What a mighty God we serve! That track went monster when it was released. Soon, it launched the singer into reckoning and limelight. Today, he is

recognised as one of the few genuine gospel musicians who know what gospel music is all about. Discover him...Enyioma Buchi Atuonwu, a.k.a. Buchi

Name: Enyioma Buchi Atuonwu.
Stage Name: Buchi.
Parents: Fred (late) and Alice.
Birth: 24.6. 1964.
Birthplace: Kaduna .
Education: * WTC Primary School, Enugu . (19750
* Methodist College , Uzuakoli. (1980)
* Federal Government College , Enugu , Enugu State . (1982)
* University of Lagos . (BA 1986, MA 1988)
PhD in progress.
Work Experience: Lecturer, University of Lagos .
Favourites:
Food: Yam pottage.
Colour: Black and yellow.
Local Artiste: So many.
Foreign Artiste: So many.
Song: So many.
Biblical Verse: All scripture.
Biblical Book: All scripture.
Turn On: Love of God, good morals.
Turn Off: Injustice, church criticism.
Hobbies: Reading , gardening.
Church: Christ Embassy.
Matrimony: Happily married to Jane on 25.11.1994. Blessed with three kids, a boy and two girls.
Discography:
These days .......1999
So Beautiful ......2002
What a Life .......Current work

Introduction
Few musicians convey their joy in playing gospel music as effectively as reggae crooner, Onyebuchi, whose name implies “Who is like God?” Simply known as Buchi across the country, the gospel crooner typically sports a wide mouthed grin on stage, as his whole body sways in tune with the steady rhythm churned out by his twelve-man band.

The once upon a time lecturer of English in the University of Lagos and a Disc Jockey, has continued to endear himself to music lovers in the country through his message laden songs that celebrate the good news of the gospel. In this exclusive interview, Buchi opened up on his passion, which is celebrating the gospel, working in God's vineyard, other than his fast rising profile.

Celebrating the gospel
Buchi does not believe that an interview should focus on his person or exploit at the expense of a far more exciting story that can be focused upon. Jesus Christ, according to him, is the mega-star that should be celebrated. “The message of the gospel is bigger than me, but journalists concentrate on my person. They look for juicy stories, something that would excite the public. I really wonder why the gospel does not excite them, even though it is more exciting than my story.

There is somebody else, who is very big, but stooped to come in form of man. He gave His life – He was not a former college teacher turned musician, He was the maker of the heavens and the earth, why isn't He celebrated? Though, I believed that my story may inspire somebody, but I prefer it to point people in direction of the gospel”

Why reggae music?
Even at that, some just see his sound as good music from the secular Rastafarian tradition, because it is reggae. But the musician says he preaches and celebrates the gospel through the idiom. And he explained why.

“What a man is, is what he carries into whatever position he finds himself. Before I got born again, I was an ardent lover of reggae music, I was so committed to it to the point of playing it in the nightclubs. When I became born again, and got commissioned to preach the gospel through music, naturally, it had to be reggae music. That is what I know how to do.

"Simply put, I had been into reggae music and I love it. And that is the medium, the genre of music in which I can communicate effectively. It is not possible for me to reach everybody. No matter what I do, I can't reach somebody who prefers Juju music or R ‘n' B except my gospel is in gospel R ‘n' B or Juju.

He gave up his job as a university lecturer when he gave his life to Christ. Now, the former lecturer and ex-member of Ras Kimono's Massive Dread Band is gainfully employed winning souls for Christ.

Working in the vineyard
He gave up his job as a university lecturer when he gave his life to Christ. Now, the former lecturer and ex-member of Ras Kimono's Massive Dread Band is gainfully employed winning souls for Christ. Has it been rewarding? Yes, Buchi stressed: “ It has been very rewarding, really rewarding. See, you are a journalist, you work with Daily Times, and they pay you, don't they? God is not a bad employer of labour. He pays big time. It has been very rewarding.

His strong desire.
Ask Buchi of other things he does apart from preaching the gospel through music or his strong desires and the reply you get is: “Are you born again”? No, no, face up. If you were not, by the time you turn off this thing (recorder) I will talk to you seriously about it. That is the other thing I do, I win souls for Christ. I have a strong passion for winning souls for Christ. Okay?

“The walls of our nation, the walls of our cities are broken down. The wall of a city speaks of the defence of the city: I see the young people as the walls of our nation, and the walls are broken down. They need to be repaired. Young people have gone astray.

They have been undone by drugs, the desire to make money instead of going to school, violent and fraudulent business activities. That is why I say the walls of our city has been broken down, and I am set to rebuild it. I have a passion for winning souls. I do preach the gospel even outside my music one on one”. Also, Buchi has the strong yearning to wrap his Doctorate degree programme, which he put aside, not long ago.

“I also love to go back to my doctorate degree, because there is need for me to complete it. I didn't leave because I couldn't continue. But because I was distracted a little bit and I felt I should give these other things attention and get back to it. You know it is not like primary school when you leave you have left, you can differ your programme”.

His inspiration
Buchi's inspiration, first and foremost comes from the word of God. According to the him, “the word of God is rich and exciting. When I listen to the word, thoughts come to me.

The Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word-not hearing the word of God. Hearing comes by the word of God, which means while you are listening to the word, there are other things you hear far beyond the word. The Holy Ghost drops thoughts into your heart. The songs that I sing are thoughts that God gave me, that may not be direct messages that I have heard. So thoughts come to me primarily by the word”

Singing in concert
“It is always an avenue to preach the gospel. No man lights the candle and put it under the bushel. The essence of the message in songs is to put it across to people and the more the number of people the better.

I am a member of Christ Embassy Church, but I have had to minister in other large turnouts like the Reinhard Bonke Crusade and the Redemption Camp. It gives me great joy that I am ministering to a large number of people. But let me tell you something, most of the ministrations I have enjoyed the most have been with small audience. The number of my listeners has never deterred me.

There is something different about ministering to 15 people in a room or 50, because if I were the only person in the world, Jesus would still have died for me. So the crowd doesn't matter, it has the advantage of reaching more people and it makes the job faster.

Gospel music industry in Nigeria
Scripture loving Buchi says he does not have a problem with the habits of other gospel artistes. Even though they plait their hair and garb in funny costume.

“I don't have a personal problem with other gospel artistes, I only have a problem with the contents of their message. You can't give out what you don't have. For you to give out the gospel, you must have the word in you. There are people who make records; they say it is a seven tracker, 2 gospel, five secular songs and things like that. I think that is improper.

However, if in those two songs they preach the undiluted gospel, it is still welcome. You will be surprised that somebody else who has the spirit of God will do the same song as such people and get more spiritual results. The gospel music scene is very crowded, and very busy. Again, I don't have a problem with that. I just caution my fellow gospel artistes to keep their focus clear and defined.

Like the Bible said, the harvest is plenty, the labourers are few. If now we have an upsurge in the numbers of gospel artistes, I think it is a welcome development. But, I will urge that we keep our focus clear. Some are called, others call themselves.

Apart from music...
Buchi got born again in 1992. Since then, he writes songs and he sings as chorister in his church, Christ Embassy. His 1999 debut album titled Last Days was a winning hit. It earned him awards in the gospel genre. This was followed by So Beautiful. Apart from his commitment to the gospel, Buchi make clothes, and writes poems a lot. Presently, he is working on a book for publication.

 

Do you have any comments on this story?

3 Prayer Requests

Your comments published here