This Saturday, April 11, at 8:30 p.m., the Watchmen a cappella group will be performing at the Howard Performing Arts Center (HPAC). Their music draws from a multitude of cultures and musical influences, from gospel to Africana to R&B, and uses this blend to pursue their goals of affecting global impact, sharing their faith and building bridges through music.
Although the Andrews University-affiliated group has gone through several line-up changes since being created in 2017, one key consistency is its international character. Currently, the group consists of six members from five countries. Founding member Abel Siamubi is from Zambia and earned his master’s degree in Organizational Management here at Andrews. Eugene Amponsah and Emmanuel Gyamera, who studied Speech Language Pathology here, hail from Ghana. Narda Herimalala, a pastor who studied in Andrews’ Master of Divinity program, is from Madagascar. Opeyemi Adesina comes from Nigeria and Philip Wekesa from Kenya.
Since its inception, Watchmen Acappella has been all over the country performing at various churches, major denominational events like the General Conference, and on the Hope Channel. One performance at a church in Chicago got them the attention of an “America’s Got Talent” producer and led to an audition for the show. Though the audition went well, according to the group, visa requirements prevented them from being able to continue. Regardless, Siamubi has recalled that the opportunity opened them up to “the hope and realization that [they could] sing at the highest level.”
In tune with this ambition, the Watchmen released an album, “Graduation,” in 2019. Like their live performances, the album consists of renditions of hymns, as well as some originals, like “Customer Service.” They frequently cover songs from a variety of genres, from worship music to Christian crossover hits to inspirational pop, and their YouTube channel has hundreds of thousands of views.
Besides sharing their harmonies and musical talent, the Watchmen “empower students through sustainable scholarships and career opportunities” and help fight against “social inequalities that impede students’ access to quality education and career advancement,”per previous reporting from the Student Movement. Their 501(c)3 charity, the Watchmen Legacy Foundation, provides support to students at the Adventist Learning Center in Beirut, Lebanon, a school that provides first- to eighth-grade education to Syrian and Kurdish refugee children in Lebanon who can’t get an education in the country’s public schools because of overcrowding. Closer to home, the group extends “creative partnerships” through opportunities like internships.
Behind all of their initiatives is the imperative found in Ezekiel 3:17, from which they derive their name: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” Siamubi described the ensemble this way: a group of “young men from different parts of the world that have the same vision to make the world a better place” and bring God's message to the world through music.
Whether you’ve enjoyed listening to the Watchmen’s music on their social media, know them from hearing them lead worship at the Pioneer Memorial Church, or have never heard of them, this weekend offers a chance to be encouraged by the Watchmen’s music ministry. Tickets for their concert are $35 and can be found here. As a bonus, the first 100 people to purchase tickets receive a discount to $25. (There are still some left, but as of publication, the $25 discount is already over half gone!)
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.