MY JOURNEY INTO CHURCH MUSIC – OLUKOYA

BY BOSUN OLUWABUSAYOMI, MFM News DIgest Magazine

DECEMBER 27, 2021

 
NEWS

The General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries worldwide, Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, has given a chronology of his musical adventure, saying that his interest and love in music started in Akure, Ondo State capital, in his hey days, with what was called ‘Tales by the moonlight’, where stories were related in songs and folklores.

Olukoya made the disclosure while addressing the audience during the launching of ‘Choral and Solo Compositions’ (a compilation of his works), on Saturday, 25 December, at the Grace Hall, MFM International Headquarters, Yaba-Lagos.

Anchoring his address on 1 Corinthians 4:7, he related how he moved, following the transfer of his policeman dad, from Akure to Lagos and how his dad, more or less coerced him to join the choristers of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), where he worshipped then, thereby leading to his eventual roles in Christendom.

He said that he has over 250 Christian songs and that the book has not done ten per cent of what he has in music, stressing that, “everything you see happening in MFM today is to the glory of God and not to any man’s effort.”

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos said that all that the general overseer has been doing would not have been possible without the support of his wife, Dr. Shade Olukoya.

Sanwo-Olu noted that, “these he (GO) could do, because Mummy G.O has given him the support. They are doing these to assure our future,” adding that “thank you, daddy, for giving us another means of reaching to heaven,” through music.

According to him, the arranger of the songs, Mr. Seun Owoaje, must have worked tirelessly to get the satisfaction of Olukoya on the project.

Dr. Mrs. Shade Olukoya, in her speech, shared the testimony of how her birth of their son, Elijah, after 14 years of waiting on the Lord, inspired the song, ‘Oke Nla Sidi’, meaning ‘Big mountain shift’, as composed by her husband, at the delivery room of their son, in UK.

Reviewing the 165-page book, Dr. Tolu Owoaje, said that not everybody can compose in Yoruba, except one has ‘Yoruba natural air’, as he disclosed that he has listened to the recorded songs from Choral & Solo compositions and “I must say that the composition, arrangement and performance of the songs are all extension of the working principles of early (Christian) Yoruba native air composers, such as Rev. J. J Ransome-Kuti, A. T Ola Olude, A. K Ajisafe, Gilbert Popoola Dopemu, Dayo Dedeke and Yinka Oyesanya.”

Dr. Owoaje, of the Department of Music, University of Ibadan, concluded that “Dr. Olukoya has provided the Church with excellent compositions, which are deeply rooted in scriptural texts and indigenous Yoruba musical elements.

The arrangements by Seun Owoaje has also made the songs presentable to both the current generation of church musicians and generations to come, based on the use of various musical elements, geared towards sophistication, while textual meaning is not compromised.”

Associate professor of music in the University of Lagos, Dr. Albert Oyikilome, described Dr. Olukoya as a musicologist per excellence, noting that “his depth of musicality is so profound and the work (book) can surpass any works in Nigeria and the world.

“I know the work will transcend the shores of Nigeria,” he declared, as he expressed appreciation to the man of God for giving the book to the world.

The Vice Chancellor of the Mountain Top University, Professor Elijah Ayolabi, in his goodwill message, assured that from the next academic session, the book will be a compulsory book of study for students in the institution’s department of music.

About 4,000 copies of the book, which shelf price is N2,500, was sold at the event.