Author: Spirit 3:6

Music distribution in Nigeria

A lot of people, even music artists, confuse music distribution with music promotion. I see a lot of upcoming artists distribute their music and then they cross their feet (and relax), thinking they have promoted their music. So, I decided to write this article to explain the difference between music distribution and music promotion and what they entail. I will also offer advice for upcoming artists with low budget. So, let’s dive into it

So, what is music distribution?

Music distribution is simply getting your music releases (whether albums, Eps or singles) to places (or platforms) where your listeners can easily access them. Music distribution is a very important aspect of the career of any music artist. No matter how beautiful the melody of your songs are, or the depth of the messages they carry, if they don’t get to where your audience are, then your efforts in creating the music has been wasted. It’s a like a business person selling a particular goods (let’s say clothes). Imagine he has very beautiful clothes for sale, but he leaves them in his warehouse. As long as those clothes remain in his warehouse, people will never be able to buy them. But the moment he brings the clothes to his shop or boutique, people who need those clothes would see them and buy. That’s how important music distribution is for music artists.

Music distribution in Nigeria in the early 2000s

Before now, music distribution in Nigeria entailed getting your music album to one of the major CD distributors in Alaba (Lagos). Those guys had a wide connection with music stores all over Nigeria. So, if they were to distribute your music, your music CDs would be sold in music stores all over Nigeria. And when that is combined with very effective music promotion, you would become famous. However, music distribution in Nigeria has taken a complete U-turn in recent years. Nowadays, nobody buys music CDs any more (at least not like they used to). Music releases are now done on the internet. So, getting your music to those major music distributors is no longer necessary.

So, what does music distribution in Nigeria entail now?

Music distribution in recent times entails getting your music on platforms and stores where people can easily find them and stream or buy. Some of the major platforms where you can get your new music releases on includes Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Boomplay, YouTube Music, Soundcloud, etc. There are several other streaming platforms, but these are some of the major ones in the world. Audiomack is one of such and it’s gaining grounds in Nigeria. There are also stores where you can upload your music for people to buy and download, such as itunes and Amazon. In Nigeria, artists also use selar.co to sell their music albums.

However, to get your music on these streaming platforms and stores, you need to employ the services of a distribution company. Yes, as an independent artist, you cannot get your music on these platforms/ stores by yourself. Think of these distribution companies like those music distributors in Alaba back in the days. They help you get your music to major stores/platform that you cannot do yourself. But you’ll be required to pay a fee (usually yearly). There are many distribution companies available now. Some of them even offer some free services. Just google music distribution companies and you will find many of them.

What’s my advice?

After reading several reviews of the various music distribution companies, I would recommend either Distrokid or Tunecore to independent artists. It’s not free, but a yearly fee of less than $20 for unlimited uploads of all your music is not a bad deal. When you really break it down, it’s less than N1,300 per month. And I think it’s a worthy investment to get your music to major platforms/ stores. Let me say this here (even though I will still dedicate an article to write on this), getting your songs on major streaming platforms does not take the place of promoting your music. Music distribution is not the same as music promotion.

Another thing new artists do is upload their music for free download on several blogs. You may argue that it gets more people to know about your music. But in the long run, it’s better to have your music on recognized platforms. A better alternative would be for you to pay bloggers to direct all the traffic to those streaming platforms where your songs are. I will talk more on this when I write about Music promotion in Nigeria.

I believe you have learnt a lot about music distribution in Nigeria today. And I believe you will no longer confuse it with music promotion.

For further reading, you can check out this article by our friends at Cresthub on the benefits of music streaming for artists in Africa.

DIY music promotion music industry tips

Updates for Christian Musicians’ Corner blog

Last Friday I didn’t publish any article on Christian Musicians’ Corner. However, I figured I needed to update you guys about the blog. So, here’s a few updates you need to know:

Change of name

I recently changed the name of this blog from “Musicians’ Corner” to “Christian Musicians’ Corner”. This change was done for two major reasons. The first is for a better SEO (search engine optimization). The second is that I recently began to ponder about what I do. I am a Christian and a musician. Underneath every single article I write is an underlying tone of my faith. Sometimes, it’s subtle, but other times it’s bold. Obviously, my publications here make more sense to Christian musicians. So, I figured it’s best if the name clearly indicates my main target audience – Christian Musicians. That’s why the blog is now Christian Musicians’ Corner.

New addition to the blog

That said, we are introducing something new in Christian musicians’ corner blog. From now on, we will occasionally publish reflections from scripture by various Christians, especially those who are musicians. We’ll call it devotionals. The devotionals will revolve around Christian living generally, but especially written in a such a way that Christian musicians will relate easily. So, we’ll look at topics like overcoming temptations, purpose, Christian service/ ministry, Christian love, personal devotion, etc.

