He is the wind that makes our music fly, says Betty
Sep 03, 2012
John Senyonjo, 40, is the husband of Betty Nakibuuka, 37, a celebrated gospel musician. The two are parents of Gloria Mulungi, a.k.a Baby Gloria 11, also a singer. Nakibuuka credits the success she and her daughter have attained to Senyonjo.
John Senyonjo, 40, is the husband of Betty Nakibuuka, 37, a celebrated gospel musician. The two are parents of Gloria Mulungi, a.k.a Baby Gloria 11, also a singer. Nakibuuka credits the success she and her daughter have attained to Senyonjo. But beyond the musical success, lies a humble beginning, as Samuel Lutwama found out.
How they met
John Senyonjo first met Betty Nakibuuka through a friend, who later turned out to be ‘go-between’.
“At that time, I felt I was ready for marriage and was searching for a woman designed for me by God. When I prayed for a wife, he revealed Betty as the woman whom I was destined to spend the rest of my life with,” Ssenyonjo recalls.
When he was sure Betty was the lady for him, he sought her hand in marriage.
“In 1998, when I first saw John in the company of my friend, I did not think one day he would be my husband. The only thing I knew about him was that he was a staunch Christian,” says Betty.
Betty was in her early twenties and under pressure from several men who wanted to marry her. One day, in 1998, as she chatted with a friend about marriage, she reminded Betty about John in a way that set her feelings in motion.
“Do you remember the guy we met (referring to John)? He wants to befriend you and possibly marry you one day,” her friend said. From that revelation, she got closer to John.
Betty was still a virgin and had vowed only to break it with her husband. “I had prayed and vowed to maintain my sexual purity until I was married.
Because of that, I was careful about whoever tried to entice me into love,” she says.
On the day, her friend told her about John’s feelings for her, she got excited. Prior to their first date, they prayed for God’s blessings, and, everything seemed to fall in place.
First date
Betty narrates: “On our first date, we chose for a quiet place, away from the preying eyes of church members who could easily misunderstand the essence of our meeting.
“We opted for Pope Paul Memorial Centre canteen. While there, he expressed his feelings, but my answer was simple. “I fear God and there is no way I can do something against God’s will. So, let us pray about it. And then we parted,” she recalls.
On her way back home, in her heart rang the words of Dutch pop group, Maywood’s song, I am in love for the very first time and at the same time, she had the same song playing in the background.
“The words of love were a clear indication that he was likely to be my future husband,” she says. After sometime, she sent a surprise card to John. It had the words ‘My heart tells me that you are the one’.
From that time on, there was no turning back. They solemnised their marriage a year later, in 1999, in a wedding on November 13 at Full Gospel Church, Makerere. On a beautiful day in 2001, the couple got their first child in Mengo Hospital. She was named Baby Gloria Mulungi Senyonjo.
“Gloria showed interest in singing, right from her childhood. At three years, we helped her compose an album,” recalls Gloria’s father.
“She was such a joyful child, always full of humour and loved singing,” says Betty. In the subsequent years, the couple had their second child Jolly Mirembe. Gloria and Jolly attend the same school, Sir Appolo Kaggwa Primary. Gloria is in P.6 while Jolly is in Top Class.
Challenges
Like any other couple with different backgrounds, the two had their challenges and they had to adjust in order to blend their characters, according to John. “Fortunately, we were both devouted Christians, so we found it easy to reach a compromise.”
John describes his wife as a loving, assertive, hospitable and caring person. “I credit her for building me into who I am today,” John says.
John, who describes himself as a stern but quiet person, says he is compassionate and delights in the progress of others. “I prefer to be in the background than in the spotlight.”
Betty’s story
My husband is an organised man, a sharp contrast to my character. I was a bit a messy and was always the one who misplaced the keys and littered the house.
Initially, that brought strife in our relationship, but with time, we adjusted. Neither of us is perfect, so we dwell more on our strong points. John’s love for me has been constant since his proposal.
He is also gifted with a helping hand. For instance, he is someone who would like to create a star from an ordinary person.
The submissive Betty
I believe that it does not matter how high a woman scales up in society, she is mandated by God to be submissive to her husband. When couples do not adhere to biblical principles regarding marriage, they crumble.
Being a musical star does not stop me from being submissive. I have learnt that my success in music is derived from the level of submission to my husband. In the same way, as parents, we have tried to talk to our daughter from being carried away by her fame.
Conflict
Betty says the 13 years of marriage has taught them that making and breaking their love is in their hands, not anyone else.
“Since no one was there at the start of our love, it is only God who can solve our challenges in marriage. In the beginning of our marriage, whenever something irritated me, I would keep silent for long. But for the sake of harmony in our marriage, John would apologise, despite the fact that he had not done anything wrong.”
John’s take on disagreements
Disagreements are inevitable when people from different backgrounds come together. However, what is important is how the challenges are sorted out. Betty and I always try to sort out our problems before they get out of hand.
We have learnt the power of saying sorry and of forgiveness. In the same breath, every relationship has something unique that breaks it or makes it thrive. Ours thrives on the fact that we work together as a family. Although I am not gifted in singing, I have a gift in managing the talents of my wife and our daughter.
Defined roles
John says marriage is built on understanding, communication and mutual respect. “I am the head of the family, but my wife and our daughter are the focal point, because they are always in the spotlight because of their music.
As a husband and father, I have to empower them to soar to greater heights. Despite her celebrity status, my wife remains a wife and a mother in our home.
Before I married her, she was already a musician. I knew I had to support her and I believe I have done my best.
Despite the glamour that surrounds the musical career of our daughter, we have tried to raise Gloria just like any other child.
For instance, she does house chores like other children we have at home. We try to inculcate moral values in her, despite the fact that she is a rising star. We believe where your talent can take you, your character and moral values can bring you down.
As Christians, we believe in raising our children in a way that pleases God. We discuss with Gloria how she should behave in public and always caution her on hanging out with wrong characters who could corrupt her morals.”
Baby Gloria’s awards
In 2010, she won the Tumaini Musical Award and in 2011, she bagged The Olive Musical Award. She also won a Wavamuno Education Scholarship. On her recent tour of America, she teamed up with International Children Friendship and as a result, some American families sent their children to spend summer holidays with Gloria’s family in Uganda.