Igbo: Ruling Nigeria with Gospel tunes

One thing that the world cannot take away from the Igbo people of Nigeria is the ability to praise the God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. In spite of reduction in moral values which is fast eating every sector of the country, the Igbo gospel singers have continued to bless the name of God and individuals with sweet music of theirs making him a house-hold name.

The Igbo have fared well as it regards gospel music in the country. Worshipping and praising God in Igbo language has soared beyond the imagination of all. Listening to Igbo gospel music nowadays will make you reason that God is an Igbo. There is no doubt however, that God really appreciates what the Igbo gospel singers are doing for him.

Any Igbo gospel music will surely make a hit anytime and anywhere. It has surpassed ethnicity and reached every nook and crannies of the world where these tunes will certainly provoke you to worship your God. Any top 10 chat that fails to recognize the Igbo as a leading ethnic-nation in gospel music in the country itself is mysterious and doubtful. The Igbo are really blessed in gospel music. They give in all they can with nice Christian tune that will provoke even an atheist to worship the Lord, his maker. Rosemary Chukwu Onumaegbu will always be remembered as one musician that touch the soul with her kind of music, spreading her message to many households and helping to bless them.

Shall one ever forget Njideke Okeke, famous for her unique praise of God? Listening to Njideke will invoke the picture of God in your mind. It makes you want to see the God that has blessed her beyond the imagination of men. The music of Njideke will strike you as one who truly fears God. “Akanchawa” is a music that sold that particular Igbo vocabulary to the rest of Nigerians so well that it has become another word for “blessing” in just any Nigerian language. The Ngwa musical group will go down in the history of gospel music in the country as one of the greatest. This musical group has touched many souls at home, churches and elsewhere. The group will surely make the favourite of anyone that truly loves and worships God. You will be a confused picking your favourite from the group’s numerous songs any day. It is a group that has drawn the Igbo and people of Nigeria closer to God.

Igbo songs are always hot cake when it comes to singing praises to God. That is what they have done for the rest of the world. The Igboland is like the ancient Israel of God. And the people are proud of them indeed. Ever heard of Reverend Father Mbarka, the Man of God who sings gospel songs? He praises God and has become a household name in the country today. Father Mbarka sings both in Igbo and English uniquely conveying his music in a way that it has never been done in the past. Chinedu Nwadike is another good musician. You will never be bored listening to him. In fact, you need his music when you have