Watoto Children’s Choir: a politically incorrect review
May 4, 2006
First off, let me say that how I felt after watching the Watoto Children’s choir from Uganda was greatly tainted by my ignorance (and subsequent erroneous assumptions) of what I was getting myself into. I was under the vague impression that I was taking my kids to see “a troupe of dancing/singing kids from Africa”. Which was what I got, vaguely.
The story behind the choir is what is truly interesting. This is the intro on their website:
The mission of Watoto Child Care Ministries is to raise the next generation of Ugandan leaders by placing parentless children in families where the necessary love, care, spiritual discipleship and physical needs are provided. Our goal is to equip these precious children with the essential moral values and life skills that will enable them to make a significant and lasting impact on the future of their country and the Kingdom of God. Currently we are responsible for approximately 1300 children. Our goal is to care for 10,000 children in the future.
It is a truly remarkable endeavor. The mission takes in kids who’s parents have been killed, primarily by AIDS. They build houses and legally adopt the kids, placing them in a housing unit with a house mother and 7 other kids. Listening to these kids onstage talk about their past, seemingly without a trace of sadness, was something to behold. The choir has been travelling the world over since 1994, sharing their message of hope.
It’s actually quite slick. Although they used our school’s massive stage, sound and light equipment, they came with their own “mini-stage”, which somehow reminded me of an oversized marionette stage. Their traditional clothing were bright, shiny and uncrinkled, just like their smiles. Their timing and synch was excellent, and if it hadn’t been for a few technical problems, it would have been perfect.
Which is why I was so bothered by the choir’s use of a pre-recorded sound-track. Yes, they had microphones and they did sing. Each member was “solo-featured”, and for these parts, there was no dubbing. Was it really them singing on the track? My guess is yes it was, but they sounded much better on the track than live. I can see you roll your eyes now, thinking, “Who is this insensitive bastard?” Wait until you read what really bothered me.
The first number, African Prelude, was arguably the best one. It was the only one with some live musical intruments. It was also the only number that used a larger area of the stage, with some lively dancing. Of course, it was a dubbed number, but I didn’t know it then. (You can go to the website linked above and download the snippet they have of that song and compare it to the video :
The Watoto Child Care Ministry was set up by a couple of Pentecostal missionaries. The evangelical zeal associated with this church was present in every number. Once I had figured out their musical numbers were basically V.O’s, not to cringe, I had to constantly remind myself that they were victims every time there was a “Jesus, our lord and saviour, loves you” message, which unfortunately followed every song. Don’t get me wrong, I love Church music. I was in a boys choir, and we sang about the glorifying of God, too. Bach and Handel rock. I’ve been to a few Baptist services with choirs that have truly moved me. I even get frissons everytime I watch reruns of A Sister Act II (especially during that last song “Joyful, Joyful”, featuring Lauryn Hill). However, I had no idea this concert would be an outreach for anything but donations. My wife also mentioned that there was no indication anywhere of what the program would entail. She was bothered by this, despite not being an arrogant git like me.
I suppose the auditorium filled with night school students didn’t help my mood. The four sitting immediately behind us didn’t stop harrasing my kids. Annoying them to no end and taking photos of them with their celphone was more exciting than the show, apparently. We had to leave early, the kids having reached their breaking point 2 hours into the soiree. 
I am not anti-Watoto. I think they are great. The kids are all really cute and obviously proud of their achievments, as they should be. I just wish the proselytizing would have been left out entirely. I would have enjoyed myself much more and would have been able to achieve an adequate suspension of disbelief.
Apparently there was lots of hugging after the show at another school in town. I would have liked to see that!
ADDENDUM 5/12/08
This post has generated far more comments than I had anticipated. I am not a prolific or even a regular blogger. Unfortunately, this post has caused such a stir that it has risen to the top of the search hit list. If you are reading this, chances are you Googled “Watoto” without any other search terms. As you can see, there are 68 comments, and counting. Most of them are from people who, in my opinion, erroneously took offense to what I wrote. I tried to set the record straight in a couple of comments, but the lambasting has continued. Here was my last attempt at trying to clarify:
When the kids sang solo, their individual voices did not strike me as being the only aggregate voices making up the vocals coming from the speakers. This led me to believe they were using a track. This bothered me precisely because I felt that even though the kids’ voices may not have been perfect, they certainly were wonderful enough to stand on their own. Viewed through my own aesthetic prism, I thought it was superfluous to add background tracks, other than the instrumental ones, which I thought was ok. I am not a pro, I don’t even play anymore. But I did play the violin from the age of three, played the flute until nineteen and sang in church choirs as a young boy in Mexico. I still think I have a pretty good ear. (Apparently I was wrong about this, and I have rectified this in a comment.)
I am not sure where you got the idea that I am a person
“who will only respond to a non-slick portrayal of Africa and children from there”, I can assure you this is not the case. When I said that “they were actually quite slick”, I meant it as a compliment. I’ve lived in many parts of the world (though not Africa) and am weary of stereotyping. This is not to say that I never fall prey to my own narrowed thinking–I just don’t think this is one of them. My attempts at self-deprecation (referring to myself as an insensitive bastard) seem to have been taken at face value. I’ll have to work on my style.
As far as the other thing that bothered me, it was the unsolicited “evangelical outreach” aspect of the event. Perhaps the local organizers were at fault for this. I am not against religion or Christianity, as many commenters suppose. However, I do believe in a modus operandi based on “attraction, rather than promotion” where matters of faith are concerned, which I believe is a pillar of true Christianity. To see hope, joy and good spirits reign supreme in a child who was once an outcast, the jetsam of society, should be enough to convince (me) that faith is working wonders. It may even entice (me) to find out more.
It is perplexing (but not altogether surprising) that many people feel that because The Watoto Children’s Choir is a “good cause” run by “God fearing Christians” it is entirely beyond any reproach, or even thoughtful questioning.
As one commenter Andy put it:
You didn’t attack Watato. If anything, you raised questions out of concern for the kids, not to attack them. By reading the comments, I get a fuller and more balanced picture. Thanks.
People who have nothing to hide needn’t be afraid of questions. To all those who attacked Patrick (the blogger), you are an embarrassment to Watoto. By attacking Patrick, you make Watoto look guilty. Patrick is just one person with questions, and many others share his concerns for the kids. They just want to know the kids aren’t being taken advantage of.
The antidote for legitimate questions is honest answers. Thanks so much to “Andrew,” who traveled with Watoto, for doing that (although I wish you’d used your real name and wonder why you couldn’t).
Now my advice to Patrick is to add a brief update to the original post. Cut and paste Andrew’s comment into the bottom of your post. Then the post will be an even better resource for future people who come here. They won’t have to read all the comments to discover the best response.
So I will take Andy’s advice (who takes wonderful pictures, by the way) and post Andrew’s comment:
i have travelled with the choir very recently. i have taken time to read the posts on this blogger,some are true, some false some are exaggerations and some are still weaknesses i believe watoto is working to rectify.
i know Gary and Marylin skinner (almost) personally. i cannot doubt their heart is in watoto and what they are doing is definitely God inspired- let alone to say its working.
facts on adults:
the adults that travel are nearly hand picked! they are not perfect but they are trained to serve and represent the heart of God thru the mission of Gary Skinner. they train for 5 months with the children and as such bond with them really well. they get a weekly stipend of 30CDN,25USD and 15GBP respectively for canada, states and UK.(am not sure how much it is in aussie).
some are volunteers but those who have travelled before are members of staff and as a result they have different benefits back in uganda, including paycheck etc. maybe thats the one injustice i found,coz i dont see how different the work they do is and i also dont see how someone should be a volunteer for a whole 12 months yet getting paid less than a staff member albeit the same work load-if you have seen them work,you know what am talking about.facts about the children:
they are children! those expecting more out of them yo deceived! they dont always smile and if you suppose they will smile genuinely all the time go to the nearest elementary school and test that hypothesis!
they love what they are doing,but like life,it doesnt come so easily so yes when they seem unhappy its one of those days when life isnt treating them very well. if you dont know what am saying,ask Paris Hilton!facts about the music:
the music is played and created by a band at KPC(home of watoto) and earlier music was created by T and J Skinner. a live semi band(live guitar) has ever toured but i guess the big goal isn’t what we have on stage but what we get to achieve. keep yo fingers crossed, you might be at a possible world tour with a live watoto band!!!facts about gifts:
while i understand the reasoning behind not taking gifts,but again too much of anything is bad,the stiffness i hear of in canada now is such that even hosts are complaining about not being able to give even small gifts. i dont agree with either extremes, especially coz i have been on tour before where the hosts did not even hear about the gift rule,instead we enforced it ourselves,that way no one got offended, atleast not as a group of hosts being told what to do or not to do!facts about the money:
the money is well used,you can be assured. i absolutely cannot and will not doubt all the professional carrers in the accounts department of Kampala office,nevertheless i agree that the figures are not on the website. as watoto becomes a fully registered NGO vis a vis ministry, all these technical things will be sorted out.generally,we cannot expect an organisation that just started 14yrs ago now with over 400 members of staff, over 1700 kids with 2 fully operational villages, a widows’ rehabilitation centre, 2 fully functional medical centres, 2 fully functional junior schools, a fully functional high school,( 2nd one almost ready), a over 20,000 acres of land in a war ravaged northern uganda ready to house a third village, hosting almost 90 international teams a year (average team of 6pple)….i can go on…. to not have alot of stretching going on in its sides. thats perhaps what we need to deal with.
perhaps the one big need watoto has? a human resource manager and a more competent company secretary!
