Yesterday on the #MorningRide show on Wc Radio, I shared a few thoughts on the Love world gospel music industry and the Nigerian gospel music industry. This post might be a bit sensitive but just try and grab what you can from it and discard the parts you don’t agree with..
Whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, there are two gospel music industries in Nigeria. Love World and the Rest! I will explain a few things that made me come to this conclusion.
In 2017, The music arm of LoveWorld Inc. Bought a private jet as a birthday gift for pastor Chris Oyakhilome, the president of LoveWorld Inc.
In my thought, I believe that the artistes in love world actually put funds together to buy the man of God a PRIVATE JET worth billions of Naira.
Wow that’s serious. To think that artistes could have so much money in one ministry to be a able to buy a private jet for their man of God..
Now I have also been in a service where Victor Ike who was signed to Frank Edwards RockTown record label was leading a praise session in church and Pastor Chris announced that he would give him a car because of how he was leading the session.
You see erhn, if you are in a church or ministry where they are still arguing and debating whether it is ok to pay a musician or whether it is ok to pay or give a gospel artiste honorarium, then you can see clearly what your future looks like.
There are many reasons some of us celebrate the man of God pastor Chris Oyakhilome for all that he is doing for gospel music not just only in Nigeria but also in the world. Obviously he is not the richest pastor in Nigeria and this is not to say that other pastors are not touching lives too in their own ways.
Love world music industry is only for members of Christ Embassy and this industry is actually bigger than Nigeria Gospel music Industry because the Love World music industry is global. By far, this industry has produced the finest and world recognized gospel artistes than the general gospel industry we have. This is because the ministry took time to invest in their talent. The industry also has a form of structure which the general industry does not have.
Sinach, Eben, Ada, Frank Edwards, Joe Praiz, Moses Bliss, Testimoney Jaga, Samsong and many others are products of the love world music industry.
Before you ask why can’t the love world music industry accommodate the general gospel music industry, there are a few things you need to know..
First is that the LOVE WORLD MUSIC industry is built to run with the message of the love world ministry. This may not be boldly written as a rule but it is what it is. This is why songs from their artistes are scrutinized to ensure it conforms to the word of God as believed and shared in that ministry.
Of course you might be aware that Pastor Chris once corrected Sinach Way Maker song, Ada Ehi also had to change her “YAWEH” hit song to “JESUS”
So in essence, the love world music industry has a message and a language. This is also the reason the ministry is not so opened to welcome random artistes to come on their platform to minister before you come and be singing “Holy Spirit we wait on You” or “Holy Spirit we need you” or “Take not the holy spirit from me”. They are actually saving you the embarrassment of taking the mic from you or putting it off on you cos you dey misyarn.
The Love World music industry is definitely more organized and willing to invest in their artiste. They believe deeply in their artistes and this is evident in how they gift their artistes and in the way they honor their artiste. From the very Man of God Pastor Chris to the members.
Now here’s another problem, most of the artistes in love world don’t understand that they are supposed to function in both general and love world music industries. Only a few of them understand this and the few that understand this secret are the ones you know. Because as an artiste in Love world, you write songs for love world and for the general industry.
The artiste that only write songs for love world are STARS only in Loveworld. Being a love world star is a Huge blessing on it’s own ooo. This is why there are many big artistes within Christ embassy living large that you don’t know. Their songs are hit in love world but yet you have never heard of them before or their songs.., Artistes like T-SHARP, PEEYU, OBI SHINE, TB1, ISRAEL STRONG, etc are big brands within Love world gospel music industry
This also explains why Moses Bliss won Best Song of the year with a song you don’t know. A song so big within Love World to win Song of the year and $100,000 yet it’s not popular?
When I first heard that Moses bliss won Best song of the year, I thought it was with “TOO FAITHFUL” but No. Truth is that the song he won with ” YOU I LIVE FOR” is a love world ministry song…
Moses bliss is probably aware of this secret, because I studied his choice of song releases this year and I actually faulted it. As a music Influence coach, I would have advised him to release “In Your Hands” immediately after “Too Faithful” but moses released “BIGGER EVERYDAY” and “YOU I LIVE FOR” which are both ministry songs, before releasing “In Your Hands”. I believe this is intentional.
All through the years, I have watched this play out in LIMA awards. I see Sinach, Eben and even Joe Praiz win LIMA awards with songs that are not popular in the world but big in love world. Last year, Joe Praiz won LIMA award with his song JOY, that song is big in love world but you probably don’t know it.
Now with the win of LIMA best song of the year, Moses Bliss has joined the big league in Love world music industry.. Expect a lot of international ministrations for moses next year.
You see, while we resist the temptation to compare churches and pastors on how they treat and relate with their talents, it is important that churches and pastor begin to pay close attention to the artistes and music ministry of their church.
In most of these churches lies many undiscovered Sinach, Moses Bliss, Frank Edwards etc.
You might come here and say church owe nobody anything or that it is not the duty of the church to help anybody. That is your business sir. It is not the artistes duty to help anybody build their church too but many are there helping in the name of God, so why can’t church and pastors also help artistes succeed in the name of God too and let’s stop this nonsense talk about entitlement?
I hope that one day the gospel music industry will find structure and support that the gospel artiste can stand on to fulfil his or her calling.
Amachree Ikijana Alex
Celebrity Music Coach
Music Content, Influence and Business Coach.