Let me use this opportunity to invite submissions of reflections from Christian musicians. Age or location does not matter. You only have to be a Christian to qualify to submit reflections for publication. Like I said earlier, any topic revolving around Christian living is welcomed. Send your submissions to jeplunemusic@gmail.com and title it “DEVOTIONALS FOR CMC”.

One last thing,

We were recently listed by FeedSpot among the top 80 Nigerian music blogs/ websites. Actually, we were ranked 39th on the list. This might seem inconsequential to some of you, but it’s a great encouragement to me. At least it shows that what we do here at jeplune.com is relevant and needed. I’m encouraged to do more.

Alright, that’s all the updates I have to share with you guys concerning Christian Musicians’ corner. While you are here, please do well to check some of the services we offer here at jeplune.com. You’ll get a lot of these services, like music reviews, lyrics videos, etc for just a little token.

These Songs EP- Aizek (Story behind the songs)

On Thursday, 5th May, 2022, Aizek released a surprise EP titled These Songs, to mark his birthday. These Songs is a 5- track EP packed with deep and meaningful songs that all speak of grace. The genre of the EP is Christian Hip pop.

I got in touch with Aizek and he shared a little story behind These songs EP and why He gave it that title.

Here’s what He said,

“5th May is a special day for me, my birthday. Like two weeks ago the idea to work on something and release it on my birthday came heavily on me, then I hit my bro Vblaiz so we can work on it and we did. These Songs is a celebration of the life I’ve been given and the grace of God on my life. That’s where the idea came from for These Songs. The title doesn’t have any deep meaning, just me sharing a 5 track EP. 5th May – 5/5 and the title is 5/5 too. The first letter of each track spells these…so These Songs.

The entire EP was produced, mixed and mastered by my bro Vblaiz. From ‘The Intro’ to ‘Ends with Eleven’ (which is another version of the song Eleven originally produced by Uncle Q & Hanniel) you’ll see the theme of God’s grace, that’s something you can’t miss while listening to the project.”

Aizek is a rap artist with D.P.E Records. He has two published projects and several other singles. His motivation to write and rap comes from a worldview that is shaped by God and life’s experiences.

You can stream or buy These songs using this link.

You can also follow Aizek on Facebook to get more about his music.

Do you want to hear the truth about your songs without sentiments?

Get your songs reviewed by professionals without bias for just a token. You’ll get honest appraisals as well as constructive criticism of your songs. This would help you get better in your music. Plus, other people who might never have heard about you before would get to listen to your songs when they read the published reviews (who knows, they might even turn to fans). If interested, send an email to jeplunemusic@gmail.com with an mp3 (please don’t send wav files) of your song and a few details like release date, artists featured, your artist bio and a link for people to listen to the song. Check out some music reviews we’ve done in the past. Terms and conditions apply.

New music release Story behind the song

Overcometh EP – Destiny Jesuu (Music Review)

Overcometh EP is the debut EP of talented Nigerian Christian Contemporary Music singer, Destiny Jesuu. It was released on the 31st of March, 2021. There are 5 tracks in the EP, with a total play time of 1510 seconds (25 minutes 10 seconds). The genre of all the tracks in Overcometh EP is Urban Contemporay Gospel, except for the second track.

General Overview

Overcometh EP contains deeply emotional and reflective songs. These songs would be quite suitable to played while meditating, praying or worshipping. They can also be sang in church during the ‘praise/ worship’ sessions. Here’s a brief track by track description:

Oil of Gladness is a song of proclamation/ prophecy of the great signs/ manifestations that God will do through believers in these last days.
Come And See ft. Neken Chuwang is a song of testimony of what has done and what He is doing.
In Your Presence is a song of worship that talks of the many spiritual benefits of dwelling in God’s presence.
Blindfolded is a song of total surrender and complete trust in God’s leading, no matter the pain and fear.
Revelation 5 is a song of worship to Jesus Christ, inspired by Revelations 5.

Strong Points

Great vocal delivery. In all honesty, Destiny Jesuu’s vocal delivery is the strongest point of the Overcometh EP. It’s undeniable that she has a beautiful voice, but the way she maximized the use of her voice in all the songs was amazing. You would literally feel goose bumps as you listen to her sing in this EP.
Great production. This is the second strongest point of this EP. I must commend TheMystic for a job well done. The production of the songs were perfect. The choice of instruments, the arrangement, the vocal processing of Destiny Jesuu’s vocals, everything was just perfect for this EP.
Beautiful Melody. All the songs in Overcometh EP had beautiful melody. Yes, the production helped bring out the beauty of the melodies, but basically, the song were composed with very beautiful melodies. You will still enjoy those songs even if they were sang with just one melodic instrument to accompany the vocals.
Strong Bibllical Messages. Another strong point of this EP is that all the songs had strong Biblical messages. Even though most of the song did not have much lyrics in them, yet the messages were clear and Biblical.

