Kim Sledge from the famous 1970s and 80s girl pop band Sister Sledge touches down in Nairobi this weekend for a flurry of activities under a church programme known as the Paradise Project.

The Project, started by Kim herself, involves the use performance arts to talk about the good news, for just over a week.

If you think you don’t know Sister Sledge, here are a few of their songs;

We are Family – which went platinum in 1979 and still plays in various clubs in Kenya.

Frankie – a 1985 hit that also features heavily in Nairobi’s nightlife.

My Guy – which was redone in the popular movie Sister Act.

All That I Need – a song redone by Whitney Houston as All the Man that I need.

Covers of Sister Sledge songs have also been done by Will Smith and Daft Punk, to name a few.

 

Kim is the second of four sisters including Debbie, Joni and Kathy who made up Sister Sledge, a name which is a definite trademark in the history of music.

Though the group has been off the radar for the past decade, Kim and Kathy remain active in totally different spheres. Kim has an outreach initiative called Paradise Project, while Kathy has one of her own – Love Will Project. The similarities include love and of course music.

Kim will be in Kenya with a group of 18 other people with a mission to preach peace and reconciliation, especially in light of next year’s elections.

Kenya is among three other countries that Kim is slated to visit through Paradise Project, including England, Russia and Israel.

Her trip is being organised by the OAIC – Organisation of the African Instituted Churches, which has a peace building programme of its own and will use Kim’s group in their campaign “One People Beyond 2012: Reconciliation and Transformation”.

Kim’s entourage will consist of a mime group, a dance group, a gospel rap artist and several other singers who will visit a number of schools while they are in town, including Lenana and Brookhouse.

The ladies in Sister Sledge were granddaughters of former Opera singer Viola Williams.