Behind the Praise: Conversation with a Gospel Artist

You can hear the difference between someone who can sing and someone who carries a message, and La'Kendria Ujah makes that difference plain. We talk with the Louisiana-born, Houston-based gospel artist about how Southern culture shapes the passion in her sound, and how she learned early that worship is never a one-person show. From joining the praise team at age 8 to seeing what worship can unlock in a room, she shares why leading praise comes with responsibility, not a spotlight.

La'Kendria also opens up about the craft behind the calling. Directing a children’s choir trained her ear for soprano, alto, and tenor, and that skill set spilled straight into songwriting. Her process is deeply spiritual and surprisingly routine: melodies appear while cooking, praying, or getting ready for bed. If you’ve ever wondered how gospel songwriting works when it’s truly Holy Spirit-inspired, her answers are both practical and encouraging.

Then we shift to her newest release, “Revival,” and what that word means beyond a trend. La'Kendria describes revival as God reclaiming lost territory, people reconciling to Christ, and believers being reignited to reach the lost. She gets personal about “getting roots” with God, the role of prayer, fasting, and consecration, and why worship transmits more than sound. If you’re feeling spiritually dry, her advice brings you back to Scripture, grace, and the power of the right community.

Listen now, stream “Revival” on your favorite platform, then subscribe, share the episode, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway.

Transcript

Welcome And Coffee Of Week

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hey y'all, hey, it's your girl Paula with another exciting episode of Coffee Chip Chat. But before we introduce our vibrant guest, let's go ahead and shout out the coffee of the week, which is a blueberry latte. Make sure you grab one. Today's guest is a vibrant voice in gospel music whose joy is just as powerful as her sound. Originally from Louisiana and now based in Houston, she carries that rich Southern heritage into every note she sings. She's a gifted songwriter, worship leader, and her heart for ministry first began while serving as a children's choir director at her local church. Her newest release, Revival, is streaming now, and it's all about awakening hearts and drawing people closer to God through worship. Please help me welcome the dynamic and anointed Lakendria Uja. Make sure if I said it wrong, just correct me.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

No, it's perfect. You did great. Thank you so much for having me.

Louisiana Roots Shape Her Sound

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Welcome to Coffee Chit Chat. Okay, growing up in Louisiana, how did that southern sound shape your love for gospel music?

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Oh my goodness. So Louisiana, anybody that knows anything about Louisiana, it's very rich in culture, very rich in culture. So I would say definitely the passion in the in the music that has stemmed from Louisiana has definitely grown my love for music. Musicians just play. I like to listen to it in the car. It's the passion behind it, the expression. And I I think that's really shaped my sound as um as a singer.

Learning Worship Is A Responsibility

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Oh, yeah. I grew up born and raised in Cashta, Louisiana. Yes, yeah. Yes. So about all that cultural in Louisiana. Yeah. So when did you realize um this is more than just singing? This is a ministry.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Well, actually, I will say pretty early on I figured that out. Um so the church that I grew up in at eight years old, they recruited me to the praise team.

SPEAKER_01 2:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:29

So I was singing with the praise and worship team at about eight years old, and they definitely let us know that the responsibility you have as a worship leader. And even though if you're singing in the background, if you're standing in the forefront, you are still leading people in worship. And they explain the weight of that role. So I feel like I knew that very early on. Um, once I joined the praise team, I would say about eight years old, I figured out it was ministry. And um I was blessed to be able to see the gifts of the spirit in operation also. So it was like I realized that when we sing, when we praise God, that it sets an atmosphere for people to receive from him. So um, yeah, miracles happening, signs and wonders. So I developed an appetite for God's presence because I knew the rewards of you know, of serving him in that aspect.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

I love it. So it was instilled, and it's that scripture that says train up a child.

SPEAKER_00 3:39

Yes, ma'am, definitely.

Children’s Choir Trains Her Ear

SPEAKER_01 3:43

I love it. So you started as a children's choir director. How did that season shape your songwriting?

SPEAKER_00 3:50

Oh, okay. So um I absolutely love working with children. They're like little sponges, they're easy to teach, they're eager, eager to learn. Um, I would say for me, it was it was a learning experience because it taught me how to tune my ears to hear different parts, to like be intentional about what's a soprano note, what's the alto, what's the tenor, to listen to different voice types, what are the dynamics of this song. And so because I was training my ear to hear those things in order to teach the children, it also kind of like I started hearing melodies also. Um my brother, he's uh he's a musician and he would also play at our church. So sometimes we would get to rehearsal like a little early, and he'd be playing something, and he was like, put some words to this, like I'm hearing something. And so that's kind of how like I realized, oh wait, I can write songs too. So yeah, he was very instrumental in my um journey as a worship leader, as a songwriter. Um, he's been very supportive of my journey. Uh, a lot of the equipment that I use at home to like record, he gave them to me years ago. And he, I was like, why are you giving me all this stuff? He was like, I'm investing, I'm investing in in um in your ministry. Because so he saw something, definitely, saw something in me that God was doing, and and now it's it's all unfolding. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:29

I love that big brother. Yes, and then I know your dad, your father's a pastor, right? So was this church that you guys were singing and playing the instruments in, or were you right?

SPEAKER_00 5:42

So we were all we were all part of the same church. Um, Christian Outreach Center of Nagarish, Louisiana. Um we grew up there. Uh absolutely wonderful youth ministry there. So anybody in that area, you got kids, that's a wonderful place to send them so that they can be taught the word, so they can grow up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. So wonderful leadership there. Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

I love that. I always love those Bible teaching churches.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Yes, ma'am.

When Songs Arrive Mid-Life

SPEAKER_01 6:14

Awesome. Okay, and what inspires you most when you sit down to write a song?

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Oh, what inspires me? So I would actually say that a lot of times I'm not sitting down whenever whenever I write songs. Okay. So it's either like I'll be doing something, like I'll be cooking or you know, praying or worshiping, getting ready for bed. It can be any time of the day, God just kind of like drops something in my spirit, and I just start humming a melody or thing, it just starts coming to me. Um, funny enough, so I I was getting my uh working to get my master's degree in nursing, and I would sit down to study, and as I'm trying to study, it's like I couldn't study because I was just worshiping. Um it's like songs would just start bubbling up, and um, words would start coming, melodies would start coming. So I would say that um a lot of my music is just inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Creating A Corporate Worship Atmosphere

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Um, they mean I love it. That is awesome. Um, with a personality survivor, how do you intentionally create an atmosphere when you're leading worship?

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Um I would say I just when I when I get up to lead worship, um I would just say I just allow the Holy Spirit to have its way. Uh people that know me as a worship leader and people that know me like personally, I think they'll probably think I'm like two different people. Just because when I'm up leading worship, I just I don't know, it's like I'm transformed into a different person. Like all the the joy and and everything, the energy, I don't know where it comes from, but but yeah, I definitely, I definitely when I get up there, I want to have a good time in God's presence. So um I just encourage the people to rejoice. And one thing I do love to do, um, especially if the music is, you know, slow, I like to allow the congregation to also sing. Um, just because I feel like we shouldn't take for granted the corporate setting that we have. Um, because God inhabits the praises of his people. So if we together in his name, then we should all be worshiping. I don't think it should be um, it's not a one-man show. So when I get up, it's not about me, it's about us all, you know, at the feet of the master. So, yes, ma'am. That's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 9:10

So we're gonna go ahead and just shift gears to the new release that you just had. Um, tell us a little about that release revival, what was on your heart when you wrote it.

SPEAKER_00 9:21

So this was another one of those times where I was, you know, I was praying, and I was in my head, I'm like, I'm okay, I'm gonna pray, and then I'm gonna go to bed. And then I was still for a moment, and then I heard, I hear the sound of revival. And I just started kind of like humming, and I was like, wait, let me record this because it sounds like it could be something. And so um here we are today. I've released um this single called Revival. Um, I believe that God is reclaiming lost territories. Um, the kingdom of God um is going to be very evident. Um, and I I see like little things that are aligning um that God is doing, and I'm like, okay, God, have your way. Um, you know, people reconciling themselves back to Christ. Um, also God igniting a passion um within his children for us to to reach out to those that are lost. So I believe that's what the song revival is about. It's about us, we the kingdom, taking our place here on the earth.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

Amen. Because that's the kingdom that we are of, and not this one that's on earth.

SPEAKER_00 10:49

Exactly, exactly. Yes, ma'am.

Revival Begins With You

SPEAKER_01 10:52

I love it. So, what does revival personally personally mean to you in the season, in this season of your life?

SPEAKER_00 10:59

In this season, hmm. So this season of my life, I've really been intentional about um deepening my relationship with God, uh, getting roots with him is what I like to say.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

All right.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

Yes, ma'am, because I feel like revival first starts with you. So, how can you go and ignite someone else's fire if your light is dim? So I've I've been doing a lot of you know, seeking God in in my private time and just allowing him to refresh me so that I can go out and also refresh others.