What could have been improved

Honestly, the only I felt was not properly done was the promotion. I strongly believe this EP did not get as much publicity as it deserves.

Conclusion

Overcometh EP is a collection of great spiritual as well as beautiful songs. I have enjoyed the songs in the EP over and over again. My favourite track is ‘In Your Presence’. On scale of 1 – 10, I will give this EP a 10. Yes, it totally deserves that. You can stream/ download the songs in Overcometh EP using this link.

From chasing stardom to purpose; an interview with A4C

Today, on Christian musicians’ corner, I will be featuring an interview with A4C. In this interview, he shares how his motive for doing music has shifted from chasing stardom to pursuing purpose. A4C is a Christian Hip pop artist, street evangelist and children coach. He is the founder and leader of the Rep Jesus crew, a creative- based discipleship movement in Jos city. I met A4C in 2016 at an event for children where he performed and I have since followed his music. So, let’s dive into the interview.

Spirit: Let’s start with the stage name. Now I know A4c means “All For Christ”, how did you come about the name?

A4C: Before I adopted A4C my stage name used to be ‘Psychofan’ which came from my high school days. Psychofan was gotten from Psycho’s fan. Back then, I had this strong argument about maltreating mentally ill patients, so I stood for them in a way. An old adage says, “Your name precedes your character”. That was exactly what began to happen to me. Eventually, I started behaving like a mentally ill person, though not pronounced.

In 2008, my sister got married and her husband, Evan Joseph Musa (of blessed memory) grew fond of me. So, we spent a lot of time together. This led to my conversion from secular to Gospel rap in 2010 and also my decision to drop dance and take up music fully. Now, back to the question, my sister’s husband was cool with almost everything I did and stood for, except my name ‘Psychofan’. We had severally disagreements about the name. On one faithful night, we debated on the name psychofan for over two hours and he made it clear that he didn’t like the name. That night, the Lord called me out in a dream “A4C”. I didn’t understand, and I didn’t know the meaning. Early the next morning I told Mr. Joseph that I had found a new name. When he asked what the name was, I told him A4C. Moments before then, I couldn’t recall the name but the moment I opened my mouth to answer Mr. Joseph, it came out of my mouth. Mr. Joseph asked me the meaning of A4C and in complete ignorance also, I told him “All for Christ”. The whole thing was just supernatural. Since then A4C has been undergoing transformation and living a life that totally belongs to Christ.

Spirit: Wow! That’s a great testimony. Please can you share with us a little about your childhood days before music?

A4C: I was born into a Christian home with very good moral values but I grew up in a morally decayed environment. A place where every child wanted to be like Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xhibit, Bone Thugs, Wutang clan, 2pac and the rest. So it didn’t take long before i join the train. During my junior secondary school days, I realised I could dance without stress. It was more of a gift. My friends had interest in dance too so we formed a crew at home. The crew had students from different schools so it gave us an edge cos we could fuse the famous step dance from Kuru with the breakdance from FGC Jos. Other dance genres like Salsa, Calipso, were part of our routines. Soon, we started living our dreams, partially. We were invited for social events from various schools. By the time we finished Secondry school, we were already getting opportunities in radio stations. We toured the clubs in Jos with Ray Power’s famous Djs, Mr brown, late G Connection. But as time went, and with the exposure, we began to realise how limited dance is and our childhood dreams fueled our passion to delve into music. So we recorded our first track as a crew (de Exclusives) in 2006. All we wanted was ‘blow’ and become famous so we jumped at every opportunity we got. In 2008, the group had a fall out after the maiden edition of Malta Guiness street dance competition which we dropped out at the semi-finals. After the split I had a slight change of friends which gave me time to think, change my priorities and refocus, then I took the decision to do Gospel in 2009.

Spirit: Wow! You really had an eventful childhood. Are there people you would say motivated you to start rapping?

A4C: Like I said we grew up seeing the likes of Snoop, Dre, Bone Thugs etc. When I got to Science school Kuru (Jss 1), I saw someone rapping in real life, for the first time in my life, outside TV or radio. It was a senior (Radio DNA) and he was very smallish. Back then, he was known as Kas K. Eventually, I realised there were more guys around me that could rap. The likes of Daniel Dean Abuku (who was two classes ahead of me), Ngwal Mariyom (who was my closest friend in Jss2) etc. All these gave me the confidence to try rap too. From Jss 3, I started writing and rapping but I couldn’t do it in school cos I wasn’t confident enough to rap alongside those guys. So, I only tried rap at home during holidays. After secondary school, a friend of mine introduced me to a foriegn Rap group called Cross Movement. I learned a lot from them and the likes of Da truth, Flame, Ambassodor, etc

Spirit: What were some encounters you had in your early days of your music career?