One last thought…
I suspect The Watoto Children’s Choir model is loosely based on the very successful African Children’s Choir, which did its first tour in 1984–10 years before Watoto came on the scene. Not having seen one of their shows (and no “politically incorrect review” of them yet written) I am interested to know how the two compare, especially artistically. I wonder, too, if they use their concerts as an opportunity for pressing a religious agenda through the children’s scripted dialogue. I am sure at least one of my faithful bashers has some info on this…
Posted in commentary, review
August 21st, 2006 at 9:11 am
i like your review..yes it would of been nice for them to have a live band.. but i am wondering where they would have put all those instruments on the stage… or how they would afford to have all those instruments. Let’s not forget they are trying to raise money. Having a live band would have been great.. but some of their music the songs and sound affects cant play with instruments. i agree with you that a live band would have been great.maybe they did sound better on the track than live.. they are little kids.This comment is not to yell at you for what you said.. its just an opinion. i think Live band or no live band, lip sync or no lip sync they still sound great and i would still support them no matter what.
October 2nd, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Paul,
Gosh… You really need to get a life. You need to understand that you do not leave in a perfect world. If you think you are perfect, try walking on water and then you can have the right to criticize these kids. For your information, majority of the musicians worldwide hold concerts and use pre-recorded sounds. As for the music sounding different on the CD & live. That is just common sense. There is a difference between recording in a professional studio and singing for an audience where there are so many distractions like noise. Gosh… you complain too much. In regards to the lack of musical instruments, if you could kindly donate the musical instruments, I think Watoto would be more than happy to use them to make a live band. You are the first person to insult a group of little kids who are just trying to raise money so that they can have hope for the future. Remember these kids are below 12 years old & are not PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS… Everyone who has seen the Watoto kids has been moved unlike you. You should feel very ashamed. Heartless individuals like you don’t deserve to be on this earth. Get a life!!!.
January 17th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Your post on Watoto seems to end abruptly - is there more? I’m not sure you get to what really bothered you - I recently attended a show and found the whole experience amazingly slick and there is precious little info about their fundraising efforts available, they don’t disclose to the charity rating agencies, and I have some questions about how much of the money they raise gets where it’s supposed to -
January 24th, 2007 at 4:21 am
I recently attended a Watoto Children’s choir concert and have concerns about the true intent of the organization. The children were fabulous, the presentation was flawless, and the choreography was seemless….right down to the smiles. Not a child made an error, misbehaved, nor displayed any indication of their exhaustion (they performed 2 high energy shows that day). I attended the performance with no bias but did have an unspoken understanding that there would probably be a donation collection at the church.
I left with an erie “feeling” of how the children are used to spread “the word.” I have spoken to no one since the evening performance and was amazed to find this website which fully expresses my concerns. Is this a cult of some sort? Again, my concern is for the children. Are they allowed to be children?
January 25th, 2007 at 12:26 am
@Marie
I knew my post would offend someone when I wrote it, though it wasn’t my intention. I wrote that immediately after seeing them and I was bothered by a few things that evening, not just the lipsynch issue. But on that one, I wasn’t even sure if all the voices on the recording belonged to the kids on stage. I would have been more impressed with them having sung live–and off key–than trying to hide the fact that many of the kids on the stage I saw couldn’t possibly have been the voices I heard. But as you said they are not professional.
@Eric
I also found it slick. I was impressed for the first 2 numbers. It quickly wore off. But you know, despite what Marie says, I am not a jaded, cynical bastard. Which is why I am still bothered that I was so bothered that night, even after all this time. I apologize at my lack of eloquence in expressing all of this, but hey, it’s my blog. I will keep thinking about it…
@ Nan
You speak of their smiles… Ok, I am going to get in trouble for this. I got the distinct impression that many of the smiles I saw lacked genuiness. But you know, this is just a memory of a recollection at this point. Were they really having fun? Did they really have the religious zeal which their musical numbers and narrative implied? If these kids are getting a better life, seeing a bit of the world, and raising money to help other kids, then I say KEEP ON LIPSYNCHING INTO THE LIGHT!
February 19th, 2007 at 5:29 am
Patrick,
I was quite discusted with your petty, ignorant blog. I have seen the Watoto children’s choir twice and have been shamed by my own unlessnes to the issues of this world. You ask the question, “were they really having fun?” Who knows, but they were trying their darndest. I guess that you don’t quite get that these children aren’t travelling the world to entertain your cozy secure corner of America.
They are fighting for their future. For the future of their brothers and sisters back home. For the future of their children. They have more foresight, gumption, and deterimination to make their world a better place than 99% of America. Who cares if their smiles weren’t quite genuine, or their zeal seemed faked. I’m sure they are exhausted and would love to return to warm, familiar surroundings, but they understand the bigger picture obviously much better than yourself. You ought to be ashamed of yourself and imberrased for criticizing these hard-working, motivated children.
Nan,
Your comment about the children being allowed to be children. What defines children in your mind? Are you really asking, are they allowed to sit and play nintendo for hours every night? are they allowed to bad mouth and disrespect those in authority? are they allowed to be lazy the expect those in authority to attend to their every need? I hope not!! They may be working, they may be travelling and tired, they may be missing their freinds & siblings back home, but if you put any research into this organization at all you would know a few things: The children are only allowed to be part of a couple of tours during their childhood. The opportunities for them to travel and see the world firsthand are afforded to very few Ugandans. And as all charities their financial information is public and everyone that I talked to after the concert had no problems telling me what every dollar was going towards and answered every question that I had.
March 26th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
To all those with concerns about Watoto.
Here are links where you can go to see the financial statements for Watoto & the breakdown for how the money they raise is distributed: Go to http://www.watoto.com/index.cfm?id=103 and click on Sponsorship Fund Breakdown link.
This is a link to their 2005 financial reports. 2006 reports will be available soon. http://www.watoto.com/us/AboutUs/OurFinancialReports/index.cfmon
I sponsor a Watoto child & I definitely did my research before I got involved. The children who travel with the choir are only allowed to go on a ONE-time 6 month trip in their life time so its not like the same group of kids travel all the time. Every year, a new set of kids audition and 18 kids are picked to participate in the Concert of Hope. Watoto tries to give each child an opportunity to go on a tour because it helps out the kids by building their confidence, opening their eyes to the different opportunities the world offers. By the time these kids are done with the tour, they have made such a remarkable change its amazing. They are no longer shy, timid or lack confidence. Actually when you visit the Watoto villages, its very easy to distinguish the kids who have been on tour and those who haven’t. After the kids are done with their one time concert, they return to the Watoto villages and lead a normal life. Yes they do have a very tight schedule for concerts but that is because they only get to perform for 6months in whatever area they are in so they want to try and get to as many places as possible. The choir is always off on Mondays and during this time they get to do fun stuff like going to the zoo, fair or amusement parks. Also, sometimes they block off certain dates like a Saturday for the kids to have fun at amusement parks like Disney land. The choir usually has two performances every day (morning and evening) so they get sometime in between to relax, play, and eat. Maybe you should take sometime to talk to some of the Watoto kids and you will see that you are wrong. These kids are very genuine and trust me they sing and dance with all their hearts. And sorry to disappoint you but their smiles aren’t fake either. Tell me if you were taken off the street or picked from a garbage pit in a hopless situation, wouldn’t you have a reason to smile if all of a sudden you have people that love you, you go to school, get free medical care etc etc. I know I would. These kids have come from very hopeless situations and now they have hope. They can grow up to make something great out of themselves. I have been to Uganda and seen the villages that are being built for the kids and trust me, it amazing. These kids are so well taken care of that they live better than a Ugandan child coming from an average middle class family which means that the money is being spent well. This is a model that everyone needs to adapt.
March 26th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Marie,
Thank you for your information. I guess your comment was addressing Eric’s and Nan’s concerns. It doess sound like the kids have a great experience and I do believe they come home with a wider vision of themselves and the world around them. That was never in question, if one takes the time to read what I wrote. As for me, I am still trying to get a life…
The responses this post has generated have surprised me. I don’t get a lot of hits and as you can see very few people actually read this blog. But for some reason, if one Google’s “Watoto Children’s Choir reviews”, this post is on the first page of hits.
I have re-re-read my original post so many times and the subsequent vitriol it attracted. My comments on the children themselves were positive. I complained about lack of adequate information from the oganizers (local), lipsynching and my bad mood. The crux of my whining, which is purely subjective, is still:
“I just wish the proselytizing would have been left out entirely. I would have enjoyed myself much more and would have been able to achieve an adequate suspension of disbelief.” [re: the lip synch]
I don’t see how that is an attack on the kids. Condemn me if you must on my cynicism of evangelism, but please leave the children out of it.
March 27th, 2007 at 2:58 am
Hallo PAtrick
First off I am saddened that even with your lack of knowledge on an issue like the AIDS scurge in Africa, you have gone ahead to shred the ministry of Watoto Childrens Choir.
My name is Jakki and I am a Ugandan, born and raised in Uganda, who unlike many of the people in this country and on the African continent, has had the priviledge of comfort, a good home and family, and the priviledge to travel to the western developed parts of the world.
Growing up in Uganda, I’d like to inform you and anyone that has unfortunately gained a negative impression from your website, that the AIDS scurge is REAL. People in Uganda are DYING in the MILLIONS of AIDS. This is a fact that you need to see for yourself to truly comprehend. Yes I know LOADS of people that have DIED of AIDS and left behind lots of children parentless as a result. There are alot of orphaned children in Uganda and in Africa as a result of AIDS and many other diseases.
I guess you must be wondering why people in Africa die from these diseases and yet not in the west. Because first off, Africa is poor. I hate to admit it but its true and as a result, almost 90% of the population does not have access to good healthcare. People dont have access to doctors, medicine and healthcare centers and as a result, they DIE.
You might then ask, why doesnt the wider family take care of them. Well thats another thing…..some children are blessed enough to have relatives that can afford to take them in and take care of them…. and for those kids, well the death of their parents is sad but it doesnt mark the end of their world as they know it. For others unfortunately, their relatives cant afford to care for them or they dont have relatives, so they stay in their parents homes, drop out of school (if they were going in the first place) and tend the land (if they have any) and grow food so they can survive. For those with no land, well they beg for a while, leave their homes in the village, move to the city and become street children. STREET CHILDREN are kids who for live on the street and beg all day. They feed out of the citys garbage cans and sleep on the sidewalks at night. This probably doesnt make sense in your mind because you have never seen it but it is OUR REALITY. When you drive along Kampala road (the main street in the capital city of Uganda), for every 0.25miles, you meet over 10 street children. YOu see them begging, stealing, the girls sell their bodies at night to earn a few pennies to survive and that is their life.
