Ogwang, the deep voice behind hymns

Steven Ogwang, 62, a gospel artiste and leader of Living Sound Gospel Choir, gets a standing ovation when he completes a hymn in a mellifluous sound at any given day in church.

Recently, Ogwang was singing It Is Well With My Soul, a hymn written by hymnist Horatio Spafford in the Church of Resurrection at Bugolobi Church of Uganda. Every note certainly makes more meaning and although almost everyone knew it they preferred to listen to it from his deep and powerful voice.

With his audible voice, one could mistake it for recorded music and most of all; Ogwang never seems to get tired of singing.
“With the gift of voice God gave me, I never get tired because I have sang on two concerts a day and in those concerts, I could sing for one-and-a-half hours nonstop,” says Ogwang.

He started singing hymns in 2010 and says it was God’s calling. “The Lord spoke to me to restore the beauty, impact and enjoyment of hymns while doing ministry in Mbale.”

He is well-versed with hymns in many languages such as English, Luganda, Lugbara, Ateso, Runyankole, Kiswahili and Kinyarwanda, one could think he has been singing hymns all his life.

Wondering how he is able to sing in all those languages, he says: “The notes go with the words so we only get one person from a needed tribe to help with articulation of words.”

He owns Ogwang Studio at his home in Entebbe. He and the Living Sound Choir record the hymns in various languages and sell them in different churches and on a van on different streets of Kampala especially Wandegeya and Ntinda.

At the moment the Ogwanga Studio is the only accredited studio to record vibrant hymns after a recommendation from the former Archbishop, Dr Henry Luke Orombi to the province.

“Whenever we have gone to sing and preach, there has been an overwhelming response. We have ministered to more than 300 congregations both traditional Anglican and Pentecostal churches,” he says.

The Living Sound Choir is slowly doing away with the myth that the Anglican Church is boring because of its rigid way of worship. Ogwang says hymns have a lot of energy but people don’t have the skills to bring them out. He adds that choirs need training to be able to sing in a lively way coupled with action to be able to inspire the congregation that follows suit.

Apart from hymns, Ogwang has more than 40 original compositions that through which he and the Living Sound Choir have been ministering globally.

How he has benefitted
Their greatest concerts were in 1991 where they staged more than 300 concerts in the United Kingdom, Germany, and The Netherlands in a space of 10 months. It is during this time that he says he was able to save some money to buy a plot of land in Entebbe.

Through the ministry, he has been able to build a four-bedroom house on that piece of land and started a Non-Government Organisation; Gogonyo Development Initiative.

The NGO has, among others, planted 10 acres of trees, offered 200 computers and scholastic materials to schools and built a Medical Centre in Gogonyo, Palisa District,

Looking back, he says he tapped the singing gift from his parents who were regular churchgoers. “We used to have prayers every evening and during the prayers; my dad used to sing hymns with vigour and enthusiasm. During church services, his voice stood out,” he says, adding that, “My mother also did her chores like grinding millet with a song.”

Life story
Born in a family of four boys to Ezekiel Okuni and Angella Alupo, Ogwang’s first choir experience was at St Matthew’s Church in Gogonyo village in Pallisa District.

Due to peer pressure, he chose to leave secondary school studies and started singing secular music especially Lingala songs. His academic performance, thus, was not good enough to take him to university.
It is then that he pursued a teaching courseand taught at Bukonte S.S. But he confesses to have been a perennial drunkard and frequented night social hangouts.

In 1975, Ogwang got married to Mary Ogwang and together they have six children.

His devotion to the Lord happened one day when Escatos Brides choir in Bukonte where he had gone to minister. He fell in love with the choir and his calling started.

Ogwang repeated his A-Level exams in 1980 and passed to join Makarere University where he did Music, Dance, Drama, Literature in English and Religious studies. In his first year, he joined the Living Sound Choir, a choir he leads to date based at Redeemed of the Lord Evangelistic Church, Makerere.

Work
He has also worked for African Evangelistic Enterprise under the late Festo Kivengere and other re-known ministers like the Rt. Bishop Dr Edward Muhima in1983-1993 under a youth ministry “Wings of Hope.” Under wings of Hope he took part in different missions in Eastern Uganda

Ogwang’s dream is that the church can organise at least three hymn worship services in a year and to shoot hymnal videos. He hopes to design a radio programme which will draw the public to enjoy the hymns.

Own compositions
• 60th anniversary Makerere University song in his 3rd year in 1983.
• Composed the Kabojja S.S school anthem.
• Composed the World Vision 10th anniversary theme song in Uganda.
• Composed the Dabani girls Anthem
• Composed the Uweso Anthem.
• Composed the 1994 Electoral Commission song and play encouraging people to vote during the Constituency Assembly.