The force behind Watoto Choir

Jan 06, 2002

KPC Senior Pastor Gary Skinner and his family are all talented musicians

By Dibele DennisIN 1983, Gary and Marilyn Skinner moved with their family to Kampala to plant an English speaking church in the heart of the city. Kampala Pentecostal Church (KPC) now a 7,000 plus member congregation, is touching the city and the nation with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Uganda has endured devastation due to war and disease leaving close to two million Ugandans dead since the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic. This gave the Skinners the vision of looking after the suffering orphaned children in Uganda. They promptly started up the ‘Watoto Child Care Ministry’.But what better way to rich out to the battered soul than through the the food of love – music. Next thing, the Skinner family: Gary and Marilyn with their children Timothy, Rachel and James picked up the latest studio technology. Their mission was non other than the orphaned Watoto Children’s Choir Ministry. Rev. Gary Marilyn Skinner particularly started it back in 1991.Gary who is the KPC Senior Pastor today says “As a family we are talented in music. Actually all of us took music lessons and this explains why the whole family is involved in this ministry in Canada and Kenya.” He says the whole family went back to Canada and performed in churches with each taking on a key role.Gary met Marilyn in 1973 on a musical team that did street and school music evangelism in Canada. He says, “my wife studied music up to University level and specialised in piano.”.Recording of Watoto music is done at the project studio at KPC building which accommodates between 30-40 people. It is a modern facility fitted with a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). It is also dual functional with a video production facility. On average, the studio can do up to three hours of video and 10 hours of audio production. “Having done some recordings with Hope Mukasa, we felt it was time to have our own studios,” says Timothy.Timothy Skinner, who is the children’s choir team leader explains that Watoto music is a fusion of popuular African sounds with western style. They take contemporary African music and modify the sound to come up with a quality product akin to Jazz or classic. The western styles they use are mostly rock and contemporary Christian music. At the moment, together with younger brother, James, Timothy does the recording of the Watoto music that they use during their tour of Europe and the United States.Having been raised up in a pastor’s home (his Dad Gary Skinner), he was encouraged to participate in Christian music right from a very early age. However, it was partly a natural gift-something he considers a blessing from God. Born in 1975, Timothy-the first born, spent most of his time particularly in Zambia, taking Piano lessons. He went to Nakuru, Kenya in a British boarding school from 1984-1990, attending High School in Canada before going to Bible College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA where he took part in pastoral ministry and church music as well.Timothy joined The Watoto music ministry in1999 and is responsible for writing and producing, with the help of James, two-thirds of the music Watoto perform today.Timothy says, “music is a medium for our message which is the love and power of God that has changed our lives”. This message they spread by way of holding concerts dubbed ‘Concert of Hope’ to congregations of about 3000-5000 where the children tell a story through their music about the joy of Christ, suffering and thepain they go through. They subsequently ask people to respond through donations.James Skinner, the last born, who is still single is not any different Born. In 1979 in Kalulushi village, Zambia, he grew up listening to music. He is a pure African who enjoys posho and beans.He studied at the School of Audio Engineering in Nashville, Tennessee, the biggest and music studios in the world.Rachel 24 the only “rose between the two thorns” (only girl besides Timothy and James) is equally musical. She recently completed a degree in General Studies and is currently working in the Watoto office in Canada. Single though not searching, she regularly sings with the children’s choir.Early this year, the Watoto office sent promotional material to the US Secretary of State Collin Powell who later acknowledged receiving the material and pledged his support. “The Watoto perform in big shopping malls, schools, on TV programmes like 700 club and Turning point among other places. The 100 Huntley Street studio and the local media give news flashes about their performance,” says James.Aimee Skinner wife to Timothy does the choreography, costume design and production for the children. She also trains the adults. She is in charge of preparing the training manual for the Watoto tour annually. The biggest selling Watoto album is Baraka Za Mungu and What The Lord has done for me” The choir makes three trips annually taking 18 children (nine boys and nine girls). The first Watoto choir went to Canada in 1994 and so far seven different choirs have undertaken the same tour.At the moment, Watoto is developing the City of Hope, a community intended to fulfill its mission by providing academic, vocational and spiritual training for the children. Already Watoto Children’s Ministry has three villages that accommodate close to 400 orphaned children (aged between one and three), whose parents have died of AIDS. Olive Gardens on Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road has eight homes. There is Buloba Children’s Home which occupies approximately 25 acres and Biira Children’s Home, the biggest, with about 40 homes. Each home accommodates eight children with a ‘mother” who looks after them. The homes provide elementary school for 250 children with fresh running water and flashing toilets. The first primary school in Buloba is called Ivan Donald Rayner, after an old missionary who inspired Gary between 1985-88.The 50 acres of land at Seguku has the first phase to begin in 2003 that will integrate academic and vocational studies. The volunteers are doing work and the farm project too to enable these children have their own food.

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