When Nigerian American actor-singer Rotimi and Tanzanian pop star Vanessa Mdee first met in 2019, it was the beginning of a love story that neither of them expected. <\/p>\n
That first encounter six years ago could be straight from a rom-com. They had both just performed at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans and ended up at the same Spotify afterparty \u2013 neither one particularly eager to be there. But fate had other plans. <\/p>\n
\u201cShe was sitting on a pool table,\u201d Rotimi laughs. \u201cThe lights were glowing and beaming, and I just thought, \u2018Yo, who is this?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n
A friend of Rotimi made the introduction, which led to several hours of deep conversation. Within days, they were inseparable. A long-distance relationship began \u2013 Vanessa in Tanzania, Rotimi in Atlanta, Georgia, in the US \u2013 and she came to visit not long after. \u201cI never left,\u201d Vanessa says with a grin. <\/p>\n
While the Covid-19 pandemic forced much of the world into stillness, for Rotimi and Vanessa, it became a sacred time. \u201cI really thank God because he was creating an environment for us to really dive deep into getting to know each other on a very intimate and spiritual level,\u201d Vanessa reflects. <\/p>\n
At the encouragement of Rotimi, she booked a flight to the US for a mini vacation, but it became an extended stay due to travel restrictions. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf I had been a day late, we wouldn\u2019t have been able to see each other for the period of nine-plus months during which the borders were locked,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
The lockdown forced them both into a much-needed break. <\/p>\n
\u201cI came onto the scene at the age of 18 years old, so I had been working well into my 30s at this point and I had never taken time off,\u201d Vanessa adds. <\/p>\n
The timing was also divine for Rotimi, who had just released the hit \u201cIn My Bed.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, during that time, if the world was open and my record \u2018In My Bed\u2019 had just come out, I would have been moving around touring for the whole run of that song, still doing what I needed to do, and my mind wouldn\u2019t have been on anything else,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
That time off allowed something deeper than fame to grow, the couple says, sparking a journey toward faith, family and purpose. <\/p>\n
\u201cGod wanted me to sit down and heal a lot of things,\u201d Rotimi adds, \u201cand He blessed me with the opportunity to learn this woman.\u201d <\/p>\n
Vanessa, once one of East Africa\u2019s biggest music stars, made headlines when she walked away from the industry at the height of her career in 2020. But the decision wasn\u2019t impulsive \u2013 it was deeply spiritual. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, (the music industry) was depleting my mental, spiritual, emotional and physical health in many ways. I turned to many different vices that were not good for me as a person,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt got to a point where the music industry became extremely toxic for me. I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s everybody\u2019s story; it\u2019s my story.\u201d <\/p>\n
Today, she co-leads \u201cFor The Better,\u201d the couple\u2019s faith-based wellness app and community, where she mentors women across the globe through Bible studies, prayer circles, and now a women\u2019s conference. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just want every time I step out and do something to be meaningful, purposeful, and effective,\u201d she adds. <\/p>\n
Rotimi, whose real name is Olurotimi Akinosho, has embraced a life beyond the spotlight, although he continues to build his career with his current role as Pastor Charles on the Showtime series \u201cThe Chi\u201d <\/em>while releasing new music. <\/p>\n \u201cThe job is to be a vessel,\u201d the 36-year-old says. \u201cGod works in mysterious ways; it\u2019s not a cookie-cutter approach \u2013 it\u2019s more of a roundabout way.\u201d <\/p>\n Their love is both bold and deeply rooted. Married in 2021, they refer to their relationship as a \u201ckingdom marriage,\u201d grounded in their shared faith. \u201cWe\u2019re not perfect,\u201d Vanessa says. \u201cBut we know who\u2019s at the center of it all: God.\u201d <\/p>\n Together, they are raising two children and navigating a blended cultural household where Yoruba, Swahili and American traditions harmonize. <\/p>\n \u201c(The children) know they\u2019re 50% Tanzanian and 50% Nigerian, and they can champion that,\u201d Rotimi says. \u201cIt\u2019s about giving our kids roots and wings.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cBuilding a strong foundation for our children requires a lot of time, commitment, and being very present \u2013 like playing with the kids, nurturing their skills, and honing their crafts while giving them a strong foundation in Christ,\u201d adds Vanessa. <\/p>\n From love-centered music and wellness apps to Bible studies, it\u2019s clear Rotimi and Vanessa feel they are on a mission that reflects a deeper calling. However, when asked if ministry was in their future, the couple was uncertain. <\/p>\n \u201cIt would be foolish for us to say no, but it\u2019s too early to say yes,\u201d Rotimi says. <\/p>\n \u201cI just know that whatever we do, it\u2019s going to be for His glory,\u201d Vanessa adds. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Nigerian American actor-singer Rotimi and Tanzanian pop star Vanessa Mdee first met in 2019, it was the beginning of a love story that neither of them expected. That first encounter six years ago could be straight from a rom-com. They had both just performed at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans and <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16808,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16807","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16807"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16807\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} A \u2018kingdom marriage\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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