chidiebere
Lordswill Angulu is a renowned Gospel artiste and also President, Gospel Artistes Association of Northern Nigerian, (GAANN), FCT chapter. In this exclusive interview with ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM , he speaks on his dream of seeing gospel artistes being recognized for their music by multinationals like their contemporaries. He also speaks on his music and other sundry issues.
What your take on the recent development in the gospel music industry especially concerning its growth?
I will tell you in recent time, even with the impending economic and security crisis like the daredevil Boko Haram, I will you it didn’t drop the sale of CDs. Even so, more people are buying gospel CDs than then. They chose to get the CDs and listen when at home or during travelling. I will also tell you that we don’t struggle for media coverage like in the past. They play your songs at will…you don’t even know how they got it. The songs are enjoying massive rave on the internet, international stations…so the struggle is no more especially when your songs are good. I can vividly tell you that DJs now play gospel songs during shows because we discovered it is always in their mix.
Do you feel great having your song on a mix with contemporary songs?
I feel so good! You know music is music, be it contemporary, circular or gospel. Music is a general language it speak to everybody. You find out that people dance to a language they don’t even understand, that’s the power of music. I feel so happy when I found my songs on Naija Mix. When they were releasing their timeline there were series of gospel songs on it. So its a big plus to the gospel artistes and I wish everyone the best.
I have carried out some research and found out that most entertainers patronized by big multinationals are mainly contemporary musicians. Though the only gospel artiste who is a glo ambassador is somewhat not regarded as a full time gospel artiste. What are you people not doing right to be recognized by this companies for endorsements?
I am very happy that you are bold enough to bring up this issue because deep down in my heart, its so sad. I can tell you that we in the gospel music industry are the people writing original and inspirational songs. I said this in one of my media chat that I don’t write songs , I receive them. I told them any song you see or hear me ministering, I don’t just sit down to write them. But when ever I’m sitting freely, God will just give me the lyrics and rhythm. That shows that we are very original. We speak heaven on earth. But the multinational companies find it difficult to pick us as an ambassador. I can tell you that it is only Sammy Okposo I can point and say they picked him as glo ambassador. And you know Sammy okposo had to lie low and tell them he is a contemporary gospel artiste that he sings just gospel but he’s a musician. He didn’t come in the open to say he is a gospel artiste. This is one of the reasons why he was picked . And again, one of the challenges is location. If you discover most of the people they picked as ambassadors are Lagos based artistes.
Should that be a challenge to you gospel artistes?
Actually in Nigeria, very few of us are fortunate to excel out of the state we reside and other parts of the world because like myself, I’m an Abuja based gospel singer, and I’m so blessed that my songs are all over the country band beyond. It is a contrast looking at the trend of music which somewhat say one must relocate to Lagos. I’m happy Solomon Lange is doing very well, Samsong is doing very well. It will interest you to know that Panam Percy is our professor, our grand father in music but Dr Panam has never been recognized by any multinational companies as an ambassador. I will be so happy if they would understand that music is music. It is a general language that everybody understand. No matter how stone hearted you are, there must be a song that appeal to you.
What would you advised the multinationals to do especially as the trend in music is changing and people are now loving the home made entertainment?
My call to them is that they should know we deserve to be ambassadors because we have the crowd. Our music never die. I don’t want to start mentioning names of some contemporary artistes who are nowhere to be found. I have been on the chat for over 10-years and I have never come down. Sometimes we run away from the media because when you push yourself to them you are no more safe. People following you home, to the market…you virtually turned into a masquerade. You have to disguise yourself, tint your car windscreen. I want them to know that we have the crowd. Our songs never die. The albums I have released so many years ago are still top on the music chat. So that’s why I’m saying gospel artistes deserve are the ones who deserve to be the ambassadors because we have the crowd and our songs are inspire and motivate. You can’t compare the people that subscribed to our caller tune to contemporary artistes. If your music die down as a contemporary artistes they delete you and go for any one that is in vogue. But on the contrary the gospel artistes are always in vogue, we don’t come down we don’t fade out , we are always on top.
Of late I have also been listening to some so-called gospel musicians who claim to be inspirational singers. But when you are a good listener like myself , you will agree with me that their is nothing inspirational about their songs or even the message. So is there anything the gospel community or association are doing to scrutinize them?
As I’m speaking with you I’m the president of Gospel Artistes Association of Northern Nigerian, FCT chapter. We are having one little problem, we find it difficult to operate in one voice. I don’t want to mention names here. But if today another artiste comes and his songs are moving the next thing is that he will set up a group give it a name , printing posters telling people that they are organizing concert where ever they like. Because of this, anybody who thinks he has a sponsor or money could just enter the studio, produce and promote it . I think it’s high time for us to come together and forge ahead because it’s proper to say we are working towards one goal and that’s heaven. We should leave a legacy that those coming after us would emulate. Most of the young artistes are not patient. When they receive one or two songs they feel they are good enough to go to the studio to record. Everyone has his own time to shine. In this age if your music is not good enough it won’t go. You have to be entertaining, informative, educative and persuasive with your lyrics.
Let’s talk about you now. What’s has been happening with Lordswill Angulu since the release of his last album?
You know you are still doing very well as a gospel artiste when people invite you for programmes and shows. Last year was fruitful for me because I performed in lot of shows especially the one my state governor invited me to minister on his thanks given service twice. Even during the yuletide, he invited me for another show which I did. I have been doing the work of God , going round the country from one concert to another. You know for me to be receiving this invitations as special guest performer shows that my music is really at the peak.
we are in a new year now and we know Lordswill Angulu is known for releasing good songs. So what should your fans expect from you in 2016?
Well my fans should known that I’m in the studio now working on my latest album. I’ve just done one of the songs called ‘Child of God’. I want to tell my friends , fans colleagues and well wishers that I’m cooking something great and very soon it will be in the market.