A4C: Really, it wasn’t easy then and it’s still not easy now. Some of the challenges I had were lack of finance, access to good producers, lack of platforms, especially when I switched to gospel. One of the biggest challenge I had was that my family didn’t really believe in what I was doing, so I got little or no encouragement.

Spirit: I can imagine. Now, despite all these encounters you continued. Why? What is your motivation?

A4C: What kept me going at first was the dream to become a super star someday. Then I got caught in God’s web of purpose and now, I can’t stop even if I wanted to. Finally, there is this peace and satisfaction I derive only from doing music.

Spirit: Interesting! Now, let’s talk about Rep Jesus Crew. What’s the inspiration behind it? Maybe a little story about why and how it all started?

A4C: In 2014, when I would say I received the Rep Jesus vision, all I wanted was put up a show to declare publicly that I have switched to Gospel. So, we tagged it Rep Jesus. In 2015 we had another concert at Plateau Poly and it was still tagged Rep Jesus. The idea began to grow from just a declaration to an awareness and getting more people to follow suit. 2 years down the lane, contrary to what some people expected, we were still doing gospel. So we staged another concert tagged ‘The Streetz Rep Jesus’. This was followed by the release of the album Rep Jesus in November, 2016. After the rep Jesus album, the burden became heavier but this time it was redirecting me to children. I had no idea on children ministry (actually I still don’t) but after I prayed and made consultations, I decided to give it a try. In 2017, I started training 6 children to be part of my stage performance. By December, 2017, we had our first performance together at the ‘Son of David’ video premier. And that’s how we adopted the name Rep Jesus Crew. We had so many engagements that year it was a new wave of entertainment. Some people accused me of initiating children into cultism cos of our art and costumes. Haha. Prayerfully and obediently, we persisted and today we’re celebrating 5 years of existence as RJC.

Spirit: Wow! I normally don’t do this, but can you share some of the things you’ve done in the past as a crew?

A4C: Yeah. In 2018, we recorded our first single (Our God is Great). We participated in the first Ecwa talent show and was made Ecwa TV ambassors. We performed at PRTV Christmas tree lightening, NTA Christmas funfair, Jos museums Christmas fun fair, Mista Ali Christmas funfair. We also hosted our first chapter of Carols According To Rap; an event that featured over 40 artists. In 2019, we staged Da revelation concert. By then, our number had grown from 6 to over 20, with more engagements and activities. We grew in number, skills and character throughout 2019 and we did monthly evangelism which we called ‘Street rehearsals’. We did that in upto 10 streets within Jos metropolis. We also hosted our second chapter of Carols According to Rap (which was an outdoor event). In 2020, the outbreak of Covid 19 made us pause our monthly evangelism (street rehearsal). We lost partners and gained new ones though not as we would have wanted. It was a trying moment for us but we held on. Thanks to people like Priscy and Pamzat that were already on board to help me out.They really made me feel I’m not alone. It was still in 2020 that we started the Rap Worship Experience (RWE) journey. We are still holding on and growing after close to two years now. By God’s grace we have grown to over 60 in number currently. We’ve planted close to 20 House of prayers (Hops) among children outside the RJC circle. These HOPs are in schools, workshops and within the communities. We have grown beyond just performers to disciples taking up the Great Comission among children and teenagers.

Spirit: Wow! Are there some of the challenges you face with regards to leading a Christian rap crew and being a Christian rapper yourself?

A4C: First of all, RJC is not just a rap group but a creative- based discipleship movement. Having said that, few of our challenges are:

One of our biggest challenge is funding. The movement needs a lot of finance considering the fact that it is creative- based and targeting the non- income earners. The burden of financing projects mostly bounce back to me since we are not currently under any sponsor or financial partnership.
Another huge challenge is the slow transformation. Sometimes I become frustrated when I see my boys behaving in certain ways. I’ll be like “una suppose don grow pass like this now haba!” But I remember how I was before God changed me and how many times I’ve fail Him even in my current stage.
There is also a huge generational gap between the older generation and the emerging. A lot of the older folks find it difficult to connect with our art, so they kick against or talk down on what we’re doing.
Another challenge is denominational differences. A friend of mine once told me “You don go put yourself for cult say you dey do Christianity.” He further stated that as long as we identify with a particular denomination there are certain platforms we will never get, and he asked “Is that one not cultism?” I became conscious of that fact and realised he is right in a way.

