 But the things they do behind the curtains, I grew up in a place whereby I don't want to sound superstitious, but witchcraft really exists in that village because it was too much. And me saying too much, I will not say that other people have not faced or others, I don't know, but I've faced it and I've seen it. And it was too much for our family because it created some violence, not even some, a lot of violence in our family. To an extent that we had to quit, we had to run for our lives, so that's the village I grew up in. Then being the first born now, from now that family has separated, I had to take responsibilities of helping my parent to take care of my siblings. So that means I had to do a lot of labour work for me to make it in college, where everywhere, it was not easy. And I think that's why you managed to do all these things all together? Ya, I think that's why because I'm that girl who is like, if I can get something from here, let me do it. And then I'm that go-getter because when you are growing up, you have those things you are like, when I grow up, I want to be like this and that. So I still never forgot my dreams, although I've not achieved them, but I'm doing well. Great. So exactly at what point did this musical journey begin? And before the musical journey, did the flight service come fast or the music came fast? Alright, my music. I'll say for as long as I've known myself, I'm that girl who sings. And I don't sing because I've heard someone singing a song. Most of the times I sing because there's something new in me which I'm singing, of which by then I was very small, I was very young. I could not tell it was a gift because out of nowhere maybe I'm facing a challenge or a situation, I could find myself singing. But if I go like ask for the song, nobody has heard the song. So during the challenging times, I could sing and music has been part of my journey throughout Sunday school, throughout primary school. Although primary school I was those drama girls. Yes. Then we went to high school. High school I formed a group of three girls which was called Jerusalem Voices. I was the cheer. We used to perform a lot. Then after that now I came back to the real life just doing performance on my own because that's what strengthens me. Then my flight attendant career, that was my dream job when you were growing, when you were very young. Yes, me too by the way. I really wanted to be a flight attendant but life happened. Sorry but you're still young. You can still go for it. Really? Yes. I thought they take, I think... Don't worry, don't worry. I'm peeping 30 like this. Don't worry. I'll guide you on that. So first of all I had to go for a career which I never wanted because my parents could not afford to take me to university. Although I was qualified. So I did a P1 in Kakamega. Then I started teaching. I've never applied for a government position because in my heart that was not my job. Because I was that girl. I want to be in hair stairs. But now my dream was unattainable because everyone was like, ah you want to go to the airport? I've never seen anyone going there. So it reached a point, I'm like, these guys make sense because from where I come from I've never seen anyone going abroad. I've never had anyone going to the airport. And most of the people there maybe they are pastors, teachers, you know that kind of village. And the rest now they are mega guys anyway. I'm sorry to say that. So now I went to college, I finished. I started doing my teaching but still my dream was ringing in my head. But remember I had responsibilities. I had to take care of my brothers, they are five. So I must help in school fees, feeding them, house rent and the rest. So it happened during my teaching time. I transferred to a school, a group of schools. I was a teacher there. So by the end of the day I got connections. And anyway God brings destiny help us in this life. Let me tell you something. Even when dreams seem so impossible, somewhere in God's diary He knows what you want. And if you pursue it, it surely does deliver. So I got connected. I got my way through to Kenyayawiz Pride Center. I trained as a health test. But things now again turned to the worst because now after the graduation it was that time Kenyawiz was going down. So we were not employed. So you can imagine now in the society wherever you were teaching in a big school and here you are now a flight attendant who is not working. And you know in Kenya we don't have a lot of airlines. So I had to go to Dubai. I went to Dubai, looked for greener pastures but the jobs which I was getting I could not do because I was getting waitresses, front office management I don't know what. But my dream was like I want to be a house test. So I came back to Kenya. And then God helped me and I came back. The company got me in. Finally. Finally. Finally. I tell you it was those days whereby you could just sleep like in your uniform then you're like oh my God it's going to crazy. I don't know. Yeah. So it was a real tough journey. But I thank God for the far years taken us until Corona came. So again it came and cured our dreams. But I'm positive because everything happens for a reason and for a reason. That's when during the Corona time I've had my songs written. I have more than 30 songs. Yes. But I never had that courage to go to the studio because number one I knew it's about money. So where was I going to get the money from? Then I had promised God something. If I'm ever going to work as an house test my first salary I'm going to devote to the studio. But when I got the job I forgot. You snatched everything. Not really. The responsibilities were growing. Remember before my brothers in high school they are going to college. It's all on me. It's not easy. So that time by May God spoke to me. He was like I want you to look for a studio and you do a song for me. Then I'm like God where do I start from? He was like remember the promise