I'm very excited about my next guest in my blog series THE MIRACLE OF MUSIC. He is a talented and spiritual young singer/songwriter and dental surgery student from Kenya. Nahash Mwathi is only 23 but has already achieved so much. He has definitely an old soul.
Dear Nahash, welcome to my blog series “The Miracle of Music”. Tell me at what age did you discover your love and passion for music?
I always knew there was a musical aspect to my life. I probably didn’t understand it all at once, but music has always been special to me. I wanted to have an album since I was 11, and I could see myself on a stage singing my heart out with the simple words of songs that relate to others. It was not till high school, however, that this gift started manifesting as I joined an Acapella group and started writing songs a lot more. Some of my most treasured songs were written during this period. Music for me has just been a gift that has kept on growing and giving.
What instruments do you play?
I play the piano and guitar (slightly). I am just recently trying to be serious on improving both, so I can have different interpretations of my music. I am a self-taught instrument player so it’s my ears that have been quite useful in my learning journey. Not to mention my music, that I write using the piano most times. I inherited a keyboard from my older siblings, and I would experiment songs that I heard everyday. I was quite bad at it, but the thought of getting better pushed me to learn more and more. I am still learning.
When did you start to write your first song lyrics?
I wrote my first song when I was around 7 or 8. It was an assignment the science teacher gave- that we should write a song about teeth so we could remember. Only two of us wrote the song, and the other person wrote a song that borrowed a known tune and copied lyrics from the science text book. It was quite cliché. When it was my turn, I stood up and sang my song, and it had a catchy tune that everyone got quite quick. A few moments later, everyone in class was up jumping and singing the chorus to the song. I couldn’t believe my song had such an impact on people’s well-being and happiness. It would be just the start of this amazing gift of writing music.
I wrote my next song 3 years later, a sad song, following a neighbor’s daughter’s death. It was quite scary for me to understand death, so I was sad and I wrote a song about our help coming from God alone. Many more songs followed after this, and the gift has gotten better with more use.
Your Teeth story is excellent, considering the fact that you now study dental surgery. :-) Do you think you have your love for music in your DNA? Are your parents or siblings into music as well?
I believe music is a huge part of who I am. I think it was engraved in my making, and God knew it would be something I would need to help Him change other peoples’ lives. From people going through depression, others who’ve lost parents and relationships, my heartaches and paths of life have been penned down in these musical presentations to help others during their pain.
My siblings have the musical gift for sure, and my mum used to sing actively as she grew up. However, each of them has a different interpretation of music and its importance in the path of their lives- understandable. I’m grateful that we’re all different, and that we get to see things differently and live life how we see and interpret it.
Nahash, do you believe that music has the power to heal? Do you believe in the miracle of music?
Music definitely has the power to heal. Most of my music has been written during the hardest of my times. I usually say that it’s possible for one to know everything about me just from listening to my music. It’s an extension of my journey in a bid to find joy, peace and love. Who’s not looking for these things anyway? I still wonder how I could think of some powerful lyrics that I’ve written- it’s beyond me! I only see this now as miracles through which God spoke to me, to help me past the hard times and help others in theirs by sharing my music. Haven’t we all heard of music therapy helping millions of people with different challenges mentally and physically to get better?
I personally know many who’ve written messages to me, thanking me for relating to their most difficult life seasons, and I know this is more than just the words, it’s the music and the moods created by the different sounds. That’s why many always have a pair of headphones on while going about their day, and speakers at different spaces to calm them, get them excited, help them cry and let go of their emotions. Music can heal. It’s helped many heal, including me.
I agree. Also, Music brings people from all generations, countries, cultures, and religions together. Do you have an explanation why?
There’s something about music. It connects diverse cultures and people in a way we can’t explain. I think the ear, being one of the most important senses, has a special part to play in connecting us. Music not only talks about common human suffering and emotion, but there’s a story in every beat, tune, sound that makes us relate to what is being performed or sung- whether good or bad. We can consciously or subconsciously understand what the sound is telling us to do, how it makes us feel.
Music tells the stories we are afraid to tell in ways we don’t think about. And this affects every human being differently. That’s powerful for me. It means there’s ways certain music can affect us even when we don’t realize.
