Kanvee Gains Adams, one of Liberia's hottest selling gospel musical artists

Almost everyone in Liberia today is dancing and singing the song. In homes, along street corners, and in most, if not every gathering, not to speak of Christian functions, the song of the day is, “You Will Carry My Load."

Little Patricia Wokpeh, commonly known as 'Success' at a very tender age of two sings, "EEy cayay yayo..." and dances her heart out whenever the radio plays this popular song. For many, like little 'Success', the rhythm begs attention and no matter what, one must either nod or stamp to the beat. Still for others, the lyric or message is one of hope. That in such times as we find ourselves in Liberia, it gives one hope to keep persevering because of the assurance that God is not only with us in these trying times, but that He (God) is willing to carry our burdens.

"The situation in the country is such that everyone seems to be carrying some kind of load. Just like my first album, Be Like Job, this one, Carry My Load, is the song for this season. I think that is why it is so widely spread," says Kanvee Gains Adams, the Liberian gospel musical artiste who did the song.

Kanvee Gains Adams, one of Liberia's hottest selling gospel musical artists, who is well famed in Liberia and other African countries for her prophetic in-season songs, had a very tough beginning in her music career. Someone says it like this, “there are times when God blesses a person so much that people who knew him before will never believe he could reach thus far, and those who didn't know him before will never believe that he was ever down that low.” So is Kanvee today.

Before she rose to stardom, Kanvee longed to be a professional nurse, something she still looks forward to. After graduation from the Harbel Multilateral School, she pursued her nursing career but could not go very far owing to financial reasons. "I am a person who has seen a lot of hardship. I actually had a gift of singing as a young school girl coming up, but I was thinking of other things," says Kanvee, who said everything seemed not to be working, something which brought her to the brink of giving up. According to her, it was like God was calling her to singing but she was not paying heed.

"In 2001 God gave me a revelation of my life in a vision and everything I saw in that vision actually came to reality in my life. I had three major difficulties in my life that I had to face. But while I was going through these periods I made three books of the Bible my closest companion; the books of Psalms, Proverbs and Job," she averred. From Kanvee's encounter with these books of the Bible, she told Arts and Culture, she got the inspiration for her first album titled Be Like Job. Though she was inspired and actually succeeded in writing the songs for the album, she found it an uphill task to produce the album because of lack of financial support. "I fasted and prayed to the Lord and through the help of some friends, after several frustrations and delays, I was able to come out with my first album in 2002,” she told this page. But this was to be the beginning of a great music career. The album Be Like Job came out at such a time when Liberians were going through a difficult period in our country's history. It became widespread because it gave hope to all of those who listened to it and even up to today, says Kanvee, the album is still selling. After the launching of this album, it seemed like a door had opened for Kanvee and calls began to come to her to feature on various programs within and out of Liberia. She traveled to Nigeria at the invitation of a church and then to Ghana where she had three programs on the Liberian Refugee camp, Buduburam.

This album no sooner led to another album titled It Shall Be Well in 2003. It Shall Be Well, according to Kanvee, was given to her through inspiration while she was in Nigeria in 2002. The war was raging back home in Liberia and Kanvee had left her entire family here. She was worried about her family and country and so decided to seek the face of God on this matter. It was when the Lord revealed it to her that it would be well. This album had a total of six songs on it. By this time it seemed that the songs were just popping out of Kanvee's spirit because the third album titled My God is good no sooner followed. And then came Finally, the fourth album, and the fifth Thank God I made it, and now we have Carry My Load which is taking Monrovia by storm.

“I think it's all about commitment and honesty,” she told Arts and Culture when quizzed about her secret for success. The Liberian gospel artiste disclosed that though she had a tough time as a young girl coming up, one thing she upheld was her moral integrity. She did not allow herself to go astray because of tough times. “I stood for morality and God has seen me through and today I am a living testimony”.

Kanvee says she feels good because her labor is not in vain. She extends thanks and appreciation to the Liberian President for the new Copyright Board that was set up recently but says that they need to work a little bit more. According to her they need to set some standards between artistes and distributors.

Many refer to her as a prophetess of our time and in affirmation Kanvee says, “Because I sing songs of hope.”

Kanvee has three major roles that require equal share of her time. She is a mother and must attend to her kids; as a housewife she must be the loving wife of Mr. Emmanuel Adams; and as a music minister, she must spend quality time before God for direction and instruction. “It's a very tough task,” she admits but she has learned to turn her load over to the Lord and He is carrying it for her

Meanwhile, Kanvee is planning to venture into the movie industry. She has written her life story and will soon be portraying it in a movie.

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