A Dialogue with Singer Songwriter: Chris Ndeti
Recently, Bella Magazine caught up with Chris Ndeti for a round of 5 questions. Who were some of your musical heroes and influences growing up? Do you find elements of them in your work today? My mom grew up in Brooklyn during the 50s. She sang with her local girl group at The Apollo Theater before it was televised. So I grew up listening to the doo-wop, rock, and pop of that era. My dad is from Kenya, so I would listen to popular tunes from Kenyan artists. In my tween years I began branching out on my own music ventures. I started listening to an Atlanta radio station 99X. […]
A Case for Self-Love
Loving yourself unapologetically is the greatest thing you can do for another. Reread that sentence slowly. If everyone acted in soul-aligned, self-loving ways, what beauty could we create together? What happiness and harmony would ring throughout the world? Life would be magical for all. Instead, many of us seek acknowledgment or external love by bending into a pretzel of pain and misery. Let’s debunk the myth that self-love is selfish. If supplemental oxygen is deemed necessary on a plane, step one is putting on your own oxygen mask. It’s important to make sure you’re receiving oxygen before you help others — if you’re breathing, you can help provide breath for […]
Be in Love with Life
The “Amore” Issue! I love Love. I drive my daughters crazy with this notion. But it is true. “The Rose” was the very first song I can recall memorizing. I learned it at a church camp in Colorado Springs the summer after completing 7th grade. At the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains we spent hours singing this song, rehearsing for the performance we would give our families at the end of the camp. Ever since, I have been singing this song to myself when I cannot go to sleep — it has always proven more effective than counting sheep or singing “99 bottles of beer on the wall.” Over […]