Controversial Kenyan musician Alex Ringtone Apoko has claimed that the church, rather than secular competition, is responsible for the decline of the country’s gospel music industry.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with Radio Generation, the artist argued that public criticism from religious leaders “killed” the genre’s momentum.
Ringtone suggested that pastors once used the popularity of gospel artists to gain their own relevance. He noted that at the height of the industry’s success, church leaders chose to shame artists publicly instead of offering private guidance.
The Role of the Church
According to Ringtone, many pastors acted more like critics than spiritual mentors. He believes this public shaming led the general public to view gospel artists as “bad people,” effectively removing them from the spotlight.
“The church is what hit us; it wasn’t even the people in the clubs,” the musician stated.
“Instead of being fathers and mothers and calling artists behind the curtain, they shamed them in public,” he added.
The singer argued that this internal conflict created a vacuum in the Kenyan market. As gospel music faded, secular hits filled the gap. He pointed out that even the children of these pastors now listen to secular tracks because the gospel alternative was dismantled by the church itself.
The Path to Revival
For gospel music to return to its former glory, Ringtone insists there must be a fundamental shift in how the church interacts with its artists. He believes the industry will only bounce back when powerful religious leaders and those with large platforms begin to appreciate the effort artists put into their ministry.
He called for church leaders to recognise that musicians are also preaching through their songs. He urged them to embrace and appreciate artists, suggesting that the same energy once used to finish the industry should now be used to support it.
“When they support us the way they finished us, gospel will return,” Ringtone claimed during the interview.
New Music Born in the Cells
Ringtone remains a figure of intense public interest, often defending his “controversial” nature by comparing his path to that of Jesus Christ. Towards the end of last year, he spent over a week in police custody at the Capitol Hill Police Station following a land-related dispute,.
Far from being a setback, the artist says the experience inspired his latest track, Neema. He explained that being taken out of his “comfort zone” in Runda and placed in a police cell gave him the perspective needed to write the song.
Ringtone concluded that he is now focused on his ministry and has no intention of switching to secular music. He hopes to use his platform to touch every generation through his faith-based work.
