Oseyiza Oogbodo Blog

Timi Adegoke is the organizer of Nigeria’s biggest gospel music awards ceremony, Crystal Awards. He told OSEYIZA OOGBODO BLOG about it. Why did you conceive Crystal Awards? God gave me the idea of a platform to reward gospel artists many years ago. I documented the idea and kept it. But in 2011, it came back again. I was in South Africa, so I called my wife who was in Nigeria, that she should look for the document where I wrote the vision of gospel award. She found it and I put the phone on speaker that she should read the material. She read it and that was how it started. No corporate organisation will put its money down for anything gospel, it’s a total waste. But for me, it is not a waste, so in 2012 nothing happened. But before the close of 2012, I already registered a website, and what was there? It was what we wanted to do and by 2013 the frustration was there again. By the end of January, there was no sign that we were going to have it. So I went to a place at GRA Ikeja to ask ...

From every indication, the erstwhile façade of the gospel music sector is changing fast for the better with a new breed of gospel artists, who are more interested in spreading the gospel than enriching themselves, springing up. A few weeks ago, Tolulope Isaac, who has at least three successful singles to his name, namely Jaburata, Thank You and O D’ayo, told E-News that money is not what motivates him as a gospel artist and that money will never play a factor in determining if he’ll perform in church or not. According to him, if a church pays him to perform, glory be to God, and if they don’t pay, glory be to God as well as he’ll perform for them all the same. Now, Dele Agbeyo, popularly known as Dele Gold, has unveiled the video of his latest album, Every Knee, and declared that making money is not his major motivation as a gospel artist. Speaking during the week at the unveiling of the Every Knee video directed by Dotun Taylor, Gold said, “I’m doing very well in my business so I don’...

These are surely not the best of times for once-upon-a-time rated highly singer, D’Banj. Since his muct-talked-about split from Don Jazzy, he’s been trying to build another empire for himself aith DB Records as the central point of that empire. Right now, though, the empire seems to be crumbling around him by the day with people he shouldn’t even have associated with in the first instance walking out on him by the day. Just last week, DB’s in-house producer, DeeVee, who became really known in the music industry through his association with D’Banj, announced that he was moving on from their association. Though his announcement was short, terse and sparsely worded, if you read between the lines of what he didn’t say or couldn’t say out of diplomacy, what DeeVee was actually trying to convey was that working with D’Banj was taking him nowhere so better to dump him. As if the shame and embarrassment of that isn’t enough already, Tonto Dike, an actress whom everyone says can’t sing, but nev...

Juju maestro, Yomi Peters, needs little or no introduction. The multi-instrumentalist, who has spent a good part of his life in the United States of America and relocated to Nigeria some years back with the sole aim of redefining juju music with his new dimensional juju music, tells OSEYIZA OOGBODO BLOG his latest plans, speaking glowingly of his latest album, Igbeyawo. You are about releasing your latest album, Igbeyawo. What is your expectation for it? I’m very optimistic that it will be evergreen after the release. And my teeming fans will so much like every bit of the video because we took our time to research and produce this juju music in another dimension that is second to none in the industry. It has African flavour and is specially made for every couple and happy homes. Tell us about its video and who you featured in it. It was shot at choice locations around Lagos, including Allen Avenue, Victoria Garden City and Lekki. In Igbeyawo, asides featuring Buga of Buga fame, pr...

Some of Nigeria’s most celebrated entertainers have signed up to be a part of the 4th edition of Nigeria’s umbrella entertainment conference NECLive holding in Lagos on Wednesday, April 20, 2016. International entertainer D’banj, R&B superstar Banky W, dance sensation Kaffy, soulful singer Timi Dakolo, multi-talented viral entertainer Falz, fast-rising singer Simi, Project fame super alumnus Praiz, and YBNL disruptors Adekunle Gold and Lil’ Kesh have all been confirmed to lead conversations at this year’s event. This year, musicians will join their colleagues from Nollywood, comedy, media, IT, fashion, sports and allied sectors to discuss issues and solutions, network and connect, while demonstrating ideas, products and services that can potentially deliver the kind of innovation the industry in particular, and the country at large, desperately needs. Ubi Franklin, DJ Caise, Funke Bucknor-Obruthe, Tonye Ibiama, Kayode Olowu, Joyce Ize Iyamu, Gab Okoye, John Ugbe, Tony Ojobo, Wole O...

Women of African Origin in Music Ministry (WAOMM) has made a debut appearance in Nigeria. The outfit with the aim of supporting female gospel artistes of African origin was founded by Isabella Ogo-Uzodike, a Nigerian gospel artist based in the United Kingdom. Speaking in Lagos at the inaugural seminar titled, Step Up and Stand Up, WAOMM’s president, Isabella Ogo-Uzodike, told participants that the organisation was established with a divine passion to provide support for gospel artists in terms of providing needed encouragement and mentorship. “My husband and I are pastors in the UK. I’m a minister and gospel artist. I had my first album in 2009. At the initial period in my career, I needed to connect with someone to mentor and encourage me. I yearned for a woman of African origin, I couldn’t find where I was,” she explained, stating further that “Not that there were no good people around, but I just needed someone of African origin who I can always relate with. This developed a passion...

Joy Bucknor, gospel singer and actress, is fast becoming a household name in the entertainment industry. The soulful and very enterprising lady spoke about her marriage and career in this interview by OSEYIZA OOGBODO BLOG. Can we meet you? I am Joy Bucknor, a music artist and actress. I am a gospel artist. I love to sing, but not just to entertain. I sing to minister to people. Music should not just be something trashy. Music should be something that ministers to your spirit. It should lift your spirit up. I love doing music that lifts people's spirit, gets people thinking, and also makes them happy. The acting is also a passion. Sometimes when I watch and see how actors portray characters, I am amazed at how they pull off their roles. That is how I fell in love with acting. It is something I was born to do. It is inbuilt. Tell us about your educational and family background. I am married with kids. I attended Ogun State Unversity where I studied computer engineering. With a bac...

Dayo Olomu is one of Nigeria’s topmost celebrities. He’s a successful motivational speaker who’s known worldwide. He told OSEYIZA OOGBODO BLOG how he became the success he is and what people must do to succeed. You are a successful motivational speaker. What would you say hinders people from achieving their desired goals? Fear is the very natural and normal response to the challenges we face in life. Fear tells us that there is something we must be cautious about. It puts us on alert and tells us there is something we must be prepared for. We face so many fears in life: fear of change, fear of the unknown and fear of rejection, amongst others. But the single greatest obstacle to success in adult life is fear of failure. One of the best ways to conquer fear is to face it. If we face fears and worries, we ‘step up.’ But when we run away from it, we ‘step off’ from the race of life. Action cures fear. You have to feel the fear and do it anyway. To conquer the fear of poverty I went into ...