The Reverend Canon Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti, grand father of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was perhaps the earliest person in Nigeria to compose gospel songs in form of Church hymns used in the early Anglican Church at St Peter Cathedral Church, Ake Abeokuta Ogun state Nigeria.
Many of his songs are still in use in so many Anglican Churches all over Yoruba speaking Anglican Churches till date. Great were his songs which he was said to have played with the Church organ such that so many pagans were attracted to the church.
* St Peters Cathedral, Ake, Abeokuta,
The First Church in Nigeria.
Though much of his early days are not known because of the prevailing poor literacy level, but historians were able to record some important things about him and the St. Peters Church, Ake Abeokuta, the first Church in Nigeria.
JJ, as he was fondly called served as a curate under Rev. D. O. Williams for a reasonably long period of time took over the charge of St Peter's Church, Ake after the death of Rev. Williams in January 1911. The Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti was noted for his regular visitation to church members.
He had the credit of knowing virtually all the members of his congregation and would call them by their names, being familiar with their households through repeated visits.
He was much known for his spreading of the Christian faith to villages, visiting his new converts and attracting many more through the display of Magic Lantern, showing pictures relating to Christ and Jerusalem . Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti usually spent the whole of Sunday in the Church premises, starting with Sunday school early in the morning and ending with the evening service.
Reliable information has it that Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti stood against chieftaincy titles in the Church. He was a good lover of music, a renowned psalmist who composed very many songs with native air to attract pagans to the Christian faith.
He was popularly known as the 'Singing Minister'. It could be safely said that Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti won more converts to the Christian faith than any other Missionary, white or black. Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti was respected for being transparently honest, chaste and fearless.
* Grand-son, Fela and his 27 wives. |
It was not surprising that his singing talent reflected in his children, grand children, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Frances Kuboye (daughter of Oludolupo) and great-children, Femi, Yemi and Seun. |
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Some Songs by JJ Ransome Kuti
Eje komo ko wa o
Eje k'omode ko wa (2x)
Jojolo...
Omo kekere jojolo awon lore eledumare
E je komode ko wa.
*** This song was confirmed by Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti
*** More songs are being expected from the Anglican Church authorities. |
When he visited England In 1921, he chose the organ, still in use in the Church, and caused its purchase by Mrs Emily L. Wood. The pipe Organ bought by Mrs E. L. Wood for St Peter's Church, Ake in 1921 was received on behalf of the Church by Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti. It is worthy of note to state that Mr. Authur Popoola, a driver to Chief James Bernard Majekodunmi the Otun of Egbas was the first organist to play on the pipe organ.
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* Great grand son, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti
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Speaking on his grand father, Prof. Olikoye Ransome Kuti, Nigeria's former Health Minister and elder brother to Fela, (both now late) told this reporter at an interview in 1999 at his Lekki home that while visiting the British Museum in the early 1990s, one of the curators who heard his name as Ransome-Kuti became curious and asked him if he knew one JJ Ransome-Kuti.
"I responded that he was my grand father. He then went away and brought an old tape which he played. I was shocked to hear the voice of my grand father, singing so many Church hymns he composed, accompanied with organ."
* Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti.
Prof. Olikoye said "I sought the permission of the man to dubb the tape to which he declined but Im sure that tape is still in the British Museum. How those songs got there is still a mystery to me."
It was the practice in the Church Missionary Society (CMS) that any school teacher who put a school girl in the family way should be dismissed but Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti advised that a better and reformative disciplinary action could be tried. He suggested that such teacher should be compelled to marry the expecting mother and retain his job so that he would be able to take care of both the woman and the child. And that marked the end of dismissing such erring teachers but helped many of them to live a better and more responsible life.
Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti was a powerful preacher who lived the very thing he preached. He died in 1930. The surplice with which he was laid in state was laundered by Mrs. Eliza Solabomi Otolorin, niece of the Rev. D. Williams.
* With additional reports from The History of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Ake Abeokuta.
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