Spirit: I’m sure there are times you feel like quitting. What do you do at those low moments of your life to keep going?

A4C: Almost everyday, I feel like quitting. But any time I look back and see how far God has brought me, I just know I can’t quit even if I feel like.

Spirit: Are there benefits you’ve enjoyed as a musician because of your faith?

A4C: Time and space will not permit me to talk about the benefits. However, here are a few

I’ve met some great men of God that played and are still playing major roles in my transformation journey. I used to be a drug addict, but through this God has dealt with that issue in my life and I am completely free and sober.
Music led me to my Purpose. Today I am gladly living it.
Music has opened business doors for me. As a Builder, Electrical installer and teacher I have a lot of people, who were thrilled when they discovered that I have other lucrative abilities asides music. These people have either connected me with Jobs or given me Jobs in my field.
We launched a merchandise brand For RJC in 2021. Through music we were able to sell over a hundred T shirts, hoodies, neck chains and bangles. We still hope to sell more.
Through music I’ve had access to people and places I would have never had in my life. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be interviewed by Jeplune music, Ecwa TV Africa, NTA, PRTV, Rhythm FM or Peace FM as a builder, electrical technologist or a teacher. But through music, I’ve enjoyed this privileges and even more.
Music has given me opportunity to connect and disciple children and teenagers within and outside Jos

Spirit: That’s interesting. So, what should we expect from you with regards music in the future?

A4C: What to expect from me is cleaner and refined music that addresses common issues faced globally. And to add to that, also expect emerging Artists from RJC that will influence global entertainment positively.

Spirit: I like the sound of that. Any final words of advice for upcoming Christian Musicians?

A4C: My little piece for Christian creatives is, “know that you represent a high authority, therefore you must be represent Him well both on and off the stage. Stay connected to the Father for without Him we can do nothing.”

Spirit: Wow! It’s been a great time talking with you. Thank you so much for your time A4C.

A4C: Special appreciation to Spirit 3:6 and the entire Jeplune music team. God bless you for all you do for the kingdom.

This where we will wrap up this interview with A4C as he has shared his journey so far with purpose. You can follow A4C on Facebook.

Don’t forget that you can get your songs reviewed by professionals without bias for just a token. You’ll get honest appraisals as well as constructive criticism of your songs. This would help you get better in your music. Plus, other people who might never have heard about you before would get to listen to your songs when they read the published reviews (who knows, they might even turn to fans). If interested, send an email to jeplunemusic@gmail.com with an mp3 (please don’t send wav files) of your song and a few details like release date, artists featured, your artist bio and a link for people to listen to the song. Check out some music reviews we’ve done in the past. Terms and conditions apply.

encouragement interviews

Top 3 DAWs used by Music Producers in Jos

Today, I will be unveiling the top 3 DAWs used by music producers in Jos. This article will be a lot beneficial to aspiring/ upcoming music producers.

How did I arrive at this my result?

I recently carried out a survey among music producers in the city of Jos, Plateau State. In the survey, I asked the producers their choice DAWs when it comes to recording, beat making, mixing and mastering. 25 different producers in Jos took this survey and I compiled their answers to get a final result.

So why music producers in Jos?

For those of you wondering why I carried out my survey with music producers in Jos, let me tell you a little bit about the music industry in Jos. Jos is a city in Plateau state known for it’s abundance of music, dance and poetic talents. It has been said that from every three families in Jos, there would be at least one person that is either a singer, dancer, poet or footballer. I can tell you that statement is true. In many ways, just like Nashville is regarded as the music center of the US., Jos can be regarded as the music center of Nigeria. So, if you’re looking for where to find the most talented music producers in Nigeria, Jos city is the place.

Having said that, let’s dive into the survey results.

Most used DAW for recording

Recording is an essential aspect of music production. Asides the vocals, instruments like the guitars, the bass, etc are usually preferably recorded live. From the survey, the most used DAW for recording is Cubase. The second is Sonar (Cakewalk) while Logic Pro is the third most used DAW for recording.

Most used DAW for beat making

Beat making is another important aspect of music production, especially for genres like Afrobeats, Hip pop, EDM, etc. Here, FL Studio was preferred by most music producers. The second is Logic pro, followed by Cubase.

Most used DAW for mixing and mastering

No matter how beautiful the vocals in a recording are, and no matter how awesome the production, if they are poorly mixed and mastered, the song will still sound like crap. So which DAW do music producers in Jos prefer for mixing and mastering? Surprisingly, Cubase is still the most preferred here. The second is Sonar (Cakewalk), followed by Logic Pro as the third most used DAW for mixing and mastering.

