I MADE A MISTAKE, SEYI SOLAGBADE

In the late 80s till 90s, Central Choir of the Celestial Church of Christ was the rave of the moment and Seyi Solagbade was an integral part even as he was a lead vocal in an album waxed by National Headquarters, Makoko.

For some time, little or nothing was heard about him in the church while he was moving from one country to another with his band. In this interview, Seyi disclosed he made some mistakes but God has remained faithful. Excerpts:

Starting out young

I was born into Celestial Church of Christ. I started playing music from the early 80’s as a choir boy, doing it then for the fun of an omo oluso agutan; you must take part in church activities. That was how I met myself in music industry, thank God, He make it so easy that every person I work with right from my tender age are professionals; professors of music, scholars and producers. I meet them in the church and they discovered me.

Ploy to woo God

I believe only in the God of Celestial but I forgot that this world is spiritual and you have to tackle likewise. Celestial Church of Christ is a special church; if you don’t follow the rules and tenets, the church cannot progress and it requires every individual in the church.

Between 2000 and 2007, there were lots of opportunity for me to push my music internationally but it was not really profitable until I eventually hearken to the call. Then I did another album called No King As God just to bribe God in a way because I’ve heard revelations from God which I didn’t believe at first.

When I did the album, God knew I was just using it as a bribe and not that I really wanted to come back which I knew myself. But right now am passionately coming back to church not only for Celestians but Christendom to send the message of God and salvation to all men through my music - gospel music.

His mistake

At a time, I was somehow discouraged as a chorister; no assistance, nobody cares about your welfare, education or feeding. Everybody will just come to church, enjoy the music and go without giving anything back to where they are receiving blessings from.

That was what really made me to move out of gospel line completely but I did not know that it was a big mistake for me to make that stupid decision. I now discovered that it’s stupid because help cannot come from man without God’s approval.

Since then I have not been able to grab something meaningful although I always travel to different countries for shows but because the calling is different and I deviated by choosing my own call, things are not so palatable.

Secular music

In the classification of music, have Islamic and Christian music. It is under Islamic music that we have Fuji but in Christian music, there are lots of things that you must not do that we are doing now.

Secularity is prominent in Christendom right now because of the changes in the entertainment world where nonsense make sense to people. Am a celestial member so I will use it as a case study.

I stopped attending celestial concert because one or two churches I visited in Lagos and Ibadan, I discovered that the choir was singing Fuji and playing tungba.

Most churches still play it, not only during harvest or concert, during service so they do not follow the tenets anymore. They are not following sequence of service, people are not conscious of worship anymore.

Future plans

I don’t want to go to Imeko just anyhow because am planning to do a mega show most especially on the 24th of December for the youth. I call it back to the root.

It’s a revolution trying to tell people that this is the way they do things; you have to show it to them in a standard way, those are the plan I have for now.

Cancellation of concert

I don’t think that will be the major solution; they don’t need to cancel it but to checkmate those Oluso Agutans (the shepherds). If the shepherds can put their feet down, nobody will dare him because many of the new generation shepherds are concerned about money.

Go to those gospel churches you can’t find those things, although they are business centre churches and not spiritually inclined.  They have sense of making money through manipulation and definitely through that manipulation, they will take you to God and drain your pocket.

My own problem with the youth is this: Who told you that you are the leaders of tomorrow when you cannot control the present? The youths are supposed to be the key to the future. They should be able to sit down and think.