Achieng Abura

Achieng Abura, referred to as Lydia Achieng Abura, (died 20 October 2016) was a Kenyan singer who performed Afro-jazz, Afro-fusion, and gospel music.

Quotes

• "For me I wanted to use my music to have a positive change into the society, and positive change is not only spiritual change. Positive change for me has been a peace activist, an environmental activist, women empowerment and girl empowerment".
  • Sapat Diary Oct 21, 2016

• "You are limitless, you are in control of so many things, they are superficial. You are an entertainer, the minute you are off that stage don't expect, do not carry that euphoria to the rest of your life"
  • GBS Kenya Oct 1, 2012
• I’ve got a lot of support from the French government. Even my work with Africa Fête is under them. The collaboration with Saintrick was initiated by them and they still give the collaboration a lot of support
  • Tribute Paid to Kenyan Singer and Social Justice AdvocateArtMatters.Info(December 22, 2016)
• I have always played my music by ear and I could do music by Michael Jackson within the first year of getting my piano
  • Tribute Paid to Kenyan Singer and Social Justice AdvocateArtMatters.Info(December 22, 2016)
• I want to transform our society. I write about the girl child, women, environment, and even politics
  • Tribute Paid to Kenyan Singer and Social Justice AdvocateArtMatters.Info(December 22, 2016)
• I want my music to make a difference by changing somebody’s opinion about life
  • Tribute Paid to Kenyan Singer and Social Justice AdvocateArtMatters.Info(December 22, 2016)
• I was torn between gospel and secular and I switched to secular because I wanted my music to bring positive change and not just spiritual change, but also peace, environmental protection, women and girl child empowerment
  • Tribute Paid to Kenyan Singer and Social Justice AdvocateArtMatters.Info(December 22, 2016)
• We cannot give lip service to peace, reconciliation and national cohesion
  • Tribute Paid to Kenyan Singer and Social Justice AdvocateArtMatters.Info(December 22, 2016)
• We must fight to restore hope in our country, in our people
  • Tribute Paid to Kenyan Singer and Social Justice AdvocateArtMatters.Info(December 22, 2016)
• Sports teams, athletes and artistes continue to suffer because of gross mismanagement and bloated corruption. The Olympics just unearthed a sordid situation yet the same people remain in their jobs. Is it that we owe them jobs?
  • Tribute Paid to Kenyan Singer and Social Justice AdvocateArtMatters.Info(December 22, 2016)
• The Ministry needs a thorough clean up, top to bottom’¦This nonsense has to stop! We work hard to build our careers, the Sports and Culture Ministry cannot be the boulder tied to our feet. It must change
  • Tribute Paid to Kenyan Singer and Social Justice AdvocateArtMatters.Info(December 22, 2016)
• Everybody should strive to make the world a better place than they found it. My goal as a musician has always been to lift the Kenyan music industry to international standards
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• The values I live by are integrity, being principled, being understanding and considerate
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• Leadership is not only for men. Women can also be good leaders and I wish more women would be confident enough to venture into political leadership
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• I am still a farm girl. I know how to milk a cow, plant crops… everything to do with farming
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• I always sang in the house. I just loved singing. When I was in Class Seven, at the age of 12, my mother bought me my first piano as a present for passing my exams. I was excited!
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• When the teacher realised that I wasn’t very interested in formal music, he started teaching me how to play other notes, opening me up to the kind of music I wanted to make. I was also the school pianist
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• When I started out in 1991, the Kenyan music industry was young. There were artistes such as Mary Atieno, Faustin Munishi and the Kassangas, people who had established themselves in the gospel music industry. When I came in with a more Western kind of gospel music, it was an instant hit. People like change
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• My position is that every artiste has to get an education. I have travelled to many places, and I have been the Goodwill Ambassador for WWF and UNDP and wherever I go, people respect me because of my education
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• The other people I grew up listening to included Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Letta Mbulu, Salif Keita, and Angélique Kidjo. I got a lot of support because at the time, Afro-fusion music had been quiet for a while
