Janzo Thomas Onduso is an 11 year old gospel music singer with special talents in preaching and evangelizing. The young lad broke into fame after his hit song Mzigo Mzito, loosely translated to Heavy burden, hit the airwaves last year.
The young boy is a sensation, with many terming him as the next big thing in gospel music. WoK spoke to Janzo’s father, Jared Onduso, to get an indepth understanding of the young Minister’s special gift and his plans for the future.
Tell us a bit about your son
My son’s name is Janzo Thomas Onduso. He is 11 years old. He is a gospel music singer with over 20 songs recorded. He is currently in Grade 6 at Nabisia Primary school in Nyamache District in Bobasi Constituency, Kisii County.
When did your son Janzo start singing?
In 2016, he started having dreams and share them with us. He had dreams of his ministry even before he started singing officially in 2021. I was a bit hesitant to support his talent, but over time my fellow Pastors convinced me to nurture his talent and support him.
Other than singing, what else does he do?
When he is not singing, Janzo enjoys preaching, evangelizing and being a comedian. He loves to make people laugh.
Does anyone else in the family share Janzo’s musical talent?
Yes, ours is a musical family. Both his mother and I are active singers in the Church. My other two children, William Musumbi Onduso and Sood David Onduso also sing.
How has his musical journey been for you as his parents?
It has been a challenge for us to support his musical journey, as he needs additional instruments like speakers and microphones for his ministry at air open markets and other events. We are however doing our best to support him and calling on well-wishers to support whenever they can.
What has been you biggest challenge in terms of his career?
Out biggest challenge at the moment is procuring of musical instruments for his use when ministering to large numbers of people.
What is Janzo’s dream for the future?
Janzo always insists that he wants to be a Pastor and musician when he grows up. As a Pastor myself, I can testify that I have witnessed a sizeable growth of my ministry especially with the youth since my son began singing. More youth in our locality are now interested in joining the Church due to my son’s influence.
How do you help your son to balance school, singing and ministry?
We have a program for him, where all his events are planned for accordingly. Whenever he has an event, we only take a bit of his day time out of school to take him to his performances.
Is Janzo’s talent bringing in money for him at the moment?
Yes. When he performs at funerals or at Church, he is able to collect something that helps sustain his musical career.
What’s your advice to other parents with talented children like Janzo?
My advice for parents with talented children is to support their children’s talents and abilities. I am encouraged by successful stories of other artists like Bahati and Willy Paul who started singing while young and whose careers have soared because of their talent.
Where can we find Janzo’s music?
Janzo’s music is available on his website and on his YouTube channel, Janzo Thomas. When you visit those pages you will be able to view all his latest songs and interviews.
