‘There isn’t a better place to grow up’: German-born Kestine treasures memories of Cork childhood

MICROBIOLOGIST and musician Kestine Ugbodu, who has been living in Cork for the past two decades, credits his skin colour and his parent’s parenting as the driving forces behind his success and determination to excel.

“I was the only black fella in my class in primary school, then there was a Congolese girl, but we were the minority growing up.”

Kestine, 26, was born in Germany, but moved to Cork at the age of six and went to Scoil Náisiúnta an Chroí Naofa in Glounthaune.

The young man said he always felt a pressure to put his best foot forward.

“With Nigerian parents, I would have always been told education is the path to success and being black, I knew people would look at me differently and I wanted to show that they shouldn’t underestimate me,” he says.

Despite this awareness, Kestine has great memories of his time growing up in Cork and said he was very close with his group of friends throughout his school years.

Kestine, who works as a microbiologist for a pharmaceutical company in Ringaskiddy said that his faith also plays a key role in his positive attitude and his energetic personality.

“My father is a pastor with Greater Light Missionary Baptist Church, from a young age I played the piano/keyboard for the Gospel Choir and my brother was the drummer,” he explains. “My religion is very important to me.

“God is my compass. I feel God has helped my family and protected us.”

While Christianity has a place in Kestine’s heart, he sees Catholicism as a more reserved religion, with some stark differences.

“Catholics are very reserved in comparison to Pentecostal,” he says. “We are taught to put our heart and soul in the music and praising God, we are encouraged to speak your heart and Catholicism is just a little different.”

SPORTING LOVES

Kestine also plays basketball in his spare time with East Cork Glenmary Basketball team and was turning semi-pro (moving up to Division I) just before Covid hit.

“I fell in love with basketball,” Kestine said, “I tried hurling and soccer and I just loved basketball. I was tall for my age so I suppose that helped.”

Another deep grá for Kestine is his girlfriend Zainab Yekini. They met through the African society at University College Cork (UCC), where they were both studying.

Outside of basketball, work and downtime with Zainab, Kestine can be found recording new songs, planning music videos, practising for performances and playing the piano/keyboard.

Kestine quickly became fascinated by music from the early 90s, thanks to early hip hop, reggae and his idol, Michael Jackson.

Kestine said he was often teased in primary school for his admiration of Michael Jackson, which pushed him to begin rapping.

Rap became an outlet that he used to vent out his frustrations.

Growing up in a religious family helped Kestine in understanding and appreciating Gospel music, taking influence from the genre to further push his rap and it was through church performances that Kestine honed his abilities, relishing the chaotic energy and limited space to vividly connect to the audience.

Three months ago, Kestine released an EP ‘Reflections’ which looked at appreciating ‘what it means to be a man and a black man and the importance of the BLM movement and the unification of the black community’.

FAMILY

The eldest of three siblings, Kestine says he is the stereotypical protective big brother.

“I definitely look out for my sister and brother, they are both in college at UCC now,” he said. “I suppose I am a bit of a disciplinarian with my brother, I’m a little softer with my sister.”

Chatting about Cork, Kestine said he couldn’t think of a better place to grow up.

“I loved growing up here, I commend my parents for picking Cork.

“I love the innate, rebellious competitive nature of wanting to be the best.

“You can feel it in the GAA, and the music scene which I’m part of, there is a pure desire to be the best county in the country, dominating in every aspect of Irishness.”

While Covid has meant the absence of live performances for the most part and other inconveniences alongside the health crisis, Kestine said there is certainly a silver lining for him.

“Covid made me appreciate my family and time with my family,” he says.

“Before Covid, I felt I was too busy, all the time. I learned a lot over the past 15 months.”