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• I am fascinated by science and its logicality. For me, things must always add up
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• My family was shocked by my decision. I am a single parent, so they were worried for me. But I really believed in my decision. I knew I could still incorporate my education in other projects
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• My position is that every artiste has to get an education. I have travelled to many places, and I have been the Goodwill Ambassador for WWF and UNDP and wherever I go, people respect me because of my education
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• I can speak authoritatively on issues and people listen. Also when you are an artiste in Africa, you probably won’t have a strong team to help you brand yourself and manage your career. You have to do most of it yourself. A good education will help you manage all that.
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• Continue developing yourself to the highest level possible.
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• There are a lot of artistes who are intelligent but have been forced to brand themselves as dumb. That is not the way to go! Don’t dumb yourself down for music. Don’t belittle or degrade yourself.
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• I get an inspiration, then I record on my phone and when I get home, I play it out on my piano and record it on my phone again
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• It had a whole album recorded on it. That made me really sad
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• Those were three splendid years. I really like helping young artistes to discover who they are musically
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• In the early 2000s, the Kenyan music industry was on an upward trend, but I fear that we have stagnated.
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• The FM stations are largely to blame. They play only a certain type of music from certain artistes. They have formed some sort of cartel, which makes it hard for new artistes to break into the industry.
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• There are many artistes making good music, but Kenyans never get to know them. For someone like me, it doesn’t really matter whether the radio stations play my music or not as I have an established clientele. My worry is for the upcoming artistes
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• I think we are going about it the wrong way. The music pirates have a very efficient system of distributing music and instead of fighting them, the government should work with them, legitimise them and bring them together with the artistes. That way, ‘pirates’ can pay artistes for their music. It will work for everybody in the end. The pirate will now be a legitimate business person and the artiste will earn money
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• I feel that women are not well represented in politics. Right now I am weighing if it would be a great idea to get into politics or to just continue fighting for change from outside. What I know for sure is that I will continue the battle until the music sector becomes an independent, structured industry. I believe that the people who come after me should have something better for my having been there
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• Yes, it can be done. Other African artistes have won it, so why not me?
  • Achieng Abura – Afro-jazz songbird with a causeKenyayearbook(May 6, 2022)
• As a mother of a 21-year old, I am here to represent the pain of bereaved mothers
  • Concert for Garissa terror attack victimsMusic In Africa( May 29,2015)
• Let us come together and pray for those who we have truly lost
  • Concert for Garissa terror attack victimsMusic In Africa( May 29,2015)
• I want my music to change somebody’s opinion about life
  • Why Achieng’ Abura’s life is not so rosyBusiness Daily(July 07, 2016)
• I believe music is a gift from God
  • Why Achieng’ Abura’s life is not so rosyBusiness Daily(July 07, 2016)
• I’ve been living off my music for the longest time
  • Why Achieng’ Abura’s life is not so rosyBusiness Daily(July 07, 2016)
• I’m becoming a little political.
  • Why Achieng’ Abura’s life is not so rosyBusiness Daily(July 07, 2016)
• Taking light to the dark side
  • Why Achieng’ Abura’s life is not so rosyBusiness Daily(July 07, 2016)
• This is who I am
  • Why Achieng’ Abura’s life is not so rosyBusiness Daily(July 07, 2016)
• Meet me as a child of God.
  • Why Achieng’ Abura’s life is not so rosyBusiness Daily(July 07, 2016)
• I want my son to be proud of me.
  • Why Achieng’ Abura’s life is not so rosyBusiness Daily(July 07, 2016)
• I have lost over 50 kgs in the last three Years. Everything is hanging and weak. Walking is a problem with pains all over
  • Popular Kenyan songstress Achieng Abura dies at KNHdiaspora Messenger(October 20, 2016)