Why is nothing done about these children….well because they are soooooooo many and the government does not have the resources to care for them…………….so we are grateful to initiatives like Watoto childrens choir that takes these kids in and gives them a home.
I have been to the childrens villages, I have seem these children and I have seen their homes and I am soooo thankful that someone has taken the initiative to care. I have a little daughter and if God forbid I were to leave this earth, I would comfortably leave her under the care of the Watoto ministries and rest in peace. Thats how good I think it is. Those children are taken better care of than more than three quarters of Uganda’s children in homes with parents. They are guaranteed education, healthcare, food EVERYDAY, and luxuries like new clothes and shoes (yes those are luxuries where I am from)
When you see these kids from Watoto tell their stories with a smile, its because they know how lucky they are, its because they know what the alternative existence could have been and what they have right now is heaven
THey sing with all they have because they know that that money they raise from the concerts will help other children who havent been sooo lucky. They hope that their efforts will help get one more child off the street.
So you can say whatever you want about these children, you can criticise Watoto all you want, but what are YOU doing about the children on the streets. I know you dont owe them anything, they are not your children after all…..but please give credit to those that have unlike yourself chosen to care.
I sponsor a child in Watoto and if I could afford to, I would sponsor one hundred….because I have seen and I know what that money is doing. Its less than a starbucks coffee a day. Its probably what you will spend on a babysitter for your children for 3hours. That is all it takes for a child to survive for a month. Imagine it was your child, wondering the streets looking for food. ( I guess you cant imagine that because for you, there are alternatives for your children, there is your family and at the worst there is foster care) for the African child, there is NO ALTERNATIVE. Watoto is the only hope they have and for you to go about bashing it and then after that enter your airconditioned car to drive home to your airconditioned house, to eat a meal large enough to feed three children, that makes you a HYPOCRITE.
Dont go criticising what you dont understand!
March 27th, 2007 at 3:08 am
By the way Patrick and anyone else that shares your views, if the Watoto children were not entertaining enough for you, then please go and pay $50 for a Britney Spear concert or any other Hollywood star so they can go blow your money on drugs or a new prada bag to carry their dog in or on rehab. That to you may be more justifiable than a meal for a hungry child.
I am soo mad right now I am actually in tears…….. I didnt realise that to some people its a crime for a child to want to survive and to want to help other children survive a miserable demise.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Paul,
You did criticize the children in your reply to Nan. I guess now the guilt has finally caught up with you & you are trying to defend yourself. If it hasn’t, I hope it does soon because you should never have posted something like this. Its always better to keep your thoughts to yourself or else they will get you into big trouble one of these days. This is what you said, “I got the distinct impression that many of the smiles I saw lacked genuiness. Were they really having fun? Did they really have the religious zeal which their musical numbers and narrative implied? If these kids are getting a better life, seeing a bit of the world, and raising money to help other kids, then I say KEEP ON LIPSYNCHING INTO THE LIGHT!” You did mention that it is your blog & yes you do have a right to express your opinions as you see fit but be responsible about it. I have a feeling that you were so mad at someone that day and decided to take your anger out at the Watoto Children’s Choir. The common problem we have as human beings is that we tend to criticize what other people are doing even when they are doing something good to try and make the world a better place. Yes you did say some nice things about the children but those lovely comments definitely don’t stand when you turn around and bash them.
You say, “I just wish the proselytizing would have been left out entirely. I had to constantly remind myself that they were victims every time there was a “Jesus, our lord and saviour, loves you” message, which unfortunately followed every song.” The children aren’t trying to convert anyone and this is what you seem to imply. They are just sharing the message of Jesus and if you want to convert then that is a personal choice. As the Watoto website says, ““Concerts of Hope” are a lively demonstration of the life-changing love of God experienced by the children of Watoto.”
Just out of curiousity, when and where did you see the choir perform. I am definitely going to forward this on to the Watoto Child Care Ministries staff and the founders as well. They will definitely be interested in reading this!
March 28th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
[...] email you a link to download the answer. Paypal accepted. This week I got a few more comments on my Watoto Children’s Choir post from almost a year ago. You’d think I was Hannibal Lecter by the their accounts. I am not [...]
March 28th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
The responses on this thread are downright rabid!
Kristen said:
Apparently Kristen hasn’t even really read this “petty ignorant blog”. If she had, she’d realize that Patrick 1)isn’t sheltered, 2) doesn’t live in America and 3) isn’t even American. He’s a well traveled guy who speaks four languages fluently and lives in Taiwan.
I share some of Patrick’s criticisms with the idea of “buying religious zeal”. Is it really ethical to bribe people into believing in your god? Do they have any power to say no, when your organization is the only way in sight to get out of poverty? Wouldn’t it be possible to offer charity that isn’t linked to an evangelical agenda?
April 1st, 2007 at 2:21 am
Too hot too comment?
I don’t want to comment on the purpose or good agenda that the choir is advocating.
Most probably, the money will at some point end up helping people. If it helps people, then it’s reason enough for the choir to continue its efforts.
I just wanted to say that honestly, I have real trouble with lipsynching, when it comes from any artist. If I wanted to hear a track, I would stay at home and listen to an mp3 recording of the song, not go to a concert.
In fact, I actually dislike DAT used by some artists to fill in the instruments that aren’t on stage. I saw a show once, VNV Nation, where there only was a singer and a drummer. The rest was on DAT and I didn’t like it.
April 1st, 2007 at 6:42 am
Ouch. VNV Nation is one of my favorites.
April 1st, 2007 at 9:15 am
Thanks Range. Your dislike for lipsynching is one I share entirely, hence the purpose of the original post. I’d rather listen to someone sing badly. I guess judging a performance to/for charitable causes on its aesthetic merits is very taboo. What if Milli Vanilli (remember them?) had been donating their entire profits to the Red Cross? Would that have made their “crime” any less “criminal”? The answer is a categorical NO, from me anyways.
Seriously, what can you do when one person addressed me as Paul. 3 times.
Hey Mark, this Patrick guy sounds alright; I’d like to meet him
“Lie bajiu go dio laaba”
That means “Your eyes are clam meat,” in Taiwanese.
April 19th, 2007 at 9:30 am
@Mark: You say “Wouldn’t it be possible to offer charity that isn’t linked to an evangelical agenda?” In regards to this comment, its like your saying that every single organization that has some kind of mission should abandon it and meet general goals. So many organizations IN THE WORLD offer some kind of specified aid. There are catholic charities, protestant charities, and charities for miniorities. And Watoto has chosen “to raise the next generation of Ugandan leaders by placing parentless children in families where the necessary love, care, “spiritual discipleship” and physical needs are provided. Our goal is to equip these precious children with the essential moral values and life skills that will enable them to make a significant and lasting impact on the future of their country and “the Kingdom of God.” Watoto Children’s Choir was formed by Kampala Pentecostal Church which is a religious organization so why would they want to be part of something that wouldn’t expand God’s kingdom and spread his word because that is what churches do incase you didn’t know that. Various organizations have different missions and values.
@Patrick: I have seen Watoto perform several times and apart from some pre-recorded background music, and like I said before which almost every musician uses during a concert, I haven’t seen any lipsynching by the kids. You say the kids you saw that day didn’t sound like the kids on the cd. This is because the choir you saw and the choir that recorded the cd are two differerent groups of kids. It depends on what cd you listened to because they have 3 cds. Their first cds (Ana Meremeta, Dancing in the House of the Lord, and Things Aready Better were recorded in a studio. The Live in LA cd and dvd were recorded at a live concert in LA in 2001. In this video you actually see the kids singing and not lipsynching like you claim. A friend of mine actually attended the concert when they were doing the live recording & according to her, it sounded the same when they sang then and on the final dvd,cd
I have copied a few clips of the choir singing below. Play them and see the difference in the quality because all these are of different sets of kids. Hopefully the different qualities of singing will clear your misconceptions about the lipsynching.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KOCcWhLs6qo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BPvmP3Xv9N8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DmfB1DoCwt8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rt5yb-xvTck
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4oyz_Xm9obA
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uce2a4FvJoc
July 7th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
well…I am really amazed that people actually still have the nerve to say not very nice things about the children of Uganda. The Watoto Children. Well, you must remember that they are children and they are really doing the best that they very well know how. I have seen the choir perform many times and the thing is they travel with different children for the different tours.
Children on the Cd’s are definately different from those who you will see and they will definately sound different. Duh!!!!
Anyhow, i appreciate them a whole lot because despite what they have been through at there age… they are resilient and they have smiles on there faces and they are truly thankful for what they have and i think that is one of the many lessons that we have to learn from them.
The also have a huge schedule per tour and i know that they give 100% in every concert.
They are on the road practically six months plus out of the year and they have a performance every night except monday which is there day off! So i do applaud them for the hard work that they do and the joy that they bring.. its rather sad to know that i think you missed the big picture here!
Look again!
September 8th, 2007 at 11:44 am
I am SO angered by most the things I am reading on this website. I commend and greatly appreciate Marie and Jakki who actually DID the research before writing their blog.
Watoto Childcare Ministries is 100% genuine, and I would swear by my life on that. I lived in Uganda working for this ministry for a year and a half, and actually TRAVELLED ON THE CHOIR THAT PAUL ORIGINALLY SAW IN TAIWAN. I was there when these children spent 6 hours a day, 5 days a week for 3 months training for the tour. I was one of the adults who taught them the songs and the dances. We did the best we could to train their little voices to be the best they could be so that YOU would be greatly inspired and impressed by these children. (Have any of you considered how difficut it would be to teach a CHILD to lipsync? Those voices you hear coming through the monitors at each and every concert ARE the voices of the children you see in front of you.) I was with them every single step of the way throughtout that 8 month tour accross Asia, Australia and New Zealand. And those children had the time of their lives exploring new countries, new cultures. How many children in the rest of the world get an experience like that?
