Observations
on gospel music scene
I am always amazed about what we see these days in Nigeria.
So many people have lost their sense of creativity and
love for originality. Today, any kind of song can pass
for gospel. Some so-called artistes would twist songs,
which took the original artiste years to compose, and
reproduce it as their own. Some artistes would pounce
on your popular tunes and render them the way they like.
I cannot accept this at all.
“I was at a function in a government house here
in the East when one boy pounced on one of my songs
and began to twist it anyhow. He knew I was there, he
had no courtesy of even acknowledging my presence before
he began singing the song. I was enraged and walked
to the stage and seized the microphone from him.
Such things cannot happen in the developed world. For
how long shall we continue with this nonsense under
the guise of “we are still growing, we are still
developing”. Many of us have been clamouring against
this lunacy in the gospel scene. But I don’t think
the powers-that-be is serious about enforcing the copyright
laws in this country.
“It is not the function of the artistes in the
studio or a busy clergy to fight piracy. I don’t
sleep well enough because I have to prepare my message,
prepare good songs so that the Holy Spirit can be strong
enough to move hearts.
I am toiling in this area hoping that the government
would protect my copyright but they don’t. They
only make noise.
Quality of Nigerian Gospel Music.
“What
satisfaction can exist in poaching other people’s
songs and render them the way they like? Some would
fix worthless lyrics in an old tune. The arrangement
and the musical backing is the same because they all
use the same instrumentalists.
"... I was the first person to sing gospel
music on vinyl in Igbo language..."
|
 |
I
don’t call that composition. I call it stealing
and arrant abuse of creativity. If we as a nation have
a sense of decency and taste, I wonder why our people
patronise such albums. Acts like this always lead to
our tapes being sold cheaply.
Can you imagine someone buying a product of many sleepless
nights for N100.00! The song, the tape, the sleeve,
the enterprise, all for N100.00? In America, you can’t
get any tape for less than a dollar! These people don’t
call you for permission to sing your songs as it happens
in the State House. I’m always bitter about this.
The church and gospel musicians
"So many cChurches exploit the gospel acts. They use
us to gather their crowd, build their cChurches and afterwards
give the artistes peanuts. The experience is not limited
to Lagos alone. It's all over the place.
"My advice to gospel musicians is to refuse exploitation.
I was exploited for quite a long time before I began
to resist it. I did this by telling them how much they
would pay me for playing in their cChurches. I would
not even say I am playing music for God because I found
out that many of these cChurches are really working for
their stomachs.
"They
extort money anyhow. Can you imagine men of God exhorting
people to sow for miracles, when they know that Jesus
said we should give freely because He too received freely?
The next Sunday they will bombard you to redeem your
pledge or you lose your miracle. Do you think Jesus
is happy with this?
"So once you know they are not really working for
God, there is nothing wrong in getting your dues from
them at least to settle your instrumentalists and workers.
Someone like me parade first class and efficient instrumentalists
and I pay them well. That is why they come each time
I call them. |
"...Can
you imagine someone buying a product of many sleepless
nights for N100.00! The song, the tape, the sleeve,
the enterprise, all for N100.00?..." |
 |
And I need to have something in my pocket to show that
I have worked.
History
of gospel music in Igboland
“This professor who was a leper, Soni Oti, (now
late) who lectured in University of Jos, played the
first gospel song that I heard. That was way back
in 1972. I was at Udi then.
Later, Voice of the Cross, members of the ECWA
Church began to record some of the ECWA songs. In
their melodious voices, they had a beautiful combination
and they also sang prayerfully. The album sold, people
were edified even when the songs were not their compositions.
There was a song I did with Voice of the Cross
around 1973. But I later decided not to release
it because I did not like the album. I wanted to come “out with something more original and qualitative.
The quality of that recording was low. The song was
in Igbo and I think I indigenise gospel music in the
East.
I was the first person to sing gospel music on vinyl
in Igbo language. In fact, there is hardly any hit
gospel song in Igbo language that does not parade
elements of Patty Obassey.
So I have continued with that creativity while others
continued with their copy-copy. Israel Ayanele also
made a hit with one of my songs, which he retouched
and reproduced. I am so happy with him because he
got permission from me. But many others would not.
Sojourn into Gospel Music.
“Immediately after the war, I gave my life to
Christ because of the gratitude I owe God for surviving
the war. Bombs flew all over me, bayonets flew near
my ears. Others were dying but I did not die. After
the war, I became a launderer for the soldiers at
Udi in Enugu, using charcoal iron to iron their clothes.
There was neither money nor employment. When I heard
the gospel, I accepted Christ into my life and He
changed things for me. Since then, I’ve been
growing until I found out that the Lord is calling
me into the ministry.
“I had already started pastoring at Assemblies
of God’s Church before I started playing the
guitar, which finally led me into gospel music. Then,
I played the guitar only to praise God at my leisure.
I was not a musician. My sojourn into gospel music
started when I was called to play songs at crusades
held by Assemblies of God’s Church.
Gradually, I moved from singing choruses to composing
my own songs and I found out that so many people loved
these songs and I was always applauded. It was a big
encouragement for me. And that was how it all started.
“In 1982, I had an opportunity to travel to
Germany, where I played in a Pentecostal church. I
was given a standing ovation that had never been given
to a Blackman. I was invited by the church to stay
behind and become their youth pastor but I refused.
I said why do they want me to be bruising the belly
of the serpent in Germany when the head is in Nigeria.
I thanked them for their offer and I returned home.
Since then, I began to record my songs. I remember
that Panam Percy Paul helped in backing me up at a
recording session in a studio where he learnt studio
engineering here in Enugu.
God has been blessing me ever since, but the problem
has been piracy, lack of respect for creativity from
the government and church leaders. I am not impressed
by the way they handle creativity.
|
