Broad & High Presents: Starlit Ways
Starlit Ways is comprised of Rose Nkechi Onyeneho (vocals) and Chris Glover (guitar).
Chris Glover and Rose Nkechi Onyeneho have been playing together as Starlit Ways for six-and-a-half years after meeting at church. The acoustic duo is known to sing an eclectic range of genres.
“We play whatever sounds good to us” explains Chris, a Columbus native who says their repertoire ranges from Ella Fitzgerald and Sia, to Brandon Carlisle and Chris Stapleton.
French is Rose’s first language, as she is native of West Central Africa, hailing from both Gabon and Nigeria (school brought her to Ohio). And she is comfortable singing in many different languages, including English, Italian and Spanish.
“I’m not classically trained,” she says, “but I love singing opera, too.”
For their original songs, lyrics are everything.
“If it doesn’t speak to us, I don’t think we can perform it as genuinely,” Rose says.
Like most musicians, the pandemic has had an impact on their music-making, and they miss the energy that comes from a live performance.
“You lose that human connectivity [doing virtual gigs], which we thrive on,” says Chris. “We came from a church environment where you have that atmosphere and feedback from people.” But it serves as a reminder that creating meaningful songs with meaningful lyrics is paramount.
As You Are
Chris and Rose had been sitting on this song for a couple of years.
“The whole idea of the song is that … where you are right now has value” says Chris. “There is always somebody who appreciates who you are.”
Rose agrees, saying this song is all about ignoring the naysayers and developing a positive sense of self-worth, despite any obstacles. “Just be you,” she says, “and know that God created you to be something more than you can imagine.”
C’est Toi
C’est Toi is French for It’s you. This song is influenced by the power of thought and a Biblical verse found in the Book of Proverbs. “The Bible tells us a man is as he thinks he is,” says Rose.
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