Don’t Dis my
Ability
Well today, this blog shares an interview of a person who
through his songs and campaign is changing the perception of the world on
disabled people……
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Updated Friday, June 08 2012 at 09:36 GMT+3
The brand spanking new video, Mbona by MTV-Award
winner Daddy Owen featuring Denno is the talk in town. In an exclusive
interview with Daddy Owen, PULSE reveals the harsh realities behind the project
Pulse: Your new hit single
Mbona, featuring Denno has hit 30,000 reviews on YouTube hardly a week after
the video was released. Did you expect it to receive such a huge following?
Daddy Owen: I had been running a
teaser on my social Internet pages a week before the video was released. I told
my fans to tune on their TV stations at 12:15pm that Sunday. I launched the
video simultaneously in all TV stations. The hype was big and in hours,
everyone was on YouTube viewing the video. I expect it to hit 50,000 reviews
before the end of the week.
P: No other artiste has
achieved that feat in the recent past...
DO: Glory be to God.
P: Tell us about the
performance at Mavuno
Church
DO: It was our first
performance following the video release. Denno and I were received very well.
It all goes down to inspiring people and for that matter people with physical
challenges.
P: The song is inspired by
real life experiences, right?
DO: Yes it is. I told Denno
that I would write about my own experience and he said he would go ahead and
sing about himself. People came out narrating how they or their family members
were undergoing similar challenges. From music celebrities, TV anchors, athletes
and dancers, the stigma was shedding off. The interviews in the video tell it
all.
P: What drove you to this
noble venture?
DO: In 2002, I lost one eye
in a controversial incident. I have talked about my past in the streets many
times before...This affected my music career. I developed a low esteem
believing that people would look down on me because I had squinted eyes. My
singer brother and mentor Rufftone encouraged me saying God had good plans for
me. It was then that I started thinking about the plight of people with
disabilities.
P: How did you overcome the
low esteem challenge?
DO: At first, I was in
denial. I disguised my outlook by donning dark sunglasses. They were made to
get people to think that I was looking cool while the fact was that I was hiding
my squinted eyes. However, slowly I started moving out of my shell.
P: Is it true that the
Mbona project was inspired by the young singing star Denno, who is also
partially blind?
DO: Yes, to some extent. I
was doing a TV interview last year when this blind boy came to the studio and
told me he was a great fan. He then went ahead and sang most of my tracks.
After that we kept in touch and I promised him we would do a song together one
day. The Mbona Campaign Initiative is basically a charity project made to
create awareness on the challenges those with disabilities goes through.
What is your strategy in
this campaign?
DO: Disability has a very
wide scope and we want to tackle issues step by step. Our first theme is dubbed
Love and Respect. We will tour churches and schools and help change the
public’s perceptions on people with disabilities. Our message is simple; don’t
sympathise with them, give them an opportunity to live.
P: We understand you also
plan to have a big ceremony for the physically challenged late this year...
DO: We will host a gala
ceremony, which we have named Malaika Tribute Awards, made for the unsung
heroes.
P: We are seeing a new side
of you. First you kept off the prestigious Chat and Groove awards and now here
you are, talking passionately about people with disabilities. Why this drastic
transformation?
DO: Life is a journey. I
believe I am doing what God wants me to do with my music gift and fame at this
stage.
- for the original story, follow the link- http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000059448&pageNo=1
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