For Jacob Kunle Ajomale, singing is his
second nature. So, for 30 years, JKA as
popularly called, has been composing, producing and singing melodious &
inspiring messages to entertain and win souls as narrated in this interview:
Let’s take a peep into how it all started.
I joined the church choir in 1969, about
48years ago, and I have wondered for several years, why was I in the choir?
I
didn’t know the answer until sometimes in 2003 when I clocked 40 and my mum
told me that I am a covenant child.
She told me how she had prayed to God that if
He could give her a male child, she would dedicate the child to God.
So, I joined the choir in 1969, at age 6 and since then, I have been in the choir.
But, I never knew I was going professional
until 1987, during my National Youth Service.
Before then, I was a member of the Gangan
Caste, a drama and performing group at the Ogun State University, Ago Iwoye
(Now, Olabisi Onabanjo University). Performance back in School then, was
strictly for students ‘ weekly entertainment because, we were just the pioneer
set and only engaged in creating entertainment for ourselves on campus.
Thereafter, I
went for my Youth Service in the former Bendel State and still continued
with stage performances.
But it was while serving that PA Obafemi
Awolowo died in 1987 and it was an opportunity for me to pay him my tribute in
my very first album titled, “Eriwo”.
I recalled then, when we were in School,
March 4, 1983 precisely, Late Chief Awolowo came for the turning of the first
sod of the permanent campus site, and the ‘Gangan Caste’ put up a performance
to entertain the dignitaries at the occasion which also included late Governor
Olabisi Onabanjo among others.
Chief Awolowo was very thrilled by the
performance that he particularly made mention of the lead singer, that was me,
and that, really meant a lot to me.
So, when he died, I traveled to Ikenne to research about the sage
and I got all the support from the family especially late mama HID Awolowo. I
got information about all his achievements and then composed all that into
music. I didn’t know I was breaking the grounds.
Surprisingly, the album won the best Corper’s
award, 1987, in Bendel State and got me an automatic employment. That was the
greatest motivation.
Though the CD did not realize so much money,
but it marked my beginning and foray into professional music. It took me
another seven years to release my next album and that was in 1994.
So, would you say you turned Professional in
1987 or 1994 and in all, how many albums
have you churned out?
I became a professional the moment I sang
“Eriwo” in memory of late Papa Awolowoin 1987.
As a profesional, my music is in two folds, one, I minister in the church and I entertain at functions. I can go
choral, sing decent songs at parties, songs that do not necessarily have to be gospel but soul lifting. I thank God I have been able to release up to eight
albums since I started my music. I have however composed innumerable songs.
Does that mean your stage performances
counted for your 30years of music?
Yes, by the grace of God.
Can you recall the music track that brought you into real limelight?
Talking personally, the album that actually
brought me out, that was “Damuso”, that is,
“The Comforter” released In 1994.
We sold a lot of copies and that was the album a lot of people heard abroad
and they invited me on overseas tour.
Some others however, heard about the song I composed for my
church, which is, “Lehin Jesu ko s’enikan”,
which was released in 1991 and by 1993, the album had sold over a
million copies.
With all humility, that joint performance (in
“Lehin Jesu ko s’enikan”), was honestly, the beginning of my success in music.
A lot of people didn’t know I was actually the one God gave the grace to
compose that song track-“Lehin Jesu ko s’enikan”.
What was the real inspiration behind
composing “Lehin Jesu ko s’enikan”?
Well, I actually heard a chorus when I was In
my former church at C&S Movement, Sabo in 1987 when I came home on holiday;
thereafter, when joined my present church, Surulere circuit, there was a
request by the then choir master, now the Leader, for new songs, so I developed
that chorus, built on it and then gave it to him and honestly, I never knew it
would go far and become so popular.'
The church later went to the studio and the song was tracked number two
after, “Lehin oke mimo”.
So, how was that particular track ministered
to you?
Truly, the first stanza of that song, “Nigba iji aye ba de”, was a reference to
what I was passing through at the time. It was a storm but I never knew a
bigger storm was still awaiting me.
It was an experience of no house, landlord threatening and it was so tough. It
was also during that time I also composed “Apata ayeraye” and then, “Gbe
agbelebu re”.
Can one conclude that the lyrics of your
songs represent what you go through in life?
In a way, yes. For example, in “Damuso”, part
of the inspiration for the song came while I was sleeping; it was my dream. At
times, I hear music from God. Even as we are talking I could hear music but if
I don’t write it down, I will forget and it could go away.
So, I
get inspiration from different sources. It could be from my environment, at
times, from what people say and so on.
Just like my upcoming album, the beginning of
it “Count your blessings”, it’s a friend of mine who is always saying,
“Lakunle, count your blessings “. In America,
he said it, when I came back to Nigeria, he will call me still say the
same thing. The day I went to the studio and he called, he still made that
statement and I told him, “that your count your blessing is the beginning of
the new album I’m about to release”.
That means, my music and message is always
divine.
How have you been able to get your audience
together in 30 years, sustain them and make them yearn for your Genre of music?
