, then you can work through just about everything – because the feelings of love and affection fade; when you have a friend, you can withstand the test of time and turbulence. Marriage is a gift from God and He is the one who sustains it.”
What is your take on submission; and what does it mean to a modern day woman?
“Submission is just one of those things that I don’t know if everyone everywhere will agree on. The word of God talks clearly about women submitting to their husbands; and husbands loving their wives. Honestly, whether in traditional or modern times, it is such a difficult concept to understand. And for me, it is a daily lesson; I am far from mastering it because there are so many times when I find I want to have my way, I want to have my say, I disagree and I want to be heard and be vocal. I am learning to unlearn a lot of things that are probably picked up without knowing from society. I don’t think everyone fully masters submission – it is really difficult; but it is possible – God can teach a woman day by day.”
What course did you pursue in college?
“I was at Africa Nazarene University for about a year and a half. I had enrolled for a bachelor’s degree in business before transferring to another Nazarene University in Canada to study music. Music is what I always wanted to do. I am currently enrolled at Daystar University doing a master’s degree in communication.  I don’t believe there’s ever an end to learning. I suspect that somewhere along the line I will go back to finish the business degree that I left hanging. My father was an educationist; I have subconsciously picked that up.”
Full Interview on eDaily