Music… the universal language.
Sometimes, we forget that musical influences can come from all parts of the world. It’s so easy for us to think about Alan Jackson, Keith Whitley, and others being the sole influence on today’s country artists coming out of the United States. Still, we often forget that those legends have reach far beyond the borders of the United States.
Earlier this year, the internet was blown away by a Chinese bluegrass artist, Eric Shi Garners, covering George Strait’s “Amarillo by Morning.” Shi said he found out about country music through CDs smuggled in and sold at night markets when he was younger. The sound of country music stuck with him, and he began to teach himself bluegrass.
While Shi was inspired by the sound we know and love from the Texan, George Strait, a new artist, is going viral, and his country music sound is influencing country listeners in the United States. A Kenyan singer, Maombi Samson, is going viral for one of his songs, capturing fans’ hearts internationally.
“My music blends traditional country sounds with modern influences, focusing on themes of love, religion, heartache, and life’s journey.”
He says on his YouTube page.
Emmanuel Get The Point, a TikTok account, shared his latest song, “Nitauimba Wimbo,” at the beginning of December. Turns out the song is actually a cover of “I’m Gonna Sing,” by the Gaither Vocal Band, but it’s hard to tell until you hear the full version with the verse in English. In his YouTube bio, he cites Gaither Music and Guy Penrod as two of his biggest influences.
At the time of writing, it had gained an impressive 4.1 million views. The song was made for the SDA Youth, a youth ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that aims to help youth build their relationship with God.
Samson’s thick and smooth vocals feature a slight twang as he delivers the song, and during each performance, Samson also wears a cowboy hat, which plays even more into the country inspiration he drew when creating this tune.
The beat of this song is beyond catchy, and I’ve found myself humming it a few times since I first watched the video. Check it out.
@emmanuelgetthepointNI WIMBO AMBAO♬ original sound – Emmanuel Get the point
We all know that the main attraction from viral events like this is the comments, so check out some of our favorite left across the videos Emmanuel Get The Point has shared of “Nitauimba Wimbo.”
“This is real country. I don’t know what he’s saying, but it’s either about how Jesus saved his soul, or his ex took his truck. Or both.”
“You know what, hell yeah.”
“You know Swahili? Now: Swahowdy.”
“As a Kenyan Texan, I love seeing my two identities cross over.”
“When you ask for country music but don’t specify which country.”
“This is better than 99% of what’s on “country” radio right now in America.”
“Legend has it that many consider George Strait ‘the Samson Maombi’ of the USA.”
“I beg your Dolly Pardon?”
“I’m about to put this on repeat at the bar in Texas tonight.”
“I can’t understand a word, but I’m digging this. And he has captured the spirit of country. It’s a feeling, and he found it.”
“He’s more country than most of the singers on the radio now.”
Here’s the official music video, which also features some of the English lyrics as as well:
