We hear curses, not the gospel
- Ashaye
What we hear in some albums as gospel music in Nigeria is unexpected. These days, especially in the South West area of Nigeria, gospel musicians from CAC churches rain curses and pray that enemies die, have dysentery, God should break their necks, etc. Is this gospel music? I want to believe that as we have quacks in all areas of professions, so we have enough quacks in Gospel Music. The quackry also cover those who gather popular choruses and release them as new albums.
I must however confess that some are very good: Panam, Ayewa, Aragbaye, and many others we dont readily know because of poor publicity. Many of them dont even have websites, those who have dont market their sites so they remain unknown.
T Ashaye,
UNAAB, Abeokuta Nigeria.
Churches reap-off gospel musicians
- Nliam
Gospel musicians are badly treated by Nigerian Churches. The Churches invite them, use them to attract crowd and pay them poorly. Don't they know that we pay the band boys, transport ourselves to and fro their Churches?
Nliam Sho,
Lagos Nigeria.
Originality is lost
- Samuel Adeoshun
I am sad about what we hear today as gospel music. Originality is lost, profound praise and worship is lost and what obtains is the habit of picking old songs from old albums, distorting them in the name of innovation and releasing them as new songs.
We can hardly hear good lyrics in these songs. What we hear include rap, hip-hop, etc and many of us can hardly relate to them. Even in America, rap music has not gained much acceptance because it is a street music, not from the mind of God. The young ones now bring the gospel to fit into the parameter of the world rather than conform the world to the spirit of God.
Samuel Adeoshun,
(A pioneer Nigerian gospel musician)
Lawanson, Lagos
I don't like songs where the tunes are directly copied from secular songs
- Wale Adenuga
Gospel music has different segments. There is the entertainment side of it, but that does not make it less spiritual for entertainment in parties like weddings and burials, etc as a Christian you can't invite secular musicians who do not know Christ.
We have entertainment on praise and worship too but whoever sings gospel, such songs must be based on the word of God. Such musician must have integrity; his lifestyle must exhibit Jesus. I do not have anything against all the genres like Juju gospel, Fuji gospel, Waka gospel, etc. To me, its an innovation but I do not believe they have enough depth to sing the Fuji the way it should and fuse the gospel to it.
There must be decency in such areas. I don't like to see or hear songs where the tunes are directly copied from secular songs because when you hear such tunes, your mind flashes back to the original singer and the lyrics. You then dance the way they dance it in the world. It becomes a big distraction in devotion to God.
Wale Adenuga,
Fountain of Praise,
RCCG, Lagos.
The good days of gospel music are gone
- Shade Olanbiwoninu
I have a great nostalgia for the songs of Akinpelu, CAC Alago meji, Funmi Aragbaye, Bola Are, Toun Soetan, C&S Choir, Bro bro of the Celestial Church in Ibadan and a host of others. These are Yoruba musicians. I also know of great efforts of people like Panam Percy Paul, Aity Inyang, Wale Adenuga and the rest. But I don't know what kind of gospel is there in songs that wishes enemies evil. We tend to give much credence to enemies, devil, etc. But I know the devil is not that powerful. Hasn't Jesus died and been raised? Why do we make the devil happy?
Another issue is the copy copy we hear all the time. Originality is lost. Very few of our gospel musicians can cut new tunes, lyrics and make a hit of them.
I also wonder if these new gospel musicians read their bible for inspiration. Where do they get their lyrics? Do they preach or just make people excited through instrumentation? Gospel music means the gospel in music form. These new musicians should go back to God. Many of them are far from God. That is why gospel music is loosing out.
Deborah Folashade Nwachukwu,
Port Harcourt, Nigeria,
The most vibrant of all music genre. The most industrious industry in Nigeria. The fasted growing music in Africa.
Dr Ine Okon,
Natal, SA.
We often hear the music but no gospel.
Made, England
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We have come a long way
- Shobayo
I think we have come a long way as a nation. We have produced enough gospel acts and we hope this will impact on our Christianity.
Mike Shobayo,
Kent, London.
Many junks are selling not by the quality of the works but by publicity
- Telemi
In Nigeria, we are not ready to accept the fact that other people can do things better than us. Why can't a singer leave composition to composers? Composition means composing songs with a rhythmic form which ordinary writer cannot do. This problem is manifesting in the wretchedness of many composers who have composed great songs. This will continue until we have a brigade that will recognise the necessity of the separateness of the two groups.
“Journalists in Nigeria have a lot of work to do in this regard. Journalists should not allow their writings and judgment to be influenced. A lot of rubbish have been polished and published on the pages of newspapers so that when you see the videos on TV, you find it appalling and wonder why our media entertained it so beautifully. Many junks are selling not by the quality of the works but by publicity. So, until we get a controlling board that would bring sanity, things might continue this way.
“This situation is also responsible for the inability of many Nigerian artistes to feed on a single album. The Beatles are dead, but 10years ago I read that their royalty is about $19million. The group is dead but they are still living on royalties. A living artiste or group in Nigerian earns nothing.
Evangelist Timi Osukoya, (Telemi)
Ayobo, Lagos Nigeria.
Gospel music must contain messages of repentance for sinners and assurance of salvation for mankind
- Sola Rotimi
The lyrics of what qualifies to be called gospel music must be capable of touching men. It must contain messages of repentance for sinners and assurance of salvation for mankind. It should contain lyrics/messages that counsel against immorality. The bible should be the standard. The message must come from the scripture.
“Gospel beats, rhythm, tempo should also be conducive to contrition. There are beats dished out in some of these songs which immediately you listen to it transport your mind to the dancing steps you see on TV. People dance Makossa, Fuji, etc right in the Church. That is not okay. We are preaching that the secular world should come to Christ but now there is no difference between the two.
"This problem has graduated to a height where some pastors do not see anything wrong with this. They allow their instrumentalists to play such suggestive songs and rhythms, which encourage suggestive and seductive dance steps and body movements. They forget that people dance according to the instrumentation. Pastors should endeavour to correct such instrumentalists.
Pastor Sola Rotimi,
United State of America.
Their ways of lives - Olade
Gospel music is not only in the songs but also in the way of life of the musician. What we see of Choir leaders, some young musicians who do jerry curls and some funny hairstyles belittle their disposition to God and are capable of confusing the young ones.
So many churches led by greatly confused pastors invite funny gospel musicians to 'minister' on their pulpits. By this, so many pseudo-gospel musicians have come to be seen as evangelists. What about 'gospel musicians' like Atorise who is always found in the midst of rascally fuji musicians? Show me your friend and I will tell ... Still so many pastors invite them to minister in churches. Will the spirit come down in such churches? There are pastors and there are pastors!
Mike Olade,
Mushin Lagos Nigeria.
Kudos to Sammie Okposos
- Gloria
Sam Okposo makes me dance and I shake my body to the glory of God. Hallelujah somebody
Gloria.
Unilag Lagos Nigeria.
Some of them are giving the generality a bad name
- Publisher Church Times
I think gospel music in Nigeria is lively and largely entertaining. Some of the artistes take out time to inspire listeners. On the whole, I believe Nigerian gospel musicians have come of age. My only concern is that some of them are giving the generality a bad name. Can you imagine gospel musicians going almost nude? That gives me a lot of concern. But I dof my hat for men like Panam Percy Paul and the leader of Ayewa Gospel Band, Joseph Adelakun.
Gbenga Osinaike,
Publisher, Church Times,
Lagos Nigeria.
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