Gospel Fusion: Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin Bring "Kingdom World Tour" to Nairobi
Maverick City Music, a dynamic ensemble renowned for their contemporary, multicultural twist on Christian worship music, are set to electrify Nairobi alongside gospel legend Kirk Franklin this weekend. The duo arrive in the Kenyan capital fresh from a performance at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, as part of their highly anticipated "Kingdom World Tour 2024".
The African leg of the tour has already seen the group captivate audiences in Johannesburg, Harare, Lusaka, Lilongwe and Dar es Salaam. The tour, aptly named after their critically acclaimed album "Kingdom Book One", promises an unforgettable experience for music lovers in Nairobi.
"Kingdom Book One" represents a unique collaboration between the rising stars of Maverick City Music and the "King of Urban Gospel," Kirk Franklin. The 20-time Grammy Award winner is credited with introducing gospel music to mainstream audiences worldwide since his breakthrough in the early 1990s.
Recent data from Spotify, a leading music streaming platform, sheds light on the popularity of both artists in Kenya. Maverick City Music's top five streamed tracks in the country between April 22nd and July 22nd, 2024, include "Jireh" featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine, "Promises" featuring Joe L. Barnes, "Firm Foundation" featuring Cody Carnes, "Million Little Miracles" also featuring Barnes, and "In the Room" (Afrobeats version).
The latter song features prominently on their current top-streamed album in Kenya, "The Maverick Way (Reimagined)". This reimagined version, released earlier this year, infuses their 2023 project "The Maverick Way Complete" with various genres and collaborations, including Afrobeats, hip-hop, and R&B. The album boasts 31 tracks showcasing the vocal talents of Sam Rivera, Miles Minnick, Nick Day, Evan Ford, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and Kierra Sheard.
"The purpose of 'The Maverick Way Reimagined' album is to embrace all the music genres that reflect what our diverse group of listeners gravitate towards," explains co-founder Jonathan Jay.
Maverick City Music's journey began in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2018. Originally formed as a collective of songwriters for other artists, their mission was to provide a platform for marginalised creatives, particularly black people and women. They aimed to be a "megaphone for a community of creatives that believe in Jesus and the Gospel but have been pushed to the margins of church music."
The name "Maverick" reflects their bold defiance of the unspoken rules and barriers prevalent in the genre.
Their debut came in 2019 with the release of two EPs: "Maverick City, Vol 1" and "Maverick City Vol 2." Since then, the group has become a prolific recording and touring force.
Their debut album, "Maverick City Vol 3 Part 1," released in 2020, reached the Top 10 on the US gospel music charts. This was followed by "Maverick City Vol 3 Part 2," a Christmas album, and a series of EPs.
In 2021, they achieved commercial and critical success with "Old Church Basement," a collaborative project with fellow contemporary worship music collective Elevation Worship. The album spawned hit songs like "Jireh," "Talk to Jesus," and "Wait On You" and resonated on both gospel and mainstream music charts.
Maverick City Music's groundbreaking performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards, where they performed "Jireh" and won Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for "Old Church Basement," marked a significant milestone. They became the first Christian gospel group to perform at the Grammys in 20 years.
"Jireh," which translates to "The Lord will provide" in Hebrew, featuring the powerful vocals of Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine, remains a fan favourite and their most successful song.
Kirk Franklin was drawn to the group's ability to connect with new audiences, particularly their online popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The collaboration led to the 2022 album "Kingdom Book 1," recorded entirely within a prison in Miami, Florida. The album features the voices of 1,300 inmates and was dedicated to raising awareness about the injustices of mass incarceration in the United States.
"Kingdom Book 1 (Deluxe)" garnered the Best Gospel Album award at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in 2023. The album's lead single, "Kingdom," won Best Gospel Performance, while the uplifting "Fear is Not My Future" took home the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance Song award. Maverick City Music graced the Grammy stage for the second consecutive year.
Spotify data reveals that "Kingdom," "Bless Me," "My Life is In Your Hands," and "Fear Is Not My Future" are the most streamed tracks from "Kingdom Book 1." Notably, "My Life Is in Your Hands" is a cover of a song originally released by Kirk Franklin on his 1997 album "Godâs Property."
Kenya holds the third highest Spotify streams for Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin in Africa, following Nigeria and South Africa.
Demographic data highlights that almost 50 percent of the music listeners in Kenya are aged 18-24, with over 60 percent being female.
Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin are poised to captivate Nairobi at the Uhuru Gardens tomorrow evening, as they headline the "Kingdom World Tour, Kenya" concert. The event promises to be a powerful fusion of contemporary worship music, captivating performances, and a message of hope and unity.