Nahash, what do you like to achieve with your inspiring lyrics? What is your goal? What’s your main message to the world?
My music is quite simple, repetitive and sweet. It’s the kind of person I am. I don’t like shouting, or noise for that matter. I really enjoy people singing along to the songs, because it means that they will think about the songs longer than that 3 minute presentation. That’s what I’d like- for people to really think about the music and see how it helps them in their growth towards joy, peace and love.
It’s for the hurting to know they aren’t alone and that there’s a small brother (or older) who empathizes with their circumstances and wants them to know this too shall pass.
My lyrics hope to achieve a sense of bringing up issues not talked about often in Christianity- like self-esteem issues, that I personally have had to struggle through. My project “The Love Flowchart” was exactly this, a project looking at self-esteem from a young Christian man’s perspective. It’s funny how people listen to these projects and say “That’s me too!” That’s exactly what I believe my music is about- relating and helping each other find help.
Wonderful. Tell me why should people listen to your music?
My goal is to let others know that we all go through hard times most times, good ones sometimes, but this isn’t always a reflection of our identity. You aren’t your struggles. For those struggling with guilt, you still have a chance to make things right. Those struggling with anxiety, there’s hope for you. And you who feels like a nobody? You are the best thing that ever happened to us. We need your light! Let’s help each other find it! My message is that there’s a void in each of our hearts, and all we’re chasing won’t fill this heart. Only God will.
If you go through hard times, you definitely need to listen to the music. It’s not the complicated type, but it’s the kind that leaves you knowing that there’s hope for whatever season you’re in. If you are human, you definitely should listen to my music- cause my music is meant for the weary and those who need time to reflect on what has been and what will be, if they hold on and just have faith. We all feel this way, so let’s listen to the music! And just to add, I sing pretty good, hahahaha.
You sing beautiful. I love your angelic voice. You sing mainly gospel music. For those who don't have much experience, what makes gospel different than other music genres?
My genre is
predominantly Spiritual/Gospel/Christian, predominantly because my relationship with faith has helped me find my identity more and more. In my darkest times,
when all these lyrics would come; at 2am, when I cried while writing ‘Nuru Gizani’ (translated Light in the Dark), a song about guilt and shame, all I
could find was a still small voice asking me to trust in God. He’s the point at which everything rotates for me, and I believe, for you too.
I will sing about love and mental health and all these other things, but only in relation to the source of all good things, which I believe is God. I understand that it may not be a genre that some of the readers really turn to, but it reminds me that there’s a power that’s higher than me that can help me no matter what I go through all I need is some faith. It’s freeing to know someone stronger has your back. That’s what makes this genre different. It’s much more than we can ever think or imagine. Think of all your dreams. Imagine something even better! That’s what I believe God has in store of all of us.
Beautifully said. I have to say your YouTube channel is incredibly inspiring. I could watch your videos and listen to your wise and heartwarming words for hours. You are only 23 but so wise, do you have an explanation for why you are the way you are?
Thank you for the
compliments on the YouTube Channel (Check it out if you haven’t)
Yeah, I’m 23 and just getting a hang of real life I guess, but I’ve learned a lot of painful lessons from my experiences and that of others, as well as life lessons to get through, so I’m sharing as much as I can through the platforms available.
I am currently doing a Mental Health Podcast called Mind+Faith as well as music to keep us reminded or the miracles available for us in faith. I am grateful that I can learn more and more to keep making the world a better place, or even better, help make better people in a terrible world!
I am eager to help
people with their Christian Creative projects, and willing to mentor younger
(and older) people who want to grow musically in lyric writing and music
writing as well.
Nahash, I have no doubt, that you will achieve a lot more with your songwriting and singing than you imagine today. I look forward to hearing more of your inspiring and empowering work. Thank you for being my guest. If all people from your generation would think, believe and act the way you do, I don't have to be worried about the future!
You are truly one of a kind. Please never ever doubt yourself. Keep shining! All the best in everything you do. God bless you for being such a lovely and gifted young man.
If you like to follow Nahash's journey and support him, this is the link to his website, social media sites, and all music stores.
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