These children are just that, CHILDREN. They are not perfect, as none of you are. They are just like the children you have at home. They argue with one another, they do things they arent supposed to do, but thats because they are children. The only reason you didnt see any of this “bad behaviour” is because these children are very well disciplined, unike most children from the west. They will never make a scene in public. The kids in Watoto have been taught to respect others and the things they have been given, and most importantly, to never forget where they have come from. After all, they are very fortunate to even be alive today.
These kids work very hard along side everyone else involved in this ministry in order for them to have the things they have. Every single cent donated during a Watoto concert, online, or in any other way, is used to help meet the needs of these children. It is used to give them a roof over their head, to send them to school everyday, to put food on their plates and clothes on their backs, to give them access to healthcare 24 hours a day 7 days a week. There is not even one penny used to support the tours they do all over the world. The tours are 100% funded by the merchandise that is sold at the concerts.
If you are still questionin the validity of this ministry, I suggest you do your research and visit the Watoto villages yourself, rather than post FALSE, negative information, or any kind of information that may cause someone else to doubt the ministry’s validity. And until you yourself are doing something to help these children, then you have NO right to critisize those who are.
September 14th, 2007 at 5:25 am
I am really blessed by thei concerts….i only wished they would do a concert in Fiji……….its really touching to hear them sing and only wish that other organizations would do the same not only at Uganda but for the rest of the homeless children of the world..i would just like to congratulate everyone in the Watoto Ministry.May God richly bless you and a message to the children not to Forget their Lord Jesus Christ when they grow up and become leaders of Uganda.
September 14th, 2007 at 5:27 am
I am really blessed by their concerts….i only wished they would do a concert in the Fiji Islands……….its really touching to hear them sing and only wish that other organizations would do the same not only at Uganda but for the rest of the homeless children of the world..i would just like to congratulate everyone in the Watoto Ministry.May God richly bless you and a message to the children not to Forget their Lord Jesus Christ when they grow up and become leaders of Uganda. To all that has commented may God intervene in your lives and answer those doubts that u have about the Watoto Ministry
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:48 am
Thank you, Aimee for addressing the false information that Patrick wrote in his blog. He was, quite truly, wrong about the lip synching and the false smiles. I have hosted choir children in my home and they are definitely allowed to be children and are fully enjoying their time as choir members. Yes, they get tired but don’t your children get tired? I have visited the Watoto ministry in Uganda twice and I can also clarify the misconception about being forced to accept “a god” in order to be helped by this ministry. There are Watoto children who are not Christians and they are not being forced into a life of commitment to Jesus in order to survive. They do, however, respond to the love and care they receive which is given because the Watoto ministry is a Christian outreach. Because these people are Christians, they respond to the needs of these kids and the kids respond to that love. I have been involved in many attempts to improve the African quality of life, education, health, and economies over the last 35 years and there has been no other attempt by government or NGO that I know of that has made such a difference in the lives of the children, the surrounding communities, or the future of the country. This ministry works! Uganda is becoming a better society because of Watoto. Patrick does, however, have a valid point about the advertising for the Concerts of Hope. When I sponsored concerts I was sure to include the information that there would be a love offering taken during the concert to support the ministry. I also made sure the advertising indicated that this was a Christian outreach. Those two things are not included in the brochures etc sent from the Watoto organization to the people sponsoring the various concerts. I think it is essential to let people know those things in advance as even those who are sympathetic like to know what to expect. Also, I know that I was given information to introduce the choir that included the facts that all the funds collected in the offering would go directly to Uganda to the Watoto ministry and that the proceeds from the sale of the merchandise helped to support the choir tour. I expect every sponsor has this information so maybe some are just not announcing it. Also, it is important to recognize that several large corporations donate their merchandise to the choir tours. This also helps to support the tours. I think the key thing that bothered Patrick was the misunderstanding that the concert would be a fund raiser for the Watoto Child Care Ministries, a Christian organization. Anyone who has visited Africa can tell you that the level of African Christian commitment is far and away more heartfelt and more evangelical than in the western nations where we take religious freedom for granted. These kids are truly Christ’s disciples and they want to spread the word. They are happy to be telling you about the difference Christ has made in their lives. It is not a fake faith. They understand that the love of Christ shown to them by the Watoto ministry is what has made such a difference in their lives. These Africans are Christians as Christians were meant to be, unlike the lukewarm, compromising, self-centered people who call themselves Christians in the western world. Far from being coerced into belief, the children recognize and respond wholeheartedly to the love they have received at the hands of strangers acting on their committment to Christ when their own families have thrown them away. If this love comes from Christ - they can hardly wait to experience that love for themselves. Unfortunately, many people who do not like Christians (and there is good reason for that) confuse the people with the religion. Many people claim to be Christians in the same way they claim to be American, Canadian, Japanese, or an adherent to a particular political party. For too many, it is a comfortable label that they have inherited from their parents. Others “believe” for the benefits they expect to receive. But “Christian” is not a true label for these people. It is always better to do research of your own on any subject before deciding what you will think or believe. There is so much misinformation, like appeared in this blog, that a little bit of effort can verify or discredit if only people would take the time. Instead so many seem ready to respond to anyone’s ideas, for or against, on a strong emotional level. I think we really don’t care about what is real or right or true but we only want to react to something, anything, emotionally so that we can tell we are alive and we can pretend we have some superiority over others. Too much philosophizing, sorry.
October 6th, 2007 at 12:38 am
Jean,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. It appears I was wrong about the lip synching and that makes me happy. I am also glad to hear from Aimee (who must have gotten my name from Marie…) that the kids are genuinely happy. Those who were left with the impression that I had anything against these kids are obviously not understanding the intention with which I wrote it. Mea Culpa.
You know, every time I get a comment on this post-and it is by far the most commented post I have-I go back to read the original to see if there is something overtly sinister which my “insensitive” nature may have missed. And I keep coming to the same conclusion in my other comment that:
“I have re-re-read my original post so many times and the subsequent vitriol it attracted. My comments on the children themselves were positive. I complained about lack of adequate information from the oganizers (local), lipsynching and my bad mood. ”
I am truly sorry that so many good folks fighting the good fight were so outrageously offended by my words. But hey, enough is enough. RIghteous indignation and anger is like an addiction. I know, I suffer from it as well from time to time. Time for withdrawal?
November 4th, 2007 at 10:06 am
I am not happy with the fact the concert here in maleny queensland australia has been advertised without mentioning that the umbrella under which it is organised is fundamentalist christian, as i am a buddhist thru and thru i would have appreciated knowing this . Thing is Buddhists dont go around trying to gather converts and telling people theirs is the only true path . unfortunately fundamental christians have some misguided notion that it is their duty to do so., Now i think it is wonderful that the children are being helped but if i dont want to listen to christian messages then i should have a choice and the organisers should be upfront
January 21st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
good grief people. patrick there is nothing wrong with what yu said. this is a stupid dialogue tho. since when is someone not allowed to express their opinion on something. your concerns could not have been more graciously expressed patrick. no one here is against helping AIDS orphans. in fact i bet all of us would like to see even more done about this. i personally am involved with a similiar organization in india. tho much smaller and with no choir. i saw the watoto choir today in church and was impressed with the show. maybe this is the most effective way to get the rich christians of the west to give money but i personally would like to see a bit more realness in these things. let the kids say what they feel from their mouths and hearts, not these plastic rehearsed speeches. who cares if they mess up? will the money they bring to their cause be any less? i doubt it.
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:43 am
hi paul, patrick, whoever.
1. i know! 2008 and people are still posting comments!?*?
2. interesting post and all. i really enjoyed all this.
3. your original post, and subsequent attempts to defend yourself, reminded me of kids in my school days who were in debate club and could hold a blue pen in front of an audience and successfully convince all that it is green. those kids would always be on the side of the debate motion saying ‘boys are better than girls.’ when everyone would come out of a history class pissed at what the whites did in the whole process of slavery, they would enthusiastically be on the side of debate saying ‘the white missionaries/explorers to africa did more good than harm’:- u know, exactly what everyone else would aggressively disagree with at the time, exactly what they didn’t want to hear. they were always critics, found something wrong about anything, (which is ironic because there probably IS something wrong about anything). if u liked celine dion and they liked tupac, they’d make u cry your heart out after ‘losing’ a 3-hour argument about who is better. like you’re not entitled to your opinion. with them there was no truth, no right or wrong, no standard, just personal opinions each person has to stick by; whoever sticks by it better probably has the better opinion and all that.
i hope u get the drift, i wouldn’t want to spend more time reminiscing dem days. when i outgrew that phase, i learnt to avoid people who sounded to me like they were still in it. nothing comes out of the arguments except downcast emotions, for those who ‘lose’, and the drive to be more opinionated about your opnion. like yours, patrick, about the watoto. and when it seemed to me like i was going to drag myself into one of those debates with you, i’d decided to just read something else. after perusing thru the commentsthat is. but then after looking at the comments, i just had to say something too.
4. my pastor taught comparisons and contrasts between animism, biblical theism and secularism. i think i finally get a clearer picture of what he was saying. that’s how cool this whole thing was.
5. i don’t like lipsynching either. but i don’t know why i wasn’t offended when the watoto did it. either beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, or there is just something wrong about anything. even i could have had a problem with the lipsynching, there was something about the whole performance that made me love it. lipsynching alone wouldn’t make ME do a post like yours. i wondered why it got to u so much. until u wrote about the evangelism and proselytisisng thing.
6. the watoto aren’t forced to accept Christ. in fact, i was surprised to find that a lot of them aren’t Christians. those who are are genuine ones, because they respond to Christ’s love through watoto ministry and other christians. if i was a street kid, and someone gave me that hope, and told me they did it because of what confucias did for them, i’d sure like to know this confucius guy who can turn someone into a really nice person. in this case, Christ is doing the transformation that other organisations in Uganda have faied to do. who wouldn’t want to meet the Christ who can do that? and i’m not just saying this because i’m a member of kampala pentecostal church, a Ugandan one, facing the reality of AIDS and poverty and everything else that comes with that. in my gruop of good friends, about two of us only, out of the thirty or so, live happily with both our parents. sometimes i even almost feel guity for getting to both my biological parents, who are still deeply in love with each other after 20 yrs of marriage, and who are still madly in love with their kids. it feels like too great a priviledge. i’m yet to meet a family in Uganda like this mine, that is not Christian in the true sense of the word.