Overall most used DAW

Overall, the most used DAW by music producers in Jos is Cubase. Next to Cubase is Fl Studio, which is basically used by most for beat making alone. The third is Sonar (Cakewalk). I think it is worth mentioning that quite a number of the producers that took the survey also prefer Logic Pro, but the numbers for Cubase, Fl Studio and Sonar outweigh that of Logic Pro.

In summary, the most used DAWs by music producers in Jos, in their order of preference, are:

Cubase
Fl Studio
Sonar (Cakewalk)
Logic Pro

By the way, I’m creating a directory for music producers in Jos. So, if you are a producer (or you know one) please take 2 minutes and fill out this google form (or send the link to your producer). The directory will be published so that music artists can easily contact music producers of their choice.

Jos music industry music industry tips music production

Bani Rai Album by Bali Davou (Press Release)

Nigerian Christian Rock singer, Bali Davou has announced the release of his debut album, Bani Rai. “Bani Rai” is an Hausa expression which literally translates “give me life” in English.

Bali Davou is a Nigerian Christian Rock singer and songwriter. He has been doing music for over a decade. His love and passion for music drove him to seek for deeper knowledge in music and ministry. After eighteen years of doing music, Bali Davou is finally ready to release his debut album. Bani Rai Album is a 10 track album packed with great songs with deep lyrics and beautiful melodies. The genre of the album is basically Christian Rock; only one of the tracks is a traditional pop song. All the songs in the album were written and performed by Bali Davou.

Talking about Bani Rai Album, Bali Davou said,

“Bani Rai Album is an album I have been working on for more than a decade now. The Album is made up of 10 songs. It’s my life story embedded in different songs. This whole album is talking about my salvation”.

With respect to the album release, Bali Davou released the first single off the album on the 17th of April, 2022. The track is titled, Dogara ga Sunan Yesu. You can download Dogara ga Sunan Yesu on Kr8 radio for free.

I had the privilege to chat a little with Bali about his upcoming album and the single he just released. Here is our chat:

Spirit: You’ve been doing music for more than a decade now. What motivated you to release an album at this time?

Bali Davou: I have been practicing music as a profession for 18 years now and in these 18 years, I have written a lot of good songs. Sometimes, I perform them in concerts and churches. But with a lot of persuasion from my wife, friends and colleagues, I finally decided to record and bring the Bani Rai Album to life.

Spirit: Awesome! So, what does the album mean to you; how do the songs affect you as a person?

Bali Davou: It means a lot to me personally. The entire Bani Rai Album is birthed out of my personal encounter with Jesus. Each time I listen to the songs, it reminds me of where I am coming from and where I am going to.

Spirit: Now you just released one song from the album, Dogara ga Sunan Yesu. Can you share a little story behind the song?

Bali Davou: Last year 2021 was a turbulent year for my family as we lost 7 close relatives. And so, as I was preparing for my Wife’s Grand father’s funeral, I was asked to sing that hymn (Dogara ga Sunan Yesu). I decided to give it a different touch so people won’t feel sad because of the tragedies that bedeviled the family. And that’s how the song was born.

Spirit: Thank you very much, Bali.

Bani Rai Album is set to be released on the 15th of May, 2022. You can follow Bali Davou on Facebook for updates about the album release.

UPDATE: You can now stream Bani Rai album using this link.

Do you want to hear the truth about your songs without sentiments?

New music release

Another Easter Message: lesson from the life and death of Jesus

Easter is a time when Christians, all over the world, celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The whole celebration revolves around the fact that Jesus Christ came to the world as human. He lived among men, taught about the kingdom of God and did great miracles. He was crucified on the cross and buried in a tomb. On the third day, after His death, he resurrected. And now, he is alive and he sits at the right hand of the Father.

Why do we celebrate Easter?

We live in a time where the essence of Christian celebrations is gradually being lost. Today, we talk of Easter bunny and eggs. For some people, Easter is just another holiday; an opportunity to stay at home with family and to rest. For others, it’s a time to catch fun, eat and drink excessively.

But is that why we celebrate Easter? John Piper once said, “the resurrection, along with the death of Jesus, is the greatest event in the universe. It’s greater than our sun”. Why would he say something like that? I’ll tell you why.

If Christ did not die and resurrect, then we wouldn’t be saved. And if we’ve not been saved, then our faith is useless. This is exactly what Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14-18. The whole essence of our Christian faith hinges on the death and resurrection of Christ.
Another reason we celebrate Easter is that the resurrection of Christ gives us hope for future glory. In 2 Corinthians 4:14, the Bible says, “…the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to Himself.”

