USA: Uncertainty beclouds “death” of top African Gospel Singer Moses Swaray

Proverb 18:16 “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.”

By James Kokulo Fasuekoi|Editor-Publisher

News of the death of top Liberian Gospel artist and minister, Pastor Moses Swaray, on Friday, hit his many admirers across the world like a summer whirlwind that swept across the Sahara Desert of North Africa.

A young Albino, otherwise referred to as “Jato” in Liberia, Swaray had reached at the peak of his Gospel career, earning numerous national and international awards, when news of his “tragic” demise struck.

Swaray’’s “death news” was announced through social media by individuals believed to be close to him.

At the same time, on Saturday, July 16, 2022, news also circulated in Minnesota that Swaray was in fact in what appeared to be an “induced” coma and hadn’t yet passed away.

Against this backdrop, a photograph of the star clinging to life-support-devices at a hospital ward appeared in several social media posts thus giving credence to news that the Gospel musical genus might be in critical condition.

It’s not exactly clear how Pastor Swaray allegedly died but speculation abound that the incident occurred while he had gone on a swimming expedition in Minnesota where he resides.

Up to press time Saturday evening neither Swaray’s own family nor a family’s spokesperson had commented on the musician’s reported death.

African community groups with which he was affiliated such as the Liberian Gospel Musicians Association-MN (LGMA-MN), plus Gospel Guru Liberia Awards (GGLA) didn’t help the situation either in that none provided credible information on his “death.”

Instead, both compounded the entire situation by joining a pool of sympathizers on social media to extend “condolences” to the bereaved family. The LGMA-MN described him as a “team member” while GGLA said he “died after battling life for over 72 hours in hospital in the United States of America” on July 15, 2022.

His alleged “death” news was received with deep sorrow by his admirers worldwide on Friday, among them, Liberia’s current Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor and Grand Bassa County’s most popular Senator, Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence.

Back home in Liberia and in the US, scores of admirers and artists scrambled to get any news related to Swaray’s reported “death.”

For much of Friday morning, Liberia’s former TV news presenter and filmmaker Kekura Kamara, one of Swaray’s early promoters, placed numerous calls to African artists in the U.S. particularly, Minnesota to find out the truth regarding the death rumors.

Mr. Kamara is producer of the iconic pre-war Malawala-Balawala TV series. In 2009, he had taken then young Moses Swaray along when he traveled to Philadelphia, USA, to receive ACANA’s annual Cultural Excellence Award. Artists AB. Swaray and Caesar Gator also accompanied Mr. Kamara.   

Public reaction at the “death” news

The sad news of Swaray has hit hard at home and abroad in almost every Liberian household and beyond. From top Liberian politicians to journalists, artists, and ordinary people, the conversation surrounding Brother Swaray’s reported “death” hasn’t ceased. 

The Vice President of the Republic of Liberia Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor’s reaction on hearing it was one of shock. “Oh Wow! It’s so shocking!” she said in a Facebook post and ended with: “GONE TOO SOON MOSES!”

Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence’s reaction too, upon hearing the sad news was just as grievous as that of the Vice President of Liberia.

Senator Lawrence got connected to Swaray in less than a year ago in the probably the most unlikely fashion while at the local Royal Hotel in Monrovia that Swaray too was visiting.

According to a facebook post Mrs. Lawrence said “my sister Orsay who’s a promoter of Liberian gospel music, sent me a text from the USA and said, there’s a boy by the name of Moses Swaray who’s sitting right in the restaurant you are sitting in and wants to come over and sit with you.”

Mrs. Lawrence hadn’t known Swaray then and asked her sister “how do you know I am sitting in a restaurant from all the way there [USA]?” It happened Swaray had texted Orsay Gbaa and asked her to connect the both he and Mrs. Lawrence.

As it happened Mrs. Lawrence said “I looked back and he smiled and I said come on over” and a brotherly and sisterly friendship began.

She described him as a passionate, committed and selfless young man who she said, had planned to extend his work to Grand Bassa.

FootPrints Today former Sports Editor, Dennis B’Toe also contributed this via FaceBook: “I saw him struggle in Danane, Ivory Coast but he was always focused. His only advantage was his melodious voice that was a gift from God. He sang from church to church from which his blessings, if I may say, flow.”

“You’ve made our generation proud!!!” remarked Journalist Stephen Binda.

For 2a Radio: “A great minister of songs. You served well. Your contributions to the Body of Christ left an indelible mark.”

Moses Swaray’s music Ministry

Proverb 18:16 says “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” This is certainly true for Moses Swaray.

His Gospel musical career, say services, began during the course of Liberia’s brutal civil war when he and his Mom lived in a refugee camp in neighboring Ivory Coast, a time his acquaintances say he went from church to church, singing Christian songs. 

By the year 2007, his talent landed him to another level, winning first place out of 17 participants, on a singing competition held in Liberia titled A STAR IS BORN. 

Since coming to the United States more than a decade ago Swaray’s Gospel Ministry has grown larger in both singing worship songs and ministering to God’s peoples from all walks of life.

Countless Youtube videos show Swaray worshiping Pentencostal style, speaking in unknown tongues and exhorting Jehovah God. 

His Christian songs-beginning with his debut song “Keep On Trying” to “Jehovah Overdo” are so electrifying that they can bring deliverance to viewers themselves. 

A glance at Swaray’s itinerary showed he was booked almost all year round either to preach or minister the Gospel through songs to God’s children everywhere. 

In just less than a week on July 10, Swaray hosted a special worship service called “Avalanche” at Christ Covenant Chapel, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota during which his colleague from Nigeria Prospa Ochimana joined him.  

Also, according to information provided via facebook by VP Howard-Taylor, Swaray and another Ghanain musical star, “MOG” (for short) were expected to travel to Liberia this July, and join the VP for a Gospel concert called “Winners Conference.”

Apart from his Gospel Moses Swaray Ministries, he also runs “The Moses Swaray Foundation” which is a charity arm of his music ministry, according to his FaceBook account. 

The foundation advocates for children’s rights and gives assistance to orphanages and also provides scholarships for underprivileged children in Liberia it said.

Banner photograph taken from Moses Swaray’s Facebook page.

PRAY FOR BROTHER MOSES SWARAY AND HIS FAMILY!!!