7. Christianity is very real to us in Africa. well, i can only speak for Uganda coz it’s what i’ve seen. i hear a lot about Christinity in other continents but here, it is very real. when people here truly meet Christ, they really do meet Him. for real. including watoto kids. it amazes me that people don’t have a problem if a show is ‘brought to you on tv by coca cola’ or sponsored by some other organisation. i don’t know how much pepsi fans are ‘forced’ to convert to coca cola because some kid’s education was sponsored by the coke guys or sth. is the guy who started the coke company still alive either? but a show sponsored by Christ and His ambassadaors…
8. on the other hand, the watoto management probably should inform the public that they are a Christian-based organisation and are fundraising for their shows. they do that in U ganda.
9. i’ve been taught to always hit 10 ponts but what the heck, it’s all probably just my opinion, never mind the truth.
January 26th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
@Sean
thanks. Is there a website that has any info on your group?
@ crystal
thanks for your comment. You put some time and effort into writing it, which I appreciate and respect. I also wish not to debate the issue further. Don’t get me started on Celine Dion, though!
I am glad that you come from and are in a healthy family environment. I can feel from your comment that this has had a positive impact on your life. You are probably a good example for those less fortunate around you of what is possible with love and faith.
February 1st, 2008 at 10:12 am
Hm….. I’m realy touched by these kids. I Pray that these kids will be able to each every one in the world and succed in their mission. Let us not critisise them, but encourage and bless them.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:51 am
hello…let me assure you that the smiles are genuine. in oct, i had the privilege of spending 10 days w/ the folks at Watoto. these kids are happy.. they are well taken care of.. educated… loved….safe…introduced to Christ - who will make a way out of no way on their behalf… blessed beyond measure & HAPPY. Some speak very little Enlgish. They spend hours training. They are very well behaved but in no means abused. They are excited to come to USA and be spokes people for their mission. The two young ladies that we visited w/ in their home in a quaint village set on a mountain side outside of the hussel and bussel of Kampala were beaming… they were coming to America on tour. Very few of their peers will ever be able to leave Uganda much less visit USA. The way they perform is the same way the church is raising them to do everything.. w/great integrity. They are rebuilding a nation and this will not be done without much work and at a great cost. They are children… their schedules allow time for play, school, worship, family time and lots of training & practice. We heard the choirs sing.. no track… live… could it be that you heard an exhausted choir…. that just needed some help. God is doing mighty things in these kids. I am so thankful that He allowed us the opportunity to assist in building the infrastructure at one of the villages…these children are precious… the people at Watoto love them and had you spent any time w/ them, you would have seen the love of Christ as well as their love for each other. They are a tight nit, large family on a mission… saving a forgotten children… rebuilding a raped, beaten, broken… mending, hopeful, trusting, loving country. God is moving on the children of Watoto… He will see His work done w/or w/out us. It was my honor to be a small part of what He is doing… I’m going back….they have my heart. God bless you..jj
February 8th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Hi all…
Up front I’ll admit that I haven’t read all the contributions to the blog… it was way too judgemental for my taste. Patrick, I don’t know how you can continue to read it. I did feel the urge to answer, however. I also admit that I have no intention of returning for more so respond as you will.
I just saw the Watoto Choir today at my daughter’s school and loved the music. The second they began, however, I asked the person beside me… “is that really them singing?” I already knew that they of course were not. “Oh well”, I said to myself, “it still sounds great” and I proceded to, as Patrick says, suspend belief and enjoy the show. I’m a singer myself and know for a fact that my voice wouldn’t be able to do two shows a day, 5 days a week for 6 months. They being children, it probably wouldn’t be advisable for their little throats anyway.
Patrick, thanks for your honest and openly questioning remarks. Aside from the fact that they started a raging diatribe, I can’t find any fault with them. Even if I did, it wouldn’t justify the venom in some of the responses you have received. Three cheers for the freedom to ask questions without fear… that’s the only way we can become informed.
February 11th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
All you who have criticised, youshould be ashamed of yourselves, but you are probably incapable of summoning that up due to your hard-hearts/ heartless…rather than a flawless perfect performance would you have preferred a pre-recorded performance of their horror stories marked with wailing and crying of bereaved ORPHANED children,
Yeah not only get a life, get a HEART - The Joy of The Lord Is Their Strength - and I guess all you sick hearted sad critics need their remedy to LIFE ….Bags & bags of JOY
February 25th, 2008 at 3:40 am
I wonder,does anyone know who the adults are? are they hired or are they volunteers? how much are they paid? does canadian labour ministry know them as volunteers, missionaries or paid workers?
February 29th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Where did the financial reports disappear to on their website…the above mentioned links are dead…and I searched their website to find zilch…anyone have the correct link to them?
March 1st, 2008 at 2:08 am
I would like to comment briefly as someone who has visited Uganda and has seen their work with my own eyes. In July of 2004 I spent three weeks building a primary school in Subbi, one of Watoto’s three villages. We visited the other two, Bbirra and Beloba as well. I was inspired to take this trip after seeing one of the choirs perform in my town…as were the other 22 members of our building team. This school has been open for over three years now and has seen hundreds of children pass through it’s doors already. I have seen the poverty in Uganda, and I have seen the difference between the orphans on the street and those taken in by Watoto - there is a stark contrast.
I can tell you that the experience of being in the choir is something each child yearns for. They are extremely proud when they are chosen. These children are truly blessed.
I have personally met Gary and Marilyn Skinner, the founders of Watoto - they have poured their souls into Watoto and Uganda to help make it a better place with love and hope. They opened a babies home in Kampala last year that cares for infants that are abandoned, often in trash heaps. They have also started a project in northern Uganda that will help care for many of the “child soldiers” that have returned after being abducted by the Lords Resistance Army.
So in a nutshell, yes, the choir’s performances are rehearsed…many, many times (I was also able to watch a choir that was preparing to tour rehearse in Africa). Yes, these kids do work very hard while they are here and pour their hearts out. And yes, their performances benefit Watoto…just as they are designed to do. But make no mistake, these kids understand they are doing God’s work.
Go ahead, make the trip then come write about it.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:15 am
Btw, yes the children really do sing - and LOVE to sing. While in Uganda, they peformed entirely without music.
And Andrew, the adults that travel with them are volunteers.
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:13 am
Greg,my cousin in the states had the choir over for a day off,did you know some of the adults are volunteers but some are not? did you also know they are all paid an equal “stipend” of only 25 bucks a week???!!! like for all the work they do,do you think thats fair? would you do 7 shows a week for that? remember all the work in settin the stage and bringing it down? i think thats not fair. am sure they can better here if they are educated….
what you think?
March 4th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I have friends who have personally volunteered to travel with the choir. One was a 17 year old girl who traveled to Uganda alone and spent six months there training with the choir before spending another year traveling with two different choirs. She was called to do this by God - she was not in it to make money. She has since returned and now works for Watoto full time.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Also, my wife and I host Watoto children every year when they come to town. It is a joy to have them stay in our home.
March 6th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I saw Watoto last night and, despite the hard sell, left without donating. My heart goes out to the children performers and to the crisis in sub-Sahara Africa, but my nagging suspicion is that Gary and Marilyn Skinner are Jim-and-Tammy-Faye-Baker ecclesiastical hucksters.
March 8th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I dare say that gary and Marilyn have helped people of this world just a touch more
than yourself John, or have you given your life to help thousands of destitute people
as well.
March 10th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Perhaps, if making thousands of middle class people in the Western world feel good about themselves for donating $25 to ameliorate the AIDS epidemic in Africa counts as helping the people of the world.
Doesn’t the fact that Gary and Marilyn don’t publish where their money goes make you wonder? For example, why doesn’t their website list accounting information? http://www.watoto.com/ Why isn’t Watoto rated on the Better Business Bureau charity-rating list? http://us.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=113&id=4ef08b14-37cb-4974-a385-7f41f63b16b0 Is there any reason for a legitimate charity to keep its accounting information secret?
March 11th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
@ patrick;
thank you. i hope so! otherwise, i just came back here to see how the debate was going, and almost 2 mnths after i responded, i find it’s still going, strong! wow. i don’t whether to say ‘u raised hell’ or ‘u hit a goldmine’. i guess watoto ministries is that much of the work of God, otherwise it wouldn’t face this much resistance. i told myself i’d just read through not post any comment, but then;
@ andrew;
i know of secondary schools where full time teachers are paid slightly less than 25 ‘bucks’ a week and the part-time teachers are paid half that. especially those schools which don’t have sciences and computer labs, and have only one bore-hole for both student and staff to fetch water, and etc. the average job here pays 25-35 ‘bucks-a-week’, usually without other benefits like housing and medical, transport and etc. and average jobs are the majority. putting the whole population together, most other jobs are less than average. there are some above average jobs though, especially in international corporate companies mostly (banks, etc). i’m not trying to imply that the watoto administration is taking advantage of the economic status of the country. actually, i have friends who are full-time workors in watoto who say they are paid more than, i think with your system it’s about, than 50 ‘bucks a week’ or so. a lot of the adults are volunteers though. but in case the 25 bucks thing were true, the average Ugandan, in the non-corporate working circles would be thinking; ”what’s so bad about that?*!?” but with the way your comment seemed, i think i now understand why many Ugandans struggle to work abroad, even at jobs they are underqualified for. it’s like 25 bucks a week is so little there… maybe i should become president of Uganda after all.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
@ patrick;
i hope the grammatical errors don’t mess up wat i’m trying to say. i should type slower and read through my comments more thouroughly i guess.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:14 am
1. I find it FASCINATING that the person who wrote this blog is like so many people who will only respond to a non-slick portrayal of Africa and children from there. I think that this is the reason that there is a difference between the way watoto “markets” themselves and the way world vision manipulates the masses into giving funds. We do not want a slick performance! We want to see malnourished children crying, weeping, living in sewers and covered with flies!!! Smiling, dancing, joyful children that have hope are not wanted!!