So, why did I decide to write this article today?

I guess many of you might be wondering at this point, when did Spirit 3:6 turn our favourite Christian Musicians blog to a church/ theological blog? Relax, it’s still Christian Musicians Corner. But I’ll tell you why I chose to write this article today instead of my usual articles on music. A few days ago, I was discussing with the teens in my church about knowing and doing God’s will and I used the life of Jesus Christ as an example. We saw how he did the will of God, even to the point of being crucified. Now, since it’s Good Friday, I figured it would be nice if I shared my insights from that discussion with the teens. After all, it’s Easter. And as Christian musicians, our faith lies at the center of the music we do.

In case you missed: Am I doing well enough?

Let’s look at the life and death of Christ.

So, before Jesus’ resurrection (which is why we celebrate Easter), he lived and died. He was born by a virgin. Went through the normal process of growth and development like every human being. Remember that Jesus Christ is God. He created man, yet he humbled himself to be trained by humans until he reached the age of maturity. But that’s not all, throughout his years of ministry on earth, he received several insults and false accusations. At one point, he told his disciples that he did not have any place to lay his head. When you look at it, Jesus really suffered. And to cap it up, he was crucified on a cross. History has it that dying by the Roman crucifixion is the worst kind of death. They stripped him in front of everyone, tore his back with whip, made him carry a heavy wooden cross up a hill. They nailed him to the cross, pierced his head with thorns and hung him on the cross. His side was also pierced with a spear while hanging there. You need to understand that the cross they used were not made from smooth logs of wood; they were rough. So wooden splinters would enter his already torn back while hanging on that cross and struggling to breathe. It is such a painful death.

Now why would anyone agree to go through all these suffering and have such a painful death? The answer is that Jesus knew why he was here and was willing to fulfill his purpose, no matter the cost.

What can we learn from this?

First of all, I want to say here that no length of article will be sufficient enough to write about all the lessons from the life and death of Jesus. In this article, I would just like to focus on the lessons I learnt with regards to purpose.

The fact that it is God’s will or that you are fulfilling purpose, does not mean that things will work out very easily. Jesus was in the perfect will of God, yet he went through suffering in this life and even in death. So, if you’re going through suffering as well, don’t give in.
Jesus was able to endure suffering and even death by crucifixion, because he knew that was his purpose. It was not easy for him. I know this because of the prayer he made at Gethsemane. However, he went through the pain. In the same way, when we know our purpose, it helps us to remain focused despite the several difficulties we might face along the journey.
Jesus kept his focus on the outcome. In Hebrews 12:2, the bible says about Jesus, “for the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning it’s shame…”. So, despite whatever difficulty we might encounter on way to fulfill purpose, let’s fix our eyes on the prize. Our labour is not in vain; there is a reward. Be encouraged.

There wouldn’t be Easter if Christ didn’t know or decide to fulfill purpose. As we celebrate Easter, let’s make up our minds to discover our purpose and resolve to fulfill that purpose at all cost. The prize at the end is far greater than the price we pay now.

Happy Easter in advance.

Grace Lokwa & Moses Bliss will be in Jos for The Grace Experience 2022

Grace Lokwa & Moses Bliss, alongside many great gospel ministers, will be live in Jos at this year’s The Grace Experience.

The Grace Experience is a yearly event convened by Ejidike Ugochukwu, also known as Minstrel Jid. It has been held every year in the city of Jos since 2018. This year’s event is the 5th edition of The Grace Experience. It has been tagged, ‘Repentance’. There is a long list of anointed ministers that would be ministering this year. They include: Dr. Panam Percy Paul, Godstime Okorie, Grace Lokwa (from Congo), Minstrel Jid, Moses Bliss, Pst. Benson Ogbe, TGE minstrels, and many more. The event is scheduled to hold on the 24th of April, 2022 at Tamarald Events and Suites, Jib Junction, off Old Airport road, Jos.

Minstrel Jid is a gospel music minister, an entrepreneur, project manager, director of Pocie Agro-market, and convener of the Grace Experience. I had the privilege to talk with Minstrel Jid about The Grace Experience. Here’s our brief chat:

Spirit: How did the vision for The Grace Experience come about?

