Milele
Encyclopedia
Milele is an urban Gospel
and humanitarian group composed of Kanjii Mbugua, Harry Kiiru, Christian Mungai and Kaima Mwiti. The group formed after the longtime friends who were originally from Kenya
met in Pomona, California
at a prayer breakfast in 1998. Milele, which means "forever" in swahili
has performed alongside gospel artists like Andrae Crouch
and Helen Baylor
and recorded four albums, Forever, Level up, Afrique and their most recent recording, Monday. Apart from the music, Milele has also launched many campaigns in Africa
with the purpose of providing means for impoverished African communities to gather strength to make steps towards better living standards.
up until high school when they separated to follow the path of their individual lives. Each of them pursued school and work in different arenas, however, one day, 10 years later and 10,000 miles away form home in California
, all four of them found themselves in the same room at a prayer breakfast. They had all come to the US separately to pursue further education.They started singing together as a pastime but it slowly not only evolved into a successful musical ensemble, but also a unity of friends committed to remedying social injustices, poverty and resulting oppression.http://www.milele.com/About/index.htm Milele has traveled extensively and succeeded in becoming well known musical ambassadors in Kenya
as well as Christian
circles In the US. What began as a celebration of God through music became using music as a vehicle to carry out work that would move and spread their ministry and outreach. In the past few years, Milele averaged about 150 concerts and performances annually, mainly at churches and schools. Some of these include Lake Avenue Church , Faith Community Church , Mariners Church, Bel'Air Presbyterian Church, La Canada Presbyterian Church, Cottonwood Christian Center, First Church of the Nazarene
, Pasadena
, Azusa
Pacific University, Claremont School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Biola
University. They have also shared the same stage with such Gospel legends as Andrae Crouch
and Helen Baylor
.http://www.mwafrika.com/content/view/424/98/
In summer 2003, Milele toured forty states across the US to promote their second album. Since their successful Level Up tour, they were the featured band at the “Blessings of the Shoes” interfaith service at the Orange County AIDS Walk, which drew over 10,000 people. Shortly after, they were nominated to be one of the top ten finalists of the 95.9FM Fish Festival award. These successes culminated in their first live recording concert at Mariners Church in Irvine , California which was also their kickoff for their 2004 summer tour.
Harry Kiiru,
Christian Mungai and
Kaima Mwiti.
Additional new members include Henry "Karis" Mburu, Nimo Mathenge and Carol Ongera.
. The project gave them an avenue to resource all the influential people they have interacted with over the years through their music and travel. In collaboration with Infeneon Holdings, they used new technology that enabled the building of an average family home within 15 days. The panel
technology involved paneling with pre-set plumbing and electricity
being filled with a quick drying building material known as Moladi Chem. The panels are then removed within 10 hours to reveal the structure of a home. This enabled them to provide homes with the requirement of less time and less money.
group managed to raise US$42,000 to help the affected areas and had several volunteers who provided food and medical assistance.http://www.kenyangospel.com/news/milele-respond-to-kenya-crisis.php
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
and humanitarian group composed of Kanjii Mbugua, Harry Kiiru, Christian Mungai and Kaima Mwiti. The group formed after the longtime friends who were originally from Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
met in Pomona, California
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
at a prayer breakfast in 1998. Milele, which means "forever" in swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
has performed alongside gospel artists like Andrae Crouch
Andrae Crouch
Andraé Crouch is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor.-Early years:Born Andraé Edward Crouch in San Francisco, California....
and Helen Baylor
Helen Baylor
Helen Baylor is an American gospel singer.Baylor was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and raised in Los Angeles, where she first performed as a secular nightclub act. She opened for Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and B.B. King while still in her teens, and performed in the musical Hair...
and recorded four albums, Forever, Level up, Afrique and their most recent recording, Monday. Apart from the music, Milele has also launched many campaigns in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
with the purpose of providing means for impoverished African communities to gather strength to make steps towards better living standards.
Formation and Early years
The members of Milele were childhood friends in KenyaKenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
up until high school when they separated to follow the path of their individual lives. Each of them pursued school and work in different arenas, however, one day, 10 years later and 10,000 miles away form home in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, all four of them found themselves in the same room at a prayer breakfast. They had all come to the US separately to pursue further education.They started singing together as a pastime but it slowly not only evolved into a successful musical ensemble, but also a unity of friends committed to remedying social injustices, poverty and resulting oppression.http://www.milele.com/About/index.htm Milele has traveled extensively and succeeded in becoming well known musical ambassadors in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
as well as Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
circles In the US. What began as a celebration of God through music became using music as a vehicle to carry out work that would move and spread their ministry and outreach. In the past few years, Milele averaged about 150 concerts and performances annually, mainly at churches and schools. Some of these include Lake Avenue Church , Faith Community Church , Mariners Church, Bel'Air Presbyterian Church, La Canada Presbyterian Church, Cottonwood Christian Center, First Church of the Nazarene
Nazarene
Nazarene may refer to:* Nazarene , a title applied to Jesus of Nazareth* Nazarene , a sect of 4th century Christianity described by Epiphanius* Church of the Nazarene, modern Christian Pentecostal denomination...
, Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, Azusa
Azusa
Azusa is a Japanese feminine given name.Azusa may also refer to:*Azusa, California, a city in the United States*Azusa Street Revival, a Christian movement that began in Los Angeles*AZUSA - Radar interferometer*Azusa Yamamoto, a Japanese model and actress...
Pacific University, Claremont School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Biola
Biola
Biola may refer to:*Biola University, a university in Los Angeles County, California*Biola, California, a small town in Fresno County*Biola , an island in Singapore...
University. They have also shared the same stage with such Gospel legends as Andrae Crouch
Andrae Crouch
Andraé Crouch is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor.-Early years:Born Andraé Edward Crouch in San Francisco, California....
and Helen Baylor
Helen Baylor
Helen Baylor is an American gospel singer.Baylor was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and raised in Los Angeles, where she first performed as a secular nightclub act. She opened for Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and B.B. King while still in her teens, and performed in the musical Hair...
.http://www.mwafrika.com/content/view/424/98/
Concerts and Tours
In 2001, Milele held a special concert in the slums and also performed to over 30,000 young people at a stadium concert. In early 2002, they had a special concert dubbed ‘True Love Waits,' which was geared towards promoting abstinence in a society that is being crippled by AIDS. Kanjii of Milele was quoted saying,“We saw the success of our efforts when many young people committed their lives to waiting for the partner that God has set aside for them.”http://www.mwafrika.com/content/view/424/98/In summer 2003, Milele toured forty states across the US to promote their second album. Since their successful Level Up tour, they were the featured band at the “Blessings of the Shoes” interfaith service at the Orange County AIDS Walk, which drew over 10,000 people. Shortly after, they were nominated to be one of the top ten finalists of the 95.9FM Fish Festival award. These successes culminated in their first live recording concert at Mariners Church in Irvine , California which was also their kickoff for their 2004 summer tour.
Members
Kanjii Mbugua,Harry Kiiru,
Christian Mungai and
Kaima Mwiti.
Additional new members include Henry "Karis" Mburu, Nimo Mathenge and Carol Ongera.
Family Homes Project
Milele as a musical group and humanitarian organization embarked upon the Milele Family Homes Project in light of the vast number of children who have been and continue to become deserted by the loss of their parents in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The project gave them an avenue to resource all the influential people they have interacted with over the years through their music and travel. In collaboration with Infeneon Holdings, they used new technology that enabled the building of an average family home within 15 days. The panel
Panel
- Art and comic books :*Panel painting, in art, either one element of a multi-element piece of art, such as a triptych, a piece of sequential art such as a graphic novel or comic strip, or a wooden panel used to paint a picture on...
technology involved paneling with pre-set plumbing and electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
being filled with a quick drying building material known as Moladi Chem. The panels are then removed within 10 hours to reveal the structure of a home. This enabled them to provide homes with the requirement of less time and less money.
Change Africa Campaign
Milele are now better known for their humanitarian involvement rather than their music. While their music remains popular and enjoyable to many, their presence and contribution through the Change Africa Campaign and Milele Homes Project acts to propagate hope to those who are the benefactors of the efforts of the organization. In 2000 Milele Ministries Incorporated as a non-profit organization under the 501(c) 3 American tax code to better accomplish this purpose and launched the Change Africa campaign in order to drive the vision of being able to see Africans embracing the idea that the change they wish to see in their individual lives and societies can be created through empowerment, knowledge, unity and hope.Crisis in Kenya
With the Kenya Red Cross and other volunteer organizations appealing for more aid to help displaced people in Kenya, Milele's Christian Mungai teamed up with Atlanta-based Partners for Care, Glory Outreach Assembly in Kenya where they visited 11 camps in Maai Mahiu, Naivasha and Burnt Forest PCEA Church Nakuru. "I was totally heart broken and devastated," he says. "For once I felt so bad helping as I thought to myself that we would be there for a while, give food, medical assistance etc then leave and come back to America and now I'm here in my warm bed while so many faces and names I now know are still in Maai Mahiu, Naivasha, Burnt Forest PCEA Church Nakuru and they will be there for a long time. I feel so helpless that I can't resettle these people and while many are working so hard to help others are working day and night to capitulate violence. I'm so beat and worn out, I even feel bad about taking pictures like these seems like we are there for a photo opp and thats it. My heart breaks and for once im in a state of despair at least for now. God help us and save us now". A GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
group managed to raise US$42,000 to help the affected areas and had several volunteers who provided food and medical assistance.http://www.kenyangospel.com/news/milele-respond-to-kenya-crisis.php