In a bid to tell the stories of some of Uganda’s Gospel music promotions platforms, we had a conversation with the co-founders of the GMP Promotions. The paths of Allan Ahumuza and Samuel Ssengendo crossed due to Gospel music.
Listening to this story first-hand after the team here at Ug Gospel Life contacted them, was truly uplifting.
Allan Ahumuza grew up in a typical Christian family that went to church on Sunday but, says, it was nothing serious. All of that changed when a family friend came to stay at their home for a while. This gentleman, a youth minister at church, taught Allan about God, the Bible and how to pray. This, to him, was when he gave his life to Jesus christ.
Still, he was an avid listener of secular music and considered the gospel music he listened to, as slow and boring. As a regular at the popular Watoto Church Cell, a group of Christians who gather in homes to fellowship together, and through the friends he met while there, he learned of musicians like Lecrae, Trip Lee and soon discovered that, Gospel music might actually not be that boring afterall. Anyway, long story short, he was hooked and started listening to and looking for more of that kind of music.
“From there,” Allan Ahumuza went on, “I got to know local artists like Mac Elvis (R.I.P), Exodus, G Way, Sami K, and the likes of Lyrical Mycheal came in, Robinsan, and Levixone. I got to find the people who sing the kind of music we (the youth) like and it’s gospel music, has a positive message, you can sing it anywhere, doesn’t have abusive words, or vulgar language, and you can enjoy the music freely. So, that’s when I started liking and loving Gospel music. I fell in love with it. I don’t think there’s anything like Gospel music. It was then that I started liking worship music as well. I now fell in love totally with Gospel music.”
Around the same time, Samuel Ssengendo and Allan, with a few other friends were living in the same neighborhood, Naguru. Allan and Samuel became friends and, like Allan, Samuel had a history with secular music but would soon be introduced to Gospel music. Samuel abandoned secular music and replaced it with the Gospel Music that his friend Allan freely shared with him.
“For me,” Samuel says, “it wasn’t that someone read the Bible to me. It was the music and more friends in the gospel music industry. This has positioned me to help those in the world, using music to bring many to the knowledge of Jesus Christ…. ”
Samuel Sengendo who says he keeps getting closer to God on a daily basis, credits the industry for such blessings. Also, he intimated to us that, it is easier for him to pick a message from music than in any other form – no wonder he’s involved with making sure that this music infiltrates every corner of the earth. It’s a long task ahead, but the ball is rolling. “Music has helped me simplify God’s word.”
Even if we stopped here, we hope it is clear to you that Gospel Music is a powerful tool. The question then remains, what happened? Why did they feel like being actively involved in the gospel music industry?
Apparently, at school Samuel was nicknamed GMP, an acronym for, Good Man on the Planet. He was the type of guy to make sure justice was served and the innocent vindicated. It infuriated him whenever someone did something wrong to a fellow student, hence the GMP moniker.
During the time his friend Allan introduced him to Gospel music (2012), he was still called GMP.
“At the beginning of 2013, Allan, out of nowhere, told me that I am a Gospel Music Promoter.” Since that time, Samuel made the connection between the Good Man on the Planet with Gospel Music Promoter.
This is how Allan recounts meeting, connecting with Samuel and the first days of GMP Promotions platform.
“There was a demand. The internet usage had just started growing in Uganda. I wanted the music but it was scarce and, there were other people who also wanted it. All of a sudden, wemix came on board – a platform where we used to share and download music… I had thought of something like that, but I didn’t know how to do it. So, wemix came on board and we started getting music. So, I meet Samuel and he liked everything I was doing because I used to play Gospel music and I used to attend Gospel events. He became my friend and liked everything I was doing. We started attending Gospel music events together. We started associating with artists. All of a sudden, we were like, “Why don’t we do something?” So we began with a Facebook page. We created a blog on WordPress. The blog was limiting and wasn’t serving its purpose very well. Using the computer skills I had, we decided to create a website. Now we’re in the industry and loving it.
It sounds so simple, right? What you may not know is that Allan had to learn those programming and coding skills from scratch, and they had to look for money to host the website and cover any costs involved in their activities as promoters because, as Allan told us, “It’s the GOSPEL Music industry, right? So, it’s not always about money and yet you need money to run it. Most of the lessons I’ve learned are challenges. An artist will approach you and they want you to promote their event, music, and them as an artist – they are just starting out and they don’t get paid a lot – and yet, you need to use resources; time, money, transport, and you cannot turn them away. Then you have to remember that it is a calling, and a ministry you are doing – if you are to spread the gospel through promoting Gospel music. You end up putting in, so that the ministry goes on even without the money. It’s about you the promoter putting in a lot to make sure the gospel goes out to the people through music.”
Samuel pitched in to add, on his behalf saying, “I am a diehard fan of music. Getting involved in the gospel music industry is a part of me. I feel like it’s my calling to support the industry, so that it grows…. It’s my calling to promote Gospel music. Our slogan as GMP Promotions is, “Gospel Music To The World.” When you read
Acts 26:18
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
My mission is this verse. I want to be remembered as a person who contributed to taking this gospel music and the gospel to the world and not leaving the gospel in the four walls – churches. We are all fishers of men. I want to be remembered as one who fought, by God’s grace to take Gospel Music to the world.”
As you may already know, undertaking something of such a magnitude will come with naysayers and in Allan’s case, people telling him it would have been more profitable if they were promoting the secular music industry. Allan told us, “I want to be remembered as someone who didn’t agree with everyone, when they were agreeing on something that is wrong. Just like it happens with artists, people say, “If you were doing secular, you’d be far…” But, we don’t want to do something because it is easy. We want to do it because it is the right thing to do. I want to be remembered for doing the right thing however difficult it is.”
The GMP Promotions team have found the people in the industry so loving, and have received overwhelming support from the day they went live on their website. In fact, it was pure bliss when they recounted the launching of the website. Samuel described it as nothing short of a miracle, seeing as the site had undergone numerous changes and they felt it was long overdue. The feeling in the air was that of celebration.
The ever-growing team now works with any gospel musician, and those with a positive message, as long as their lifestyles are in sync with their message. Allan said, “Sometimes we are contacted by secular musicians who don’t know we only promote Gospel music”
Samuel on the other hand feels at home. He say, he always feels at peace when serving God and since music was the tool that brought him to salvation, he will continue being involved in promoting music.
“I believe this is the generation where the Entertainment industry has taken over. We believe that, through entertainment, we can win more souls from the world,” said Samuel.
Their involvement in the industry did not happen without lessons learned. They soon figured out that Gospel musicians are real people, with real issues.
All in all, Samuel says, Gospel music is so different from secular music and most of the Gospel artists haven’t fully grasped that. “I think, this is affecting some of the Gospel artists,” He adds, emphasising that, it is “some” and NOT ALL.
The GMP Promotions team further called for unity and a stronger bond between the different stakeholders and players in the industry and noted that, “Gospel music is a calling.
We are extremely thrilled to have worked on this story. Look out for more.
From the Ug Gospel Life team, we wish our friends from the GMP Promotions all the best. Love, peace and blessings be multiplied, for the Glory of God’s name.
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