One of the noticeable features of gospel music in recent times is the sociopolitical commentary that runs through it. The rather conservative gospel music that is meant purely for winning souls for Christ has now metamorphosed into a medium for political jiving. This phenomenon is common among Yoruba gospel musicians.
Pastor Joseph.O.Adelakun, leader of the Ayewa International, in 1984 re-issued his 1980 album, Amona Tete Mabo. Laden with political innuendoes, the album rattled to no end the then military government of General Muhammadu Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon who ordered the musician's arrest.
"God told me that he wanted to use Amona for the country and that he wanted to glorify Himself in my life because I had been obedient to him". Pastor Adelakun recalled. Amona was the record that threw us into limelight, and it was through Amona that the people came to know about Ayewa. The government invited us for interrogation and this arouse great interest and intervention from men of God. Our father, Prophet T. O. Obadare did well. Immediately he heard about our arrest, he had to organise a special prayer in Ibadan.
Pastor Adelakun continued: "Just because I had been in the military before, they thought I was trying to sing against the government. They said 'you have come out to sing about the government? I explained that the content was not an abuse on the government but a direct message from God which nothing can stop me from releasing."
The harassment he suffered in the hands of the military because of his album, Amona did not deter the Pastor musician from releasing another album like it during the Babangida era. The album, Agogo Ikilo (Warming Bell) many believed facilitated the Gideon Orkar's Coup of 1990.
According to Pastor Adelakun when God spoke to him to release the album, he was reluctant to do so. But while at a prayer session at Olorunkole Hill, God once again spoke to him to either deliver the message or somebody else would be asked to do so.Afraid of being punished if he disobeyed God, he entered the studio and came out with Agogo Ikilo. Today, he is happier for it "All that we sang about in Agogo Ikilo happened without knowing that something would happen to Babangida."
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Pastor Adelakun said adding, "No, not that we had known about our plan to release the album now thank God that if we had released it much earlier, about 15 days before Orkar's coup, many people would have thought that the coup plotters used me to pave their ways into the scene. But it was God's knowledge".
Evangelist Niyi Adedokun is another gospel musician who suffered harassments in the hands of the military. His 1990 album, Baale Mejo was packed with scathing criticism of the Babangida's government. Immediately the wave-making album was released, agents of Babangida approached the musician with an offer of N2m bribe asking him to withdraw the album from the market or it will be impounded. Led by the spirit, the Evangelist rejected the bribe offer and told his persecutors that the album was "God inspired". "It was on January 27, 1990 after I released the album, Baale Mejo.
I was invited to a revival programme in Abuja", the musician narrated his experience. "It was at the Abuja Motel. I was about to pray that day when three people came.
They told me how the record had been giving the government sleepless nights as well as disturbing the whole nation, and that this may lead to impounding the album. They therefore said they wanted to offer the money (N2m) as a compensation for the seizure and for a promise not to sing such song again."
When Evangelist Adedokun proved stubborn at the Abuja meeting, several weeks later, the agents made another attempt this time with a touch of force. "On the second occasion", he said. "I was called and warned. They wanted to force me to keep quiet. They didn't know that we are mere proclaimers. We only say what God tells us. It is only left for the people concerned to either take or leave it".
Another very political gospel musician is Bayo Adegboyega, known as Atayero. In his various tapes, he has run so many scathing remarks about governance and the governments of the country. In six of his more than 15 albums, Adegboyega has raised gospel music into another medium of running sociopolitical commentary. E Je Katun Nigeria Se, his first album released in 1980 spoke about the need for national rebirth. Atayero Wa (1986), Ilu Le, (1987) Itan Orile Ede were all commentaries about the parlous state of the country during the various military era. 419 touched on the pervasive financial fraud ravaging the country that while Oluwa Ma Fi Mi Di Gereu spoke on the controversial Interim National Government in Nigeria.
© Tosin Ajirire. Updated by Bola Adewara. |
