Kenny Saint Best is a gospel artiste of repute. This mother of two has been into gospel music for over a decade, starting her career in 1997 when the industry was not as attractive as it is today. From her early tracks such as You are Worthy and Heaven Came Down to the more recent Turn Me Around and Mo Ti Goke, her music has evolved to suit an array of listeners.
Yes, I still do gospel music but my own music style is different; it’s simple and contemporary. It goes with today’s music. It is not like when I started. I was doing church gospel music. But I must say that when I started, there were not too many people doing gospel music. Now that a lot of people are into it, God now pushed some of us out to do music the way the mainstream people do it such that our music cannot be relegated to just gospel. My gospel music is mainstream-friendly.
Apart from music, you are also into food business; what is it all about?
This is all about outdoor catering and our menus are named after our celebrities. I have menus like Don Jazzi, Jennifer, Genevieve and Ali Baba. A lot of people are asking for food that is named after me. I have one named after me which of course is my favourite food but we haven’t really made it official. I name my food by looking at the celebrities. In other words, we use their names to match the food.
Kenny Saint Best
How was your childhood?
As a child, I went to a boarding school. It was a very strict school where laws and issues of morality, church attendance and teaching were top on our agenda. My mum was strict. There were five boys who were my elders. I didn’t have girls that I had to learn to dress like. Thus, dressing, wearing trousers come naturally because I grew up among males. I had people that checked me though. That is why if you look closely at my ears, I don’t do double piercing that so many ladies are having today. I have no ankle chain or tattoo! My sister, Mrs. Dokpesi, was always with a cane and she warned that I should not dress anyhow. I couldn’t do jerry curl when it was in vogue. That’s the kind of upbringing I had – where I still have people checking me.
But we have seen you in bustier before?
Yes, I love wearing topless a lot and she would tell me ‘even, you a gospel artiste, still wear topless’. She would look at me somehow and I understand such a look. She can’t cane or beat me again. I know what that look means and I would quickly take away my face. Imagine, at my age, I still have someone who is ready to give me a hard knock. That was how I was brought up and the same way I’m bringing up my children. These days, my daughter wears something and she would come and ask me if what she is wearing is too short so that she would wear leggings under. I also want to thank God for the kind of school my children attend. There, a lot of good things are being practised.
Apart from music, what makes you happy?
What makes me happy most is when I get a problem solved for someone. When somebody has an issue and I stick out my neck to find a solution, to be a source of inspiration, to be a helping hand, to sacrifice myself. Sacrificial living gives me joy which can come in different ways. Another thing that makes me happy is cooking. I love to buy vegetables, pepper, okra and rush home to cook to make someone happy with a good food.
Another thing that makes me happy is prayer coupled with worship. I love to praise. I don’t pray because there is a need for prayer. I pray because my soul travels in the place of prayer. I want to stay there because that is where my soul is being taken over by the higher spirit and I’m there floating and feeling the love of God. You know that God is love, so feeling that love makes me happy. It’s not that somebody is laying hands on you, not because you have a problem, so you pray and an answer has been granted. No, it’s just being in His presence that makes me happy. That is when I get my strength to go give sacrifice to other people. Apart from prayer, dancing makes me happy. I love to dance. Dressing up may not make me happy because looking good is a lifestyle. I look in front of the mirror and I look like something that is out of a fashion magazine. It feels good but it is not that it makes me happy because it’s a lifestyle. Another thing that makes me happy is falling in love, having someone to love. My body cries for it, I want to pour love, be there for someone, help and make somebody laugh. I want to see joy on other people’s faces. That is the ultimate for me.
How do you reconcile your crashed marriage with someone to pour love on and make happy?
I don’t want to talk about my marriage. It is not necessary to be in marriage and you cannot show love. A lot of people are in marriage and they are just playing a role.
What should women who are in marriage where they are just playing a role do?
Such people I would say haven’t found purpose. When you find purpose for why you are here and you are fulfilling it, it brings happiness, growth and prosperity. Prosperity is not always money. A lot of people have money and they are still looking for peace, joy and happiness. If you are not happy in your marriage, you need a break because that is no longer marriage.
What then is marriage?
Let me tell you what marriage is! The meaning of marriage for me at this level is true friends that have agreed to tolerate themselves for the rest of their lives. In it, there is a place for love, provision and compatibility. But in a lot of marriages, friendship is not there. They are apparently co-tenants. If you chose to continue in such a situation, it’s up to you. If in your marriage, your self esteem is being abused, you can’t be productive or fulfill a purpose because where your soul, spirit or where purpose cries out from has been abused. You need to be whole so you can fulfill the role of a wife. If you try your best to win your husband and he doesn’t want, let him go and you get your life. A lot of women don’t have their lives.
Aren’t you thinking of remarrying?
Marriage is not a destiny. It is part of what would help one fulfill her destiny; it’s not end in itself. Personally, I have found purpose and I’m fulfilling it., I have met the goal of my life. My vision is being renewed. I have passed them the assignments I have been given. If the next assignment involves marriage, I would be married. I am an embodiment of endearment, love and sweetness. I am taking time to see myself as the right person. If you are not right for yourself, it would be wrong for you to wait for Mr. right. When you are the right person, every person that comes across your life, not necessarily to date you or to marry you, would be right. At my age and level, I have been married once. I have two beautiful children; what do I want really? Right now, I’m more focused on value. I take this also so as to produce value. There is no way the man finds me and he would let me go. It is making myself available to be found that is the job, but that is also not my priority.
Why did you change your name from Kenny Saint Brown to Kenny Saint Best?
I dropped the name in order to move to greater things. I want to say that I have moved beyond the whole saga around me then and my divorce is in totality. I always try to be the best in what I do, and I have been achieving my set goals. I am now to be called Kenny Saint Best.
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