Encomium
AWARD winning singer and entertainer, KSB has come a long way in the music industry. The fair skinned mother of two children rebranded from Kenny Saint Brown to Kenny Saint Best a couple of weeks back. She is also out with the remix of her single, Live your life. She spoke with ENCOMIUM Weekly in an interview about this development in her career, the establishment of KSB Foodies and sundry issues.
We learnt your new single is out, can you tell us about it?
The new single is entitled Live your life, it’s the video that is out now. The song has been on for a while, we just came out with the video. The song is just to encourage people to know that the life they have is theirs, they shouldn’t listen to the negative things others are saying, that will cripple them, it will deny them of living a fulfilled life. Some go into vices because of negative words from other people. I came to preach a gospel of good living, they need to be strong, live a fulfilled life, they shouldn’t allow people deny them of their glory. Some throw a pity party. That is why you have blind folds in the video that carry subject matters of what can cripple human beings in the journey of life. The song is to inspire. I do non-conventional gospel music to inspire the mind of men. My songs are also meant to get people out of depression.
Why did it take more than a year before coming out with the video?
It is not really a new song, it is a remix, it was produced by Eldee, but now, Akin Alabi produced the video. The reason for the delay in the video is that I had other songs I wanted people to know. You just don’t do one song this month, then, move to another song next month. By the time you finish your song, you hand it over to the DJ, it is the DJ that will take it over to the people. So, if people haven’t known the song, it might get malnourished, it must be nurtured so that it wouldn’t die. I had other songs I was nurturing such as Turn Around, Alaye, Mo ti goke. You mustn’t nurture for too long as well. But you must nurture songs so that they can outlive you. We nurtured the song on radio, then put a picture to it, so that people can enjoy it more.
Do you think the remix of Live your life is as popular as your other singles?
It is still a baby, moreso, the message in my other singles are different from this one. For instance. Alaye is a street word, it is for everybody and I am referring to God. Mo ti goke is a testimony, I came, I saw and conquered. People love the remix, it is also catching up so far despite the fact that it is a total departure from what I used to do. It is more European, more contemporary than what I used to do. The most important thing is for people to get the message. You must not be a shadow of yourself because of what people say about you. Songs should produce messages that can build men, a meaningful message.
Can you tell us your style of music?
When it comes to music, I am very versatile. That can be traced to the number of collaborations I have done. When I did a collabo with Ice Prince, it was more or reggae, when I did a collabo with Terry G, it was wild and crazy. Then my collabo with Eldee, it was soft and subtle. I did another collabo with MI, which is hip-hop. So, I am very versatile, I cannot box myself. There is no music I cannot do. I can do Apala, I can do fuji. I am that blessed, it is a matter of getting a good producer that can give you a good beat, the beat will determine the rendering of the song. I can do jazz, ballad, I do worship, hip-pop, Afro hip-hop. But the shift in music to pop has affected my song, I am moving with the tide.
Which is your favourite among all your songs?
Music is like a child, it will be unfair to say this is your favourite child. Every song has its potential from the days of You are Worthy to when I did Heaven came down. I was able to reach out to people. People loved me and that song so will I now say it is not my favourite. There was Ayo Classic, it is a joy song, a folk song, I gave it my own chorus, it brought glory to me, took me to KORA for the first time, it got me an award as the Best Female Gospel Artist in West Africa. I did one that people didn’t even know, I did Pump in more praise. So, which one will I choose. I have one I am attached to but I wouldn’t say it is my favourite, it is entitled Iye Ayeraye, it was produced about six years ago. It is a song about eternal life. All of them are my favourites.
What inspired your new song, Kenny Saint Best?
This is not the first time I will be changing my name, it should be about the fourth time. I was Kenny Saint Ogungbe, then Kenny Saint Brown, then KSB.
Kenny Saint Brown is a very churchish gospel singer, while KSB is very pop, an alternative gospel artist. I want to do more of alternative gospel, but the image of Kenny St. Brown is dulling. What I have in mind, there was a time she had a luggage that KSB was able to shed away. The change of name is for wider acceptability. It’s also to knock off the backlog of stories about Kenny St. Brown, to get attention off her to her music. I sought the Lord’s face concerning it and also it tallied with the time there was a Twitter fight. I tweeted that Whitney Houston was Mrs. Brown and she dropped the name, so I decided to follow suit. The name is about my music, getting people to embrace the new song I have for them, without mixing the old name with the new personality and image.
Are people appreciating the song?
They love it, it is unbelievable. On Twitter, people were fighting me that they don’t want to call me Kenny St. Brown again that I should change it. Even in church, my pastor calls me Kenny St. Best, two days ago, Pastor Wole Oladiyun of CLAM saw me and said Kenny St. Best. It showed how much people appreciate the name. I am happier as Kenny St. Best.
So, people believe you changed the name because you have started your divorce proceedings, is it true?
Oh yes, I have. It is true, that is also one of the reasons.
What inspired KSB Foodies?
I am a natural cook, I have great passion for cooking, when I am driving past a market and I see fresh pepper, tomatoes, fresh vegetables, fish, I develop goose pimples. I will just feel like going into the kitchen. I have always told God I wanted to do something outside music. God asked me to wait but now, He has given me the go ahead. I am adding entertainment to it, we are branding celebrity. For instance, we have a food called Jennifer, Ali Baba, Keke, Funke Akindele and a host of others. People are even saying that I should serve them Banky W. We are into delivery, we cater for parties but have not opened a restaurant.
How have you been coping with music, the food business and family life?
Having been catering for the family is not a big deal, my children are doing fine, they are lovely and fantastic children. They are not babies any more. Though I have people helping me out with them, I have a nanny, a driver and a teacher.
Then my music, if you take music from me, I am dead, I am nobody. Since I love cooking, it’s not a big thing. I even like the expression on my children’s faces when I cook for them. None of them is hard work for me except if I have to travel outside the country. There is no airs around me, I am the youngest girl in my house, I am that easy, next door girl.
Is there no pressure from your mother to remarry?
No, not at all. Though, of recent my mom told me to consider remarrying but I want value to be added to me first, so that I can give values. What you don’t have, you can’t give. Getting total healing, discovering your purpose is more important to me, I don’t want somewhere to just hide my head, I don’t want that. I am a total woman, strong, happy, confident, I am an extrovert.
- SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN
*This story was first published in Encomium Weekly edition of Tuesday, July 31, 2012