Houston Growth Faith And Consecration

SPEAKER_01 11:41

I like that. And I love when you said that if your light is dim, how are you supposed to try to help others? You know, let their heart die. So I like that. That's excellent. So, how was moving from Louisiana to Houston? Do you think it influenced your um your sound or you know, of our your ministry when you moved from Louisiana?

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Yes, definitely. Um so I had never lived by myself until I moved to Houston. So all the time I was like, you know, with my parents, and you know, I'm just kind of like footloose, fancy-free. But when I moved to Houston, it was like, okay, wait, I got responsibilities, you know. So it's like, and then I'm in a new surroundings, I don't really know that many people. So I'm really having to like be an adult. So I feel like that alone, that alone has shifted my um my relationship with God because I was like, okay, I can't depend on mama and daddy's faith anymore. Like it's it's got to get personal between me and God. And so I found um a church here in Houston, Christ Palace International Ministries, and the teaching was exactly what I needed. Um, it's helped me to, like I said, grow roots with God, um, just to really get deep in the word. Um, so I would say that that has shaped my sound because the church has a large emphasis on prayer and fasting, consecrating yourself, which I feel like as a worship leader, there has to be some level of consecration. Um, because that also when we when we sing, it's not just sound that we're transmitting, it's energy that we're transmitting. So that um the power that comes out when you sing comes from the place of intimacy with God and and consecrating yourself. So that's why I would say Houston has definitely I've grown a lot. I've grown a lot since since coming here.

SPEAKER_01 14:05

I'm adult, I'm adulting now. Yes, adulting, yes, like you're recently you were married recently as well, right?

SPEAKER_00 14:15

Yes, I got married in August. Yes, ma'am. So that also was part of my Houston move. So it's it's been wonderful. Um, what God is doing. It's like one thing after the other. So I'm excited for what he's doing next, too.

What She Wants You To Feel

SPEAKER_01 14:34

He's ordering those steps, amen. So what do you hope people feel the moment they hear your music?

Advice For Spiritual Dryness

SPEAKER_00 14:47

I hope the moment they hear my music that they feel the presence of God. Um I definitely wanted to, you know, for them to also like it, but ultimately I want them to feel like they've been changed or transformed um in a positive way because they've heard it. Um definitely, yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

Okay, and for someone who feels spiritually dry right now, what would you say to encourage them?

SPEAKER_00 15:21

Ooh, I've been in that place before. So what I would say to encourage someone that feels spiritually dry at the moment, I would tell them to just go back to the place where the axe head got dull and give yourself some grace and just spend time reading your word and really seeking the presence of God. What also helps with that is surrounding yourself by a commun with a community of people that are also, you know, having the posture that they want to grow in God because that definitely helps. Your environment is so important. Your environment is important. So I would tell them fellowshipping with um other believers, and then also just being spending time with your father. That's what I would say. Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

And okay, so chit chatters, you guys have to go and wherever you stream your music, listen to revival because it's an awesome song. And then we're gonna let Lakendra tell you guys how they can follow you.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

Yes, okay, so I'm available on um Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. Um, my Instagram handle is Lakendria underscore uja. So that's L-A-K-E-N D-R-I-A underscore u J A H. Also, my music is available on all major streaming platforms. So wherever you get your music, you should be able to find me there. And stay tuned for more. Um, like, subscribe because I've got a lot more music that's coming out, and you guys don't want to miss it.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

I love it. I was gonna ask that question too. What can we expect? We know more music, yeah. Yes, yes, yes. We're gonna put all of your uh platforms on our uh social media platforms as well. Perfect, thank you so much. And we would definitely tag you in there, and we want to thank you for chatting with us on Coffee Chit Chat this morning with your busy schedule because you're gonna yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

I'm also working full-time as a registered nurse.

SPEAKER_01 17:49

Oh my goodness. Well, I'm hoping that they see that bubbly personality that when you're walking up and down the halls in the hospital, and it just something ignites in their spirit.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

Yes, they do, they do. Somebody told me the other day, you're always just so happy. Like it's it's the Holy Spirit, that's what that is.

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Just absolutely love it. So, our quote of the week, guys, is we do not sing because we are happy, we are happy because we sing, and that is by William James. Be sure to tune in next week for another exciting episode of Coffee Chit Chat.