2. I forgive the person that posted this comment for his ignorance about music in africa. However, nobody in the numerous comments on this blog has done justice to the heritage of music in africa and particularly in Uganda. It is a thing of beauty that can only be experienced and writing about it does not do it justice. Harmony, rhythm, coordination and pitch are taken for granted in the country I was raised - uganda. You really need to listen to the complex rhythms and nuances of all the different tribal music to gain a full understanding of the centuries-old heritage of music and rhythm. You need to visit the fields of subsistence farmers in the morning to hear them sing as they dig to grasp a better understanding of the way music has permeated the society there. You need to sit through a ceremony of rejoicing or mourning and allow the music to wash over you and transport you to places of joy or sadness that you never knew existed to see how much of life is celebrated, taught and learned through music.
I tell people all the time that in Africa, it is EXTREMELY hard to be recognized as a distinguished musician because everybody is practicing music all the time - music is life - and just about anybody that you meet can hold a tune very well. We (speaking as a ugandan) really do sing ALL the time. The european/american context in which this blogger obviously lives has no such construct that is why he has such a hard time believing that the kids cannot sing as well as their pre-recorded tracks.
If you so much as turned off the track and let them sing a cappella, there would be little to no difference between the live performance and the recorded track. I challenge you to try it at your next watoto sighting. Go and pull the plug to the power source. Seriously! Do it!! do it!! take video to prove it! prove me right… please!
You see, the reason I know this is because I have been to several of the rehearsals where they were preparing for their international fund raising tours. Like somebody said in one of the comments above, they practice really, really hard and believe it or not, they are very, VERY good at what they do. A little known fact about their choirs is that the kids that tour are selected from literally hundreds that are auditioned.
You know what you should do the next time you know watoto is going to be in your area? Arrive well in advance of the performance and ask to sit in on their vocal warm ups. (They do vocal warm ups? SHOCK! Heh!) They will be happy to oblige (speaking from experience again) and it will BLOW YOU AWAY!
@Barbara
Even though you are a singer, you have clearly never been on tour. You are sadly not an authority on whether somebody - child or adult - can sing at that level 5 out of seven days a week for 30 weeks.
3. The problem with cynics… and the reason this blogger is jaded so is that a cynic chooses at life through his or her own tinted lenses. For some reason smiling, singing children that represent a picture of hope put you off instead of energize you to the possibility that lies in helping another one be able to smile.
4. Have you ever considered that touring for weeks on end in a grueling manner like the kids and volunteers do is still several notches above the quality of life that many of them have experienced in the past? Because I have lived there, I can speak from experience and say that working with a stomach full of McDonalds junk food, sleeping in a comfortable bed and getting to visit a country that I would never have had the chance to otherwise visit is an easy way to get me to smile through the work.
Having the perspective of their world might help you understand why to you it might seem that their smiles are fake even though they may be genuinely smiling.
5. I end with this…
The access to information gives north americans the impression that simply because information is readily accessible, they can speak as an authority on an issue without even KNOWING what the information has to say about the issue. I have heard many a canadian and american spout volumes of mal-information about the state of affairs in Africa and wished I could interrupt them and ask them to stop making such fools of themselves. I have watched as other canadians and americans have listened and nodded in agreement I think that this is the reason that people would say extremely damaging things about Marilyn and Gary in the comments posted above and the work they are doing in Uganda.
If you have not been to Uganda and been a witness to the work that watoto is doing, shame on you for ignorantly running your mouth about misappropriation of funds. Shame on you for pretending to know more about Uganda than those that have been there and care for the country. Shame on you for making a comment that casts doubt on a cause that actually changes lives. Above all, shame on you for making a fool of yourself… even though you posted your comment in anonymity.
March 12th, 2008 at 4:52 am
@john
These guys live if Africa giving there lives to see Uganda become a better place,
Marilyn has had a gun held to her head and had various other life threatening experiences in her quest to help Ugandans live better lives. They have had real impact and improved the lives of so many orphans.
March 13th, 2008 at 6:23 am
We just saw the choir last night and we all enjoyed the show. The kids really seem to enjoy themselves. What is the matter with some of you having a problem with evangelizing anyways? Jesus wasn’t fake, He wasn’t a story book character. He actually walked this earth and the Bible was written so others could read about the miracles that happened in that time and how he helped others…hence help the widows and children. I don’t understand why people have such a hard time with Christianity when underneath it all it means to love and care for each other. What is so wrong with that? We want to share (or evangelize) because we are happy about the gift of love we are given from our true Father and we want to share it with others. Doesn’t everyone want to be loved? Maybe the world would be a better place if we all cared a little more for each other. I commend Marilyn and Gary for the work they have taken on. They obviously love their neighbours.
March 14th, 2008 at 1:46 am
My son has been to Watoto in uganda. Our church raised the money and then went over and helped dig a well and build 3 houses for one of the villages. We have hosted Watoto children in our home and my son wants to go back for 6 mo. to help in the villages. When I see how awful people can treat one another throughout this world, why would anyone want to talk badly about a group of people who are actually trying to make the world a better place. Talk to one of these children, or one of the adults who’s with them, and you will see the difference between children who are grateful for what they have instead of complaining and whining about what they don’t have. Jesus can make a difference in a person’s life. I know from personal experience, when that happens, it’s hard not to tell others about it. Jesus has made a difference in their lives and they want to share that with others. God bless them!
March 14th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Wow! And the beat goes on…
It is disgraceful that google ranks this old post as the #3 result for the search term “watoto”. That’s just not right. For this reason alone I am tempted to take it down. However, it has generated alot of discussion. Who am I to decide what people want to talk about? I am glad to see that more recent commenters have not succumbed to angry rhetoric.
That being said, the lively and prolific discussion has taken the original discussion in a few different directions, not necessarily intended by the poster. Although this is not a bad thing per se, some commenters have made some erroneous and oversimplified assumptions about the poster in order to advance a point of view. The poster forgives those that have done this since this is also something he did in the original post ;).
@Paolo
Your misdjudgmet of me is perhaps a reflection on my inability to express myself properly. I will try again.
When the kids sang solo, their individual voices did not strike me as being the only aggregate voices making up the choral sound coming from the speakers. This led me to believe they were using a track. This bothered me precisely because I felt that even thought the kids’ voices may not have been perfect, they certainly were wonderful enough to stand on their own. Viewed through my own aesthetic prism, I thought it was superfluous to add background tracks, other than the instrumental ones. I am not a pro, I dont even play anymore. But I did play the violin from the age of three, played the flute until nineteen and sang in church choirs as a young boy in Mexico. I still think I have a pretty good ear. Apparently I was wrong about this, and I have rectified this in a comment.
I am not sure where you got the idea that I am a person
“who will only respond to a non-slick portrayal of Africa and children from there”, I can assure you this is not the case. When I said that “they were actually quite slick”, I meant it as a compliment. I’ve lived in many parts of the world (though not Africa) and am weary of stereotyping. This is not to say that I never fall prey to my own narrowed thinking–I just don’t think this is one of them. My attempts at self-deprecation (refering to myself as an insensitive bastard) seem to have been taken at face value. I’ll have to work on my style.
As far as the other thing that bothered me, it was the unsolicited “evangelical outreach” aspect of the event. Perhaps the local organizers were at fault for this. I am not against religion or Christianity, as many commenters suppose. However, I do believe in a modus operandi based on “attraction, rather than promotion” where matters of faith are concerned, which I believe is a fundament of true Christianity. To see hope, joy and good spirits reign supreme in a child who was once an outcast, the jetsam of society, is enough to convince me that faith is working for them. It may even entice me to find out more.
March 14th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Oh, and one more thing…I thought the kids were fabulous!
March 14th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
If you ever get the chance to see the Watoto Choir, take the time to talk to some of them. People from all walks of life can have ‘faith’ in a variety of things, but these kids have faith in Jesus ~~ only He can make a difference.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Hi, I saw tthe choir recently and really enjoyed the music and the message. However, I want to correct the notion that africa is a pverty stricken nation- Africa is a rich nation, the problem is that the wealth is diverted to despots, be they white, or nowadays, black. Very little if any is spent on the well being of the average person. That includes health services, food aid, agriculture improvement or whatever. Afica has wealth beyond telling, the problem is that it is misused.
March 30th, 2008 at 4:24 am
I know watoto now for some months. I’ve been to KPC several times. I visited the different villages, where all the children live, I saw the quoir.
now, I really really respect and honor the work watoto is doing. In these villages are more than hundred something house, each with 8 children that is really a lot. they are giving hope and life to the children (nation!) I believe the money the choir raises is in good hands and investments (children-future).
there is just one thing, which bothers me somehow:
somehow the children look trained, ie. the frozen smile, the rhythm,… (they are, b/c they have to be if they go on tour). I just wish them, that they really really experience a loving and faithful GOD and not that they are used to get money to help other children.
get me right please, it is difficult to find the balance, when children are working (and that is what they are doing)
BUT may GOD bless watoto children’s choir, watoto villages and KPC
p.s. mzungu volunteer in uganda since 8 months
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:31 am
this organisation is genuine and the children are genuine.
April 19th, 2008 at 6:38 am
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April 20th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
hey folks, if the venue, in your town is a christian church Hall, then you can expect to hear a christian message. What chice do the kids have in belief system, a choice between starving, and hope for the future, I dont notice that the other religions are in there doing whatever(not knocking other religions) but just because it is the christians dont knock it down either, I know christians dont have the best of reputation cause a few went wrong, and did wrong self rightious things, but….let us hope that the kids do have a good future and that the peoples motives are good.