you made to me. So by the end of the day that night I never slept. I went around asking friends talking to them until I got a studio. So that week I got to the studio and I did my first song Tanzama. What does that mean? Tanzama. It's like a song I was singing to cry for help from God. It's a song I sang during those moments. Sometimes due to violence we could spend our nights in the farm or by the riverbeds anyhow. So I remember that day we were sleeping by the farm and I was like holding the last bond. It was very young. It was less than a year old. And then the rest were sleeping there. So we used to carry like a blanket or something to cover ourselves. Then I saw a snake creeping over. No way. Yo, that's... Yes. Hey, that's the number one thing I feel after a certain it's that thing. Exactly. So the only thing I could do because it's late at night and we were hiding. If they cry. It's going to heal you. Exactly. So this man called my father and he's going to slaughter us. So now I was like, God, this situation now, the only thing I can do is close my eyes and whatever happens, let it happen. Because if I work, these boys have. And it was not just a snake. It was a big snake. It's like a cobra. So I just closed my eyes and this uncle came. Tazama. By the time I was up, everyone was intact. There was nothing. There was no harm to my brothers. And yeah, that happened. They took me forever now to come and sing this song because this was back in the years 2000. So that's me. That's how five come. Then from there, after I did now the Tazama song, unfortunately now in July, that's when now corona hit the companies to so hard and those of us who are not permanent who are laid off. And I'll tell you it was not an easy thing because getting a message that I call that tomorrow we are supposed to be in the office and don't understand. And then by the time you attend others have told you everyone is going home and then you are like white. What's up? Corona. So I remember we had a group we assembled in my house and people were crying. And I'll tell you for free I never cried. So they were like, ah Evelyn, you are so blessed. What led you to the studio to sing a song which you never knew was going to affect in hand with the season. We played that song more than 10 times. But the guys were crying and I'm like, no, no there is hope because it's everywhere. Corona is everywhere. It has affected every other industry. It's not only in Kenya. So there is still hope. So I thank God because I was able to instill some hope to people because they were assembling in my house. It was not just we were not discussed about it. We just got there and they were like, no, no, Evelyn, let's go to your house we want to cry. And then I'm like, oh guys, come on. Yeah, come over. Yes, I'm that mature. So after that now it became again challenging because going to studio again is about money. So I did my second song Buemwe. Buemwe is a song I love. Initially I never used to know what it was all about because I've had an experience of which sometimes it's hard for people to believe. But during that experience I was able to transition from life after life, if you understand what I mean. Yes. So during that journey of me being brought back from heaven and back to heart the henchus sang Buemwe. But I never took a lot of interest in it. Until now after that now I was told it's time to do Buemwe. And I'm like, but this Buemwe was sung by henchus. How do I tell people henchus sang this thing? I was like no, just go to the studio do Buemwe. So I did Buemwe. Then now my third song it's a happy birthday. Yes, it was on my birthday in November 22nd. So I celebrated my birthday as I did a song. Yes. So that's my journey so far. It sounds like going through hell, death, resurrection and celebration of life. Exactly. Now my question to you is how do you renew your energy after all these challenges because if it was me and I believe this is another challenge that young people are going through. I believe I'm not alone that you face a challenge today tomorrow the next day. I mean the next day after tomorrow you feel like you're not enough you feel like you don't belong here or there are some forces against you or you know like you are not meant to experience the good life. So I want to know how do you renew your energy how do you what do you get that strength from to wake up and say I'm going to do it. Nengia Studio and I'm going to do this song. Exactly. That's the same question every person ask me because it reaches that point in life whereby you are like was I not born like others you see people doing well in life children will never suffer or never strangle in this life to achieve anything if they want to go to university they will go if they want to go abroad they will go if they want to go to any college they will go but here you have the responsibilities at your age to a point that maybe you have to forsake yourself sometimes you forget you exist because you are like okay I have this 20,000 but there are people who need to eat there are people who need school fees it's not enough where do I start sometimes you have to take loans and if you ask someone I'm taking a loan for other family members they are like wait not for yourself everyone cannot understand at reaches a point whereby you have nothing and they have nothing and nobody can understand you have nothing so I will not lie to you and suicide adults I've heard it not eat them I've tried taking my own life like almost 3 to 4 times but I thank God every time I failed and sometimes I used to fail terribly because I remember there was a time life was very challenging in Rungai I just got in a job and lost it and it was not easy so yeah I decided to go to the quarry and end it and I'm this girl who wants to be very smart even when I'm dying so I put on my makeup my good dress and I left and when I go to the quarry I just met a very young boy I don't know where he came from