PHOTO: Moses Sackie, a visually impaired songwriter and singer in an interview with The Stage media (TSM)
By Hannah Geterminah
Moses Sackie is a man on a mission. The visually impaired songwriter and singer has for the last decade used his soulful voice to win lost souls into the Kingdom of God; and also gain popularity as an acclaimed Liberian gospel musician.
He uses his musical talent as a tool for evangelism to covert many to Christianity. Although he sings predominately in his local dialect, Kpelleh, his songs are both captivating and soul touching that they resonate well with just anyone listening regardless of the your ethnic orientation.
Moses’ songs are among the many Kpelleh gospel songs that are being sung in homes, churches as well as market places due to the value he has added to his God given talent.
He has been able to produce four popular albums that are wildly listened to across Liberia. Moses strongly believes that God gave him the tone to win souls unto Him (God).
The visually Impaired Kpelleh gospel artist, who is also a father of four, told this Reporter in an interview that he has made more music to the glory of God that evangelized and won many souls to the Lord.
“I am glad that with my disability I can minister the word of God to many and make them turn to worship our Creator,” Moses said.
The track, “Yapalepoe, “meaning“ you will leave behind, which is also the title of the album, is the song that announced him to the public, he said.
Moses described the music, Yapalepoe, as a powerful force that has won the ears of many listeners across Liberia and brought them close to the Lord.
“That song introduced me to the country as well as won a lot of souls to Christ. When I made that music, it was done unknown to me but as God could have it, it got me to be well known to the public,” he explained.
Interpreting the song in English, Moses said: “The music says if we follow the sweetness of this world, and keep doing lots of evil to each other, when Jesus comes we will be left behind. It is a message that I was giving to the Liberian people about their relationship with God and the importance of true worship.”
He added, “That song was also informing believers who go to Church every Sunday morning but refuse to listen and practice the word of God that when Jesus Comes today, they will be left behind.”
According to Moses, since the album was produced and released, he has been invited to many church programs and other programs, including funerals, to perform and at all these events the people are usually eager to hear the famous ‘Yapalepoe’ song.
Even though he’s talented and sings beautifully, Moses is currently in search of a sponsor who will support him to enable him fulfill his dream by doing what he is passionate about, music.
Moses said his first sponsor who saw the gift in him, a man by the name of Peter Flomo, sought to ensure that his (Moses) passion was fulfilled. But unfortunately, Moses told the interview that the cold hands of death took him (Flomo) away.
“Since the death of my sponsor,” Moses said, “I have faced a lot of challenges including discrimination by other musicians who only want to use me for their personal interest and gains. “This makes me feel really bad but I have refused to get in the streets to bag like other visually impaired people even though I am not against them for doing so because that is the only way they can earn dailybread,” he said.
Moses praised his family members for being very supportive of his talent despite his condition and even in the face of discrimination from other musicians. “I refused to give up,” he said. As a response to mounting discrimination by many of his musical colleagues, Moses produced a music titled, “Lord I bring my case to you.”
He said the music expresses his feelings about the situation he’s facing and explains to God in the following lines, “I only eat but I do not see what I am eating; I have children, but I do not know their completion; people treat me the way to do only because of my condition but Lord I bring my case to you.”
The Liberian gospel musician’s major desire now is to have a sponsor who will help support his talent. “Now I need a connection that will enable me go above what I am doing because I have refused to be a bagger like some other friends who are living with disabilities and who have to beg in the streets for a living.”
He disclosed that making music is his passion and so for now he shares his sweet voice with some local gospel musicians. “
“However,” he said, “these musicians cannot afford to include me in most of their events because of the challenges associated with including me on their team especially when it comes to moving around the city during such events.
On the question of how his talent was discovered Moses explained that at a very young age in District#5, Bong County, he used to sing and worship God using old cups. He sometimes sang for churches and in communities until his sister brought him to Monrovia in 2002.
Moses said after he was brought to town by his sister, he started singing in the Church until he met his sponsor who took him to the studio where he started producing music for the public.
“When I was small, I discovered that God has placed something important in my life even though I could not see it then,” he said during the interview.
How he became blind
Moses was not born with visual impairment. According to him at the age of eight, he contracted measles infectious that subsequently damaged his sight.
Measles is an acute infection caused by the rubeola virus. It is highly contagious and usually seen in children. The measles virus (MV) belongs to the genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. The MMR vaccine is a three-in-one vaccination that can protect people from measles.
According to Moses, his parents who discovered the infection in its latter stages, later took him to the Phebe Hospital in Suacoco, Bong County for eye surgery. But it was after it had affected his eyes.
Unfortunately, they (parent and child) did not get a chance to meet the western doctor who was already traveling out of the country. Consequently, he could go through the eye surgery, thus they could not revive his vision.
The Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization, (WhO), in a recent survey conducted revealed that about 22,500 people are virtually impaired in Liberia. Dr. Joseph Kerkula, the Program Manager of the National Eye Health Program at the Ministry of Health attributed the cause of blindness in Liberia largely to cataract. Moses can be connected on cell#: (231) 0776296540
This Report was made possible with support from Internews Liberia Inclusive Media Project.