Put Donnie McClurkin and Kirk Franklin - two of today's most prominent voices in Christian music - together, add a little East African flavour and what you get may well describe the music ministry of Rev Pete Odera.
 Pete Odera is a well established East African artiste and music minister who has been so influential in the establishing of contemporary Gospel music in the East African region he has been called the architect, the General and even the God father of contemporary Gospel music.
He was born in Nairobi, Kenya and was exposed to music through his uncle the late great East African musician Gordon Ominde who headed the Kenyan band Black Savage.
After a roller-coaster teenage period, which saw him in the clubs on Saturday night but in church on Sunday morning, Pete fully committed his life to the Lord and got involved in music ministry to the youth in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. He helped found two of the leading contemporary Gospel groups- Triumph and later the barrier breaking quartet HART.
HART went on to be one of the most well known contemporary Gospel groups in East Africa. He has also been behind the scenes in the establishment of several young Kenyan musicians including Christian Hip-Hop artist Izzo and radio personality Judy Nduati.
He has worked alongside Rebecca Malope, Limit X, Temple Yard and Ron Kenoly - arranging and directing Ron's choir during his Kenya tour. Pete's ministry has seen him go into discotheques with his style of cutting edge music and even got him on major secular shows including a tour by Grammy award rap artist Coolio as well as Paris based Kora award nominee Papa Wemba.
Pete has been involved with the production of CBN youth programme Revolution as a music producer and a casting agent. He also wrote and produced the song Pamoja as One, the theme song for the Pamoja 99 memorial benefit concert for the August 7th Bomb blast victims and survivors. He was also featured in the largest music concert in Kenyan history Nairobi 2000 which saw 100,000 people gather to listen to Gospel artists from all over East Africa and included Two Hearts from the U.S.A. Pete was also a special musician at Joyce Meyers' as well as Prophetess Juanita Bynum's Nairobi crusade.
He has recorded five solo projects Say Yes, Drastik, The Secret Place, My Best and Beyond the Veil. The Secret Place has had two songs make the Kenyan top ten charts. Hakuna Mungu and Kristo Karinyo peaked at number one and four respectively. His hit song Tu est Bon is still one of the most popular Christian radio songs in the nation.
Pete's folk song Wach was recently recorded on a compilation album released by Integrity Music. Also featured on this album is Lionel Peterson (Sing Africa) and Darlene Zscech protege Janine Price.
He has toured extensively including his native Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the US, and has been very well received by the myriad audiences in those nations. He was specially invited by the Kenya national assembly to minister at the inaugural National Prayer Breakfast in Nairobi where the President of Kenya honourable Mwai Kibaki was the guest of honour. He has also performed at the UNEP headquarters for various dignitaries. Pete's audience has included 4 Presidents, ambassadors and esteemed dignitaries.
Pete is also the founder and Pastor of the Waterbrook Church and presides over Waterbrook Networks-a new generation ministry effort to reach urban youth in Africa.
Pete, his wife Rose and daughters Ariel and Mikayla, currently reside in Nairobi, Kenya.
To contact Pete, or support his ministry, reach him at:
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» 3 Comments
1"Ochieng'"
at Friday, 27 August 2010 15:36
Hi Pete, this is impressing, you might have hard feelings towards me but l still love your message, music and teachings.
i'm currently out of kenya.
l have been blessed as well. i run my own Information Technology company and we are doing very great.
i'm getting married sometimes next year to my 2 years galfriend from some part of Africa.
Keep cool
Ken
2"ceo"
at Friday, 31 December 2010 05:26
Listening to you talk about letting go of baggage was eye opening.keep up and may God. Bless you.
3Comment
at Monday, 31 January 2011 14:41
Pete you are magnifico...I can't stop shaking especially after you lead us in "Teremka". Stay blessed bro!!! The best is yet to come from this man:)
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