and then he was like hey what are you doing here then I'm like hey who are you the way to your home is this one go back so I said I went back so afterwards I realized what really happened because I forgot the agenda which took me to the quarry the next time I also tried the same but in the mid-east I had people singing in the church so a spirit told me just get in sing with them and live and then I got into the church it was a Mabati church and we sang and the pastor was like you come over so he was praying for people then he was like why hold the tears I'm looking at him like wait which tears I've cried enough so he was like God has had your prayers it just happened miraculously by the way until now had to pray again a spirit until God never to let me to reach inspiration whereby I'm supposed to take my life and I'll tell you for free from that time henceforth I've never thought again about taking my own life and as you have asked me my inspiration my brothers are my inspiration because every time negative thoughts come into my mind I usually remember them also the young ones I'm like if I die today or if I get married to somebody who's not responsible today what happens to them they're gonna miss it in life then what happens next they're gonna be poor then after that they're gonna be desperate so my brothers are my inspiration in everything I do I'll not lie to you my brothers are my inspiration of course they're the only girl yes and they love me a lot and they look up to me I'm like their mentor because they've grown sometimes even in class I'll tell people my kids people think I have kids I don't have any I just a small bro I don't have any of my own but I've gotten that responsibility to point that they think I'm taking care of my kids but really I'm only taking care of others from what I see you are a giver not a taker exactly you pointed out something it's a very long time to realize and I realized this in my spiritual journey that the present moment is very important what you hear that young boy that butterfly you see passing is normally a message that leaves swaving the wind the sound of the wind it's normally a message and it's up to us to interpret how do young people according to you how can young people go back to that spiritual connection what advice would you give young people if they want to reconnect with God and necessarily because young people don't want to go to church one hujaku last week so how do young people reconnect first of all I would like to say this going to church does not make you a Christian rather what you do is what makes you a Christian because I tell you for free I'm not that girl who goes to church every Sunday I'm not that girl who does all the Christian stuff every night or every day there's a difference between knowing God and wanting to please God the secret is knowing God what connection do you have with God when you are alone what can you talk with God what relationship do you have with God can you sit alone and tell God let us have a meeting and do program things one by one I reached that maturity in spirit I tell God we are sitting down right now you have told me to do a song I don't have money so you make sure that I do it and for sure he will not fail me because there are people called destiny helpers for sure if you have that connection in the spirit realm you operate in faith which like nobody can just accept it so when you have that connection with God you don't need to please anyone my friend should know I went to church you don't have to go to church but you must connect yourself once you connect yourself there is no decision what is right for me you get it we are saying God give somebody like one thousand in the church and the rest but your mother is dying of hunger you have done something good but on the other hand have you done well so it's just common sense common sense will guide you to choose which is right and which is wrong but sometimes the youth mostly they run away because they fear the what can I call it the intimidation sometimes in church because I remember there is a church I used to attend and I thought it was the best church for me because a man girl is attracted to praise and worship I mean that means you know yeah it's me so if there is no that power like pulling down the hell spirit in the church through worship and singing I will not go to that church my spirit is here I've rested now and I happened to like apply for the choir and I went for the first auditions I passed the second auditions I made it but the problem came to the third audition I was given a song the one of the biggest artists to go and mimic the voice of that artist I went and I tried I tried so I went for the third audition and when I was singing this choir master was interrupted by some very smart looking lady he forgot what we were doing so when he came back to his senses he was like oh Bede if you sing like that you are going to ashamed me in front of the pastor so I looked at him and I was like white what did you just say you were singing and performing for the pastor like in church is it real he was like oh yeah thank you thank you for nothing but you see this God was called me I will never mimic anyone's voice I will use my voice to sing for that God people shall mimic my voice but not me and thirdly thank you for nothing but that God shall surely punish you I don't want to measure names but I did punish him and it was it was something I'm proud of but I'm happy he saw the God I worship so that made me like you know that spirit that morale of going to church it got finished and thank God it was during those times now I was told now it's time now to go to the studio so just connect yourself with God in the right way don't focus yourself in policing people and I will tell you for free if there are people who are free spirited and people who can help you there are people outside the church the people outside the church have interacted