First of all, I want to thank God Almighty
for the grace of people He blessed me with in the industry. It is spiritual,
its political and through every sphere of life, I have been able to meet a lot
of people.
You can imagine during President Obasanjo’s
first official visit to Washington, I was the one that played for him and the
music was so melodious to him that he had to come up stage to hold me and ask,
“what’s your name, how come I didn’t know you back in Nigeria?
I have met and even been with the present Oba
of Lagos, Oba Akinolu, he came to Washington too and danced to my music. I have
played for the present Oba Oniru, late Oba of Benin when I served in his
palace; and the present Oba of Epe, during his daughter’s wedding. So, if people have not been inspired and I have
not been playing good music, these people would not have been my fans. I thank God that I have great consumers of my
music and I can’t name them all.
I recall former Nigeria ambassador to the US,
Professor Jubril Aminu once invited me to his house in Washington to appreciate
me. I equally played at Baba Adeboye’s daughter’s wedding, Pastor Bolu, in the
US. So my music really cuts across Socio-political and spiritual realm .
In 30 years then, you must have made
multi-million in your genre of music. Is your brand of music very lucrative and
commercially viable?
Really, I do not look at the monetary aspect
of my music especially when I have to go a church to sing. This is because I
have never charged churches when I go to
sing even when I was in the US. All that
they needed to do was to send air ticket if they later appreciate me with
honorarium, fine. But once they say, “God bless you, I’m gone”.
However, when it comes to parties, weddings,
anniversary and so on, I do charge because I do have a lot of responsibility to
take care of for that.
For me, music has been a blessing, to God be
all the Glory. Without looking at the monetary aspect, music is satisfying.
Yes, we’ve heard people say music can be satisfying and
lifting to the soul; take David the Psalmist as an example; how true can this
be when one is Faced with the downturn of life?
David the Psalmist I must say, is one of my
mentors, Jesus being the greatest. David in his Psalms inspire me so much of
the times and his Psalms give me a lot of inspiration to write.
Reading through the Books of Psalms, you find
David go through lots of ups and downs of life and still at that like in Psalm
42:11, he wonders “Why are you forsaken, O My soul? Why so disturbed within me?
For I will yet praise Him my saviour and my God”.
You see, when the storm was heavy on me about seven years ago, during the
immigration issue, I was almost downcast but, there was this thing from the
Scripture that encouraged me, that is,
in Deuteronomy 30:6, “David encouraged himself”. So, I told myself, “JKA
encouraged himself”. Then, I also found Godly people around me that motivated
me.
I always remember the Bible says you fall
seven times but you can rise seven times. So I had this very strong faith in
God that no matter what it was, I will praise him still to my last breath.
How much longer are you willing to move on
with professional Music?
I want to be a chorister till eternity. I
want to be a musician till eternity. I want to play with the heavenly host by
His grace. So, as long as I live, I wou
ld be a chorister. Whenever I travel no
matter to where, I will look for a church to go and pay my weekly dues to the
Lord. I am a chorister musician for life.
For the 30 years celebration program, what
are we supposed to expect?
On that day, August 27, I am inviting
dignitaries, friends and some well wishers to rejoice with me because God
has spared me. I have a debt to pay; I
owe God. That actually is the beginning of my new song. I am a debtor, I owe
God and it’s the praises and worship of people on that day that would be put
together to glorify the name of the Lord.
I am inviting friends, fans and family to
come and rejoice with me and I believe we are going to have a glorious day.
I am expecting the Governor of Lagos State,
Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode with whom I went to St. Judes Ebute Netta to be my Very
Special Guest of Honor, to grace the occasion likewise the Lagos State
Commissioner of Tourism and Culture, Mrs. Adebimpe Akinsola is the Special
Guest of Honour, the CEO of FinebCoats,
Engr. Emmanuel Awode will host the day.
A new album and studio instruments would be
launched as well and some of my colleagues have be invited to come launch with
Otunba Peter Olufemi as Chief launcher.
Many other notable dignitaries including Chief Ebenezer Obey are being expected so
also there will be royal touch from some royal families..
Besides your voice you use in praising God,
do you play any instrument?
Yes, I play the key board. Sometimes, I play
the keyboard to compose my songs because I am also a composer not just a
singer. I do arrange and produce too. The keyboard is my main instrument
of music but you can find me with the
mouth organ too.
Finally, who are your
contemporaries that you can be
found relating with and who have continuedlpm to inspire you?
I do
have colleagues, seniors and juniors as contemporaries in my genre of
music the likes of King Sunny Ade, Don McLean, Ebenezer Obey, Funmi Aragbaye,
Ayewa, Telemi, Tope Alabi, Nike Elegbede and others, I cant name. They are
wonderful people and talented children of God who play very good music which I
love.
You see, good music is a blend of three
M’s–Melody, Message and Music. Today, many young artiste don’t recognize that
to do a good music requires prayers and observing vigils. The message of a
music is very key just as the melody. Many today have substituted good music
with technology and the fact that the society does not really care about the
message again.
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