April 20th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Heard the choir this morning. I am a singer, listen to loads of live and recorded music and the backing tape (both instrumental and vocal) came over load and clear.
The choir’s performance was the main part of a church service and I am an ex-evangelical so I knew exactly what to expect but I nevertheless felt by the end that I had been subjected to 90 minutes of slick, very slick, begging.
My main concerns were with the ways in which the children portrayed themselves/were used during the presentation. Children under a certain age are not permitted in TV adverts soliciting money for instance. Does this restriction cover live performances. Giving every member of the choir and opportunity to say what they would like to do when they grew up was fatuous and seemed designed merely to deepen the “a, bless ‘em” factor. To pretend they will all become “leaders” of their nation is simply misleading.
The problem with HIV/AIDS in Uganda is truly very serious and very disturbing and fair play to the Kampala Pentecostal Church for trying to do something practical about it. It is, however, one of over 1000 social and faith organisations in Uganda attempting to fill the gap left by ineffective government policies and while its motivation may be religious and pentecostal wouldn’t it be better for all if its goal were simply humanitarian?
April 25th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
hi
who has talked 2 those kids
n who has a clip for those kids
oh my i saw them present here in uganda
n they were amaizing i came
2 know some two girls names n
they looked cute.plz someone
sen me their clip on
gladysgillian@yahoo.com
it will b a pleasure
April 28th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I believe every thing positive has got to be criticised not matter how positive. It is good to know that people are concerned with what Watoto is doing. I know that for sure above what anyone thinks or says, God will use Watoto to change the destiny of a nation. It would only be nice for godly christians who cannot support this cause to pray that God will indeed bless this cause and that indeed the devil who is the real accuser of the bretheren will not steal what God has in store for the children of Africa.
You can only appreciate this, when you have been to there.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I work for Watoto based in the Kampala which happens to be the head Office. Now i may not be the best person to Defend how money is raised or the Children’s ministry. But one thing i know thats not my Job or any one’s Job. God is the only one who Defends the Ophans and the widows. I belive God is in this Ministry and he will defend the Ministry. I have seen him doing that. I only have oe advice for you who skeptical about Watoto instead of wasting alot of time criticising please come visit us in Kampala. we have nothing to hide. Your fears about us being a cult will all be thrown out of the window. And above all you will be blessed. Your life will never be the same. It is the best thing you can do for yourself.
And for those who are standing for the Ministry remember the BATTLE IS FOR THE LORD. No one messes with God’s Children To God be the GLORY.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:44 am
Ok so I think we all just need to remember why they are doing this? Would you rather these children have guns when they turn 8 and be killing people? You must try to remember what conditions they would be in if they didn’t have Watoto. I just seen them but before going I researched what I could of them so I knew what to expect. You wouldn’t goto a movie without watching a commercial or reading a review right? Why would you goto a “Concert of Hope” without seeing what it was about first. I found them trying to stay on the positive side of things. Did you even know that the people who are fighting the structure of things are getting blown up? We have a Afican lady who lives here and we buy African art from her. She is scared for her family right now. She tells them just to go along with everything. I fully support the Watoto chior. They are making a difference. Considering it was just 2 Pastors from Canada that started this I thin they are doing amazing things!!!
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 am
I hosted members of the choir in Alberta, Canada and my delight was destroyed when i learned i could not even give them a little gift. to think about the schedule those kids have to make…up to 10 concerts a week,i cannot see how that hard work cannot be rewarded with a gift. Besideswhat canadian experienc ewill the children take back home with them if they cannot even be allowed to take back momentos and souveniors of their trip.
i understand that the mainreason was space concerns on the bus. but gain its hard to see how frequent travellers like watoto can have space concerns.
how else can i show canadian hospitality? i dont know.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 am
i love the choir and am happy to have seen them in Grande Praire. however i wish to bring yo attention to the plastic smiles. i think they ar eplastic becuse at the back of teh church where they wait to comein,they do not seem happy at all yet a moment later they are all smiles,is this genuine? i was also concerned about a girl who seemed to be crying when the concert started. did the adult leaders see this? i wonder. someone needs to actually find out if these kids are as happy as they seem especially the girl who was in tears. i wonder if anyone found out why.
May 6th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Hey guys, i have been forced to comment. We are wasting alot of time replying to this looser blogger in the names of Patrick or whatever your real names are. Fact is, you need to get a life!
Anyways, just a few comments!
Surely, Barbara, u have never been on tour. You claim to be a musician…thats why you are still junior in your singing career bcoz you have no singing expertise!
Sean, in India! Do you know why your small programme is still small. Bcoz the Lord almighty is not in it. Until you worship the one true God, instead of a cow, you will never suceed!!
The guys who work with the kids are volunteers! But whoever told you that they are paid 25 bucks a week surely needs to get their facts right!
Did u also know that there are people whose main mission is to spoil the image of Watoto as an organisation! Those need to get a life too!
Andrew commented on the gift thing! Thanks for hosting the kids. That was great. But u guys in the West love showing off when you donate something to Africans and indeed that has fuelled Africa’s continued dependence on you!
I guess what Watoto does is to give these kids a feeling that a small gift is not what is this all about. Thats why some of Africa’s politicians have their straws in the West because of the “small gifts” given to them!
Whoever this small minded blogger is, just come to Uganda. SEE, EXPERIENCE the ministry! And then, you can run your mouth! Then you will have your facts right! I hope.
Ideally, people like you need the facts!
May 6th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Forgot one thing, when you come, you will realise that the smiles are not plastic like Jane suggested. Dont expect them to smile all the time!
May 9th, 2008 at 5:59 am
i have travelled with the choir very recently. i have taken time to read the posts on this blogger,some are true, some false some are exaggerations and some are still weaknesses i believe watoto is working to rectify.
i know Gary and Marylin skinner (almost) personally. i cannot doubt their heart is in watoto and what they are doing is definitely God inspired- let alone to say its working.
facts on adults:
the adults that travel are nearly hand picked! they are not perfect but they are trained to serve and represent the heart of God thru the mission of Gary Skinner. they train for 5 months with the children and as such bond with them really well. they get a weekly stipend of 30CDN,25USD and 15GBP respectively for canada, states and UK.(am not sure how much it is in aussie).
some are volunteers but those who have travelled before are members of staff and as a result they have different benefits back in uganda, including paycheck etc. maybe thats the one injustice i found,coz i dont see how different the work they do is and i also dont see how someone should be a volunteer for a whole 12 months yet getting paid less than a staff member albeit the same work load-if you have seen them work,you know what am talking about.
facts about the children:
they are children! those expecting more out of them yo deceived! they dont always smile and if you suppose they will smile genuinely all the time go to the nearest elementary school and test that hypothesis!
they love what they are doing,but like life,it doesnt come so easily so yes when they seem unhappy its one of those days when life isnt treating them very well. if you dont know what am saying,ask Paris Hilton!
facts about the music:
the music is played and created by a band at KPC(home of watoto) and earlier music was created by T and J Skinner. a live semi band(live guitar) has ever toured but i guess the big goal isn’t what we have on stage but what we get to achieve. keep yo fingers crossed, you might be at a possible world tour with a live watoto band!!!
facts about gifts:
while i understand the reasoning behind not taking gifts,but again too much of anything is bad,the stiffness i hear of in canada now is such that even hosts are complaining about not being able to give even small gifts. i dont agree with either extremes, especially coz i have been on tour before where the hosts did not even hear about the gift rule,instead we enforced it ourselves,that way no one got offended, atleast not as a group of hosts being told what to do or not to do!
facts about the money:
the money is well used,you can be assured. i absolutely cannot and will not doubt all the professional carrers in the accounts department of Kampala office,nevertheless i agree that the figures are not on the website. as watoto becomes a fully registered NGO vis a vis ministry, all these technical things will be sorted out.
generally,we cannot expect an organisation that just started 14yrs ago now with over 400 members of staff, over 1700 kids with 2 fully operational villages, a widows’ rehabilitation centre, 2 fully functional medical centres, 2 fully functional junior schools, a fully functional high school,( 2nd one almost ready), a over 20,000 acres of land in a war ravaged northern uganda ready to house a third village, hosting almost 90 international teams a year (average team of 6pple)….i can go on…. to not have alot of stretching going on in its sides. thats perhaps what we need to deal with.
perhaps the one big need watoto has? a human resource manager and a more competent company secretary!
dont worry andrew isnt my real name! for obvious reasons.
May 9th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
This is a wonderful post. It illustrates what blogs are all about. You didn’t attack Watato. If anything, you raised questions out of concern for the kids, not to attack them. By reading the comments, I get a fuller and more balanced picture. Thanks.
People who have nothing to hide needn’t be afraid of questions. To all those who attacked Patrick (the blogger), you are an embarrassment to Watoto. By attacking Patrick, you make Watoto look guilty. Patrick is just one person with questions, and many others share his concerns for the kids. They just want to know the kids aren’t being taken advantage of.
The antidote for legitimate questions is honest answers. Thanks so much to “Andrew,” who traveled with Watoto, for doing that (although I wish you’d used your real name and wonder why you couldn’t).
Now my advice to Patrick is to add a brief update to the original post. Cut and paste Andrew’s comment into the bottom of your post. Then the post will be an even better resource for future people who come here. They won’t have to read all the comments to discover the best response.
BTW, I live in Japan. Watoto is coming here in two weeks. I’ve seen them before, but I also had a couple of concerns. When I searched on Google, I immediately clicked on the “politically incorrect” post, because I wanted answers to my questions, not a puff piece. Again, thanks and blessings to you.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:39 am
Yes, you seem to be under the assumption that a group with the word “ministry” in it’s name would be anything less than a proselytizing, Christian group. Raising these children with Christian values is the whole point of the ministry and the way they will save this generation of Ugandan orphans. A very large part of the Christian faith is sharing the gospel with the world…sorry…it’s what Jesus said we are supposed to do. The way these kids share their faith is refreshing and inspiring to me and many others. I’m sorry that you didn’t get that from their program.