with other people have helped me much in this life there are people who can tell them you don't have anything to eat and for sure they will do something but in the church most of them they will tell you to pray and then they will go behind you and they will say to me imagine she didn't have food for today but people outside the world those people will help you genuinely because that's them and they've been inside your shoes exactly that's why even today if I go to a club I might go to a club it's not a sorry I drink but I'll tell you for free I want to meet someone to minister people are stressed people are suffering but they don't have people to share with here whereby someone can understand my situation someone can understand I can go for nights without food how many people have gone anyway it's not easy so by the end of the day I'll tell the youth don't keep quiet don't die in silence and I'm also coming up with a program oh yes you have a program a project that you've been working on you're spreading hope in helping people realize yes it's called spring ziba with kuleva to kickstart this month of which I'm also going to share my whole story about the death and resurrection because I never finished it and I want to reach out to people not because I want to bring them in the limelight but because I want them to come out from that I want them to brace whatever happened it has happened then I want them to brace now let me get ready to come out from this thing and then they spring back to life so that's why it is spring ziba ziba meaning forget that what happened oh ziba it's gone it's passed there's nothing you can do about it spring up a lot for ziba exactly once you block that you come up and be a new creature spring back to life appreciate yourself again for who you are discars you have everything you have it's you what can you make from that I think that's a very nice project to work on and to even give back to the community because I'll tell you men especially the boy child is suffering the young people are suffering and ideally the woman is also suffering so in general the society is crying suffering is crying but there's no one to listen to them and you know some people think helping someone is giving them money no no no helping someone is listening to them there are people with hidden tears you know sometimes like we assume men don't cry it's not that because they don't have tears it's that because sumezohia kwa maname but they do have tears it's only that they don't know how to bring them forth they're also vulnerable to whatever situation ladies go through so I want to reach out to those people and be of help to someone yeah maybe maybe I'll give a good will amen amen amen to that from your mouth to God's ears amen now one few few last words to that young woman young girl who's watching you and would like to join the ministry the people have seen there you know those black sheep those people who pretend you know so what's your advice to that young woman who wants to come to the ministry to come back to the ministry my advice is gather your stuff prepare yourself well call God organize everything stand up hit the studios and let everything run it's not easy but I know with God everything is possible yeah sometimes you'll be forced to behave like others because you're in Kenya or because you're an artist but please don't not you're calling for entertainment for leisure it's okay you know some people but if you're there for ministry just know it is not easy but whatever God has instilled in you shall surely manifest the start is always very hard and very tough but we don't look at the foundation sometimes because the foundation has all the stuff which holds the whole building together so focus on the future if this is a calling I have if this is a ministry I have that means God has a purpose for me for this so let me do it so please get out from your comfort zone that comfort zone is the one which has delayed me but it's not because of that God's time is the best come and go to the studio please don't just wake up and go you're going to get disappointed it's very hard true I tell you exactly you spend money you've sent years so it's not easy don't go there with the mentality of getting money immediately because there's no money even I myself have not gotten a send from it I'm yet to achieve that but I know the God who has called me shall reach out to the people subscribe follow me to the point that I'm releasing my song without one terrain who is going to listen to them alright so I'd like to know where do we find you on social media kuleva on YouTube kuleva Facebook then kuleva 254 Kenya is presented kuleva 254 on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok TikTok as well I'm not that active but I'm there at least there I have more than other subscribers followers now tomorrow is my birthday happy birthday that's all I should say for you tomorrow is my birthday birthday in advance I'm requesting you at least perform for us where is the cake where come tomorrow this is Nairobi this is January I know but I'll be telling you details of where I'll be celebrating alright but I'll be editing some deaf kids apple prestige that's a good ministry just have this for that and God bless you for that that's a ministry which is not easy for everyone that one is more much better than even going to church every Sunday God sees that but I'm not saying people should not go to church don't quote me any more that's why they can't sound exactly but good deeds behind the cameras behind the scenes matter a lot to God happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday to you thank you so much at least I can perform for you the happy birthday song alright stage is yours so I want you to introduce the name of this song and yeah who produced it how you want it ok ok ok so the name is happy birthday by Kulewa audio done by Gamba Studios and video done by Fidelis Mutiso gist.