Minstrel Jid: I would say it was entirely divine. I got the name in my dream and woke up with it in my mouth. You need to understand God speaks to me a lot through dreams. It took me a whole year before launching out completely because I needed clarity from God. I prayed and waited to receive precise instructions from God. That was when it hit me that our walk with God begins with Grace, is sustained by Grace, and ends with Grace. I developed a strong passion for the lost and for reconciling men back to God. At some point, I wanted to remove ‘the’ and just leave the name as ‘Grace Experience’, but the Holy Spirit rebuked me and I listened. One of the revelations that came to me concerning The Grace Experience is that grace has a name, and his name is Jesus. So, in other words, you can call it, The Jesus Experience. So, we gather people to come experience Jesus for themselves, just like the woman by the well (in John chapter 4) went to gather people to meet the Jesus she had just experienced.

Spirit: I know it takes a lot resources to host events like the Grace experience. What is your motivation for hosting this event every year, despite the huge cost?

Minstrel Jid: Yeah, you are right, it really requires a lot of resources. And if it were for me, I would have stopped. But I’m certain about the vision that God gave me. My main motivation, however, is the huge number of people whose lives get impacted for Christ. Then there are people who get inspired by what we do and are encouraged to follow the visions God gave them. Another motivation is the testimonies arising from the Grace Experience that we hear afterwards. Testimonies of salvation, of instant healings, of great miracles, etc.

Spirit: The theme for this year’s event is “Repentance”, can you shed more light on this?

Minstrel Jid: A lot of Church folks have painted Repentance in a way that is not healthy. Repentance is for both the unbelievers and the believers. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, the Bible says, “if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves…”. That phrase, “my people” talks about believers. One thing the Father never despises is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. The fact that when a man falls, he has an opportunity to have a change of mind, repent and turn back to the Father, is one of the privileges of salvation. And for the believer, sanctification is a life- long journey. For the believer, repentance is a life style. This is because every time we go to God, and He shines his light on us, we see something in us that is not of Him. The right response to that is repentance. So, every believer needs repentance. We need to go beyond just church attendance to genuine repentance. And the proof of genuine repentance is a changed life. Due to the fact that the church has painted repentance in a bad way, some believers fall and find it difficult to turn back to the Father. So, what we are doing this year at The Grace Experience is to accentuate the need that every believer should embrace repentance, knowing that it is a gift.

“We need to go beyond just church attendance to genuine repentance. And the proof of genuine repentance is a changed life.”

Spirit: What should we expect this year?

Minstrel Jid: This year, by the mercy of God, we will be experiencing palpable presence of God, such that will bring about a change in the lives of everyone that attends. God’s presence will bring about genuine brokenness and repentance. The believer embraces repentance as gift and then the unsaved embraces repentance as a requirement for salvation.

You have heard it ‘from the horse’ mouth’, at The Grace Experience 2022, “the presence of God will bring about a change in the lives of everyone that attends”. You can follow Minstrel Jid on facebook for details about The Grace Experience 2022.

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Running After You (song review)

‘Running After You’ is a single by Onoji Kalebson featuring Grace Emmanuel. It was released on the 4th of March, 2022. The song has a total play time of 316 seconds (5 minutes 16 seconds). The genre of the song is Nigerian Highlife music with a dash of contemporary worship music.

General overview:

‘Running After You’ is a song of love and commitment to God in response to the great love He has shown to us. Its classy ‘Highlife’ feel makes it suitable to be played at ceremonies like wedding receptions, etc as it can easily be danced to by everyone, especially the elderly.

Strong points:

Great production. This is the strongest point of this song. The choice and use of instruments were perfect for the song. There were lots of bright sounding instruments which gave the song a happy feel, rather than a sad one. The slow tempo of the song gave it that elegant, high class feel. The production was just skillfully and beautifully done.
Beautiful melody. The song also has a beautiful melody which goes very well with the message of the song.
The featured artist, Grace Emmanuel did very well with her verse. She added spice to the song in a very beautiful way.
The backing vocals were professional.
The song’s theme/ message is quite relevant. It was more of a commitment to God from Onoji Kalebson that no matter what happens, his heart will still be running after Him.

What could have been improved:

Considering the message of the song, I expected that one of the verses would talk about the unconditional love of God and why the writer has made up his mind to keep running after God. We know from scriptures that we love Him because He first loved us. I guess Onoji Kalebson assumed that everyone who would listen to this song already knew this truth, but that’s usually not the case.
I felt that Onoji Kalebson would have done better with his vocal delivery. The song is a commitment (born out of deep affection) to God in response to God’s love. But I didn’t hear that deep affection in his voice. It seemed like he was too conscious of how his voice would sound, that it lacked passion.

Conclusion:

‘Running After You’ is a beautiful song with a beautiful production. I enjoyed listening to it. On a scale of 10, I would rate this song 7/10.

You can listen to the song or download it for yourself here.

Do you want to hear the truth about your songs without sentiments? Get your songs reviewed by professionals without bias for just a token. Check out other music reviews I’ve done here.