I have seen their videos and our Sunday school is raising money for the ministry as our summer outreach project. We are honored to do it for these brave children and the pastors and mentors who are giving their lives over to help these kids.
As for it being partially voice overs, forgive me but…DUH! It would be cost prohibitive to drag around a band and instruments, world wide, for 6 months a year!
The saddest part of your blog is that you missed the point. Your jaded view completely robbed you of the inspiration these children bring to so many people. They are a blessing that shouldn’t be blogged to death…they should be treasured and given the respect they deserve. They have seen more pain and death in their brief lives that we can ever imagine. Just sit back and share their joy…those smiles are real.
May 12th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I’ll chime in one last time and that’s it. I don’t mean to push this thread on and on. I just want to apologize for the lack of love in these comments. If Watato is all about love, then a) they don’t need defenders and b) if people feel compelled to defend them then it’s a disservice to do it in a spiteful, insulting way.
I’m a follower of Jesus. I share your concerns. As I said before, there is no harm in asking questions, voicing opinions, or raising concerns. You are not doing a disservice to the kids. Honestly, when it comes to working with children, people who forbid raising questions and concerns are dangerous. Any parent would rather have you around than someone who implies questions are bad and anything goes in the name of ministry. As we all know, kids are vulnerable. You are not attacking the cute children as some commenters imply but sticking up for them. Thank you.
And if you’d rather hear live vocals, why shouldn’t you say that?! People who are offended by such sentiments are too easily offended (I know, it’s a lame rejoinder, but I’m trying to be nice.)
Thankfully, it appears that the Watoto kids are basically in loving and caring hands with room for improvement (according to the source who actually worked with them). That’s basically good news and information worth knowing! Again, thank you because your post helps to make us more aware. Hopefully, it will also help the people who manage these tours work harder to do everything in the best possible way. I hope everyone can agree that when it comes to caring for these kids, working harder (and better) to do what’s right by them is a very good thing.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
@Andy and Andrew
I have written an addendum, quoting part of your comments. I am heartened that the voice of reason still prevails. Thanks…
May 13th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
@ Andy, I wish to make some clarifications on some of the comments you made on your post. You said, “People who have nothing to hide needn’t be afraid of questions.” I don’t think Watoto is afraid of questions, there’s actually been several posts by people who work directly with or are associated with Watoto in a way who have provided some very valuable information.
You said, “To all those who attacked Patrick (the blogger), you are an embarrassment to Watoto. By attacking Patrick, you make Watoto look guilty. Patrick is just one person with questions, and many others share his concerns for the kids. They just want to know the kids aren’t being taken advantage of.” Patrick & others were attacked because they provided some “inaccurate” information in their responses. I believe what majority of the people including myself who were posting were trying to do was to make sure that some of the “inaccurate” information posted by some people throughout the blog was represented accurately. Come on people… none of us are perfect. Remember we are all human beings so there is definitely going to be some imperfections in each of our lives that hopefully lessens as we grow older. Watoto is still a young organization and as Andrew said, they are growing very first. I am sure they are always making an effort to become a better organization.
May 13th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
One thing we should all always remember is that in life we can’t make everyone happy however much you try. There’s always going to be people who are unhappy with what you are doing. But hey, that’s part of life. Its something you have to brush off and move on. If you try to make everyone happy, you end up miserable and being looked at as a hypocrite.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Marie - I didn’t suggest that the folks at Watoto can’t handle questions. What happened here is that people who have no relation to Watoto took Patrick’s questions very personally and (in my opinion) responded in regrettable ways. I don’t think Watoto has anything to “brush off” with regard to this post either. Patrick raised some friendly and constructive concerns. He also offered an opinion about preferring the kids’ real voices even if they aren’t as polished as the backing track. What’s offensive about that?
I agree that none of us our perfect. And I’m sure you’re aware of the old saying about what happens when we assume.
Patrick - Your addendum is put (funny about the self-effacing part being taken literally). BTW, the first time I heard Watoto I was amazed at how powerful and crystal clear they sang. I couldn’t believe less than a dozen kids (and half very young) could belt it out so loudly. For years whenever I mentioned them (I have a CD), I would talk about their amazing voices. Only after reading your post did it occur to me that they might have used a backing vocal track. I guess I’m not the sharpest guy on the block.
Anyway, I still enjoy the CD. I’ve been to Africa, and it brings back a familiar sound and feeling I had then. Ditto to the Soweto Gospel Choir (available on Amazon).
On a technical note, the page is all skewed now. It looks like either the CSS got changed or (more likely) a “div” was added or taken away in the page.
May 18th, 2008 at 3:01 am
Patrick,
I just wanted to let you know this; if you feel my response will incite more flaming, feel free to delete it.
I’ll leave this one comment. It looks like most of the people who took offense at what you said, even after your eloquent explanations, didn’t understand them there big words you used & were too lazy to open another tab & look them up at dictionary.com. Otherwise, methinks at least a couple of them would be slightly more in agreement with you. Maybe. After all, you’re the nail & all they’ve got are hammers, if you get my drift.
Found you mostly by accident, as you may have guessed. It’s a shame to be flamed so for *heaven forbid* expressing one’s opinion in one’s own blog. Last time I checked, personal blogs were under no obligation to be the epitome of objective reporting. With the time & energy people waste writing ignorant sounding, badly spelled tirades against bloggers who inadvertently offend them, they could move on to something else & forget about it. Like go back to playing You know, like turn the other cheek, or practice the golden rule, since I doubt there’s anyone out there who truly enjoys seeing “OMG, ur personal opinion iz worng!1!11!!! IM going to write hlaf a novel in ur comment’s bout wut a bad person U R!!!! SRSLY!” (Ok, so I exaggerated, but that’s generally the gist of those things.)
All the best,
Meg
P.S. I’m not kidding about deleting this if you want to. I don’t want to cause anymore trouble here than already exists, just wanted to show some support.
May 18th, 2008 at 3:10 am
P.P.S. So much for me only commenting once & so much for talking about proof-reading. I lost my train of thought in there; tabbed browsing is a dangerous thing for one as easily distracted as I am. However, I won’t bother to fill in the blanks, since by that point I’m sure I’d said too much anyway.
May 18th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
@Meg
I strongly believe that the positive effects of tabbed browsing far outweigh the negative ones…:)
May 25th, 2008 at 3:59 am
Hi,
I’ve seen the Watoto children’s choir twice and I would agree with you about the soundtrack, I would of preferred it if it was just themselves. However I think they sang brilliantly all the same! I remeber there being a lot more drumming and dancing when i first saw them though so perhaps you would of preferred them then (however I’m not sure if this was just my imagination or if they have changed their routine.) As alot of these comments seem to be about whether you are being offensive to the choir or not, I would agree that you are not, all you said was that you weren’t religious and didn’t like the soundtrack.
About the religious bits of it, I can understand how you felt kind of trapped by it. I myself am a Christian and went full knowing that it was a christian choir. Although I understand how uncomfortable it might of been, and how this could of been improved by advertising the fact that it was Christian, i do not blame the choir at all: knowing the reality of God, the main idea of evangelism is to help, not to trap.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:33 am
I just wanna say that the review of Watoto is RIGHT on the money. Last night, in a part of Tokyo called Akasaka Mitsuke, the Watoto choir had performed. I went to this performance, along with 10 of my friends. The first number WAS the best one as the used live instruments. As the children sang, I started to wonder if they were lip-synching or not and the reason is simple. When there was a solo and they did use the mic, it sounded a lot different. Here’s a good example…you know how people photoshop images and put celeb faces on nude bodies…well, Watoto is somewhat a sound version of that type of deceit. The voices don’t match. Don’t get me wrong…the show was great. The kids were all very talented, but I’d have to say that they are being exploited, and not to mention brainwashed. It’s almost like a type of “Jesus Camp” in Africa (Those of you who haven’t seen “Jesus Camp”, I suggest you rent it and watch it). Even now, I can’t but say “Cast your problems…unto Jesus”….or “I am not forgotten…” Even I feel victimized. But alas…I would hope that Pastor Skinner and his group are doing what they think is right. And if the children are happy, safe, and are given more opportunities then that’s all the matters. I just hope they grow up to be “open-minded” as they grow older. If not…it would seem like Uganda would turn into even more of a big mess than it is now. And another thing…we have all learned or read about what happens when a white man goes into Africa…the natives either get turned into slaves or used as guides to uncover rich resources, only for them (the resources) to be taken away by him. This is not a racist attack, I am simply stating facts that people are afraid to either speak about or come to terms with.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Chris - You started out saying the review was on target. Great. The rest of your comment doesn’t follow from the post and may subject this comment thread to an endless argument (just when it looked like things had settled). And I must say you made a giant-sized logical leap from “lip syncing” to “exploited” and “Jesus camp.” “Holy (Karl) Rovian inferences and guilt by association batman!” I’m sure you have some things you want to express, but you’re taking advantage of this thread (er, exploiting Watoto…in your own way) to make your point. “Even I feel victimized, but alas…” Why not post this on your own blog, or at least post a link so folks can respond to directly to you?
May 26th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Chris - I just wanted to clarify my last comment wasn’t meant to sound angry. I share your concern about the kids. But I don’t think you should suggest or infer they are being exploited without evidence. It’s a lot easier to make a comment than to find out the truth. You may feel like you’re helping the kids, which may be true if you’re right. But if you’re wrong then you’re attacking people who have given up family and careers and moved to the other side of the world to physically be in a dire situation and help. I’m sure they’re not perfect, but they’re not blogging about “AIDS orphans in Africa” but actually living there and trying to help. And it’s not just non-Africans behind Watoto, but Africans as well.
I Googled Watoto almost 3 weeks ago, because I was thinking about going to the Asakusa concert and wanted to double-check the reputation of the group. That’s what brought me to this post. After reading all the comments (especially Andrew’s above), I don’t see evidence that the kids are being treated badly. If someone wants to know for sure how the kids are doing, then I’d suggest doing the research and legwork to find out.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:33 am
A couple of years ago, I hosted three Watoto children and one of their adults for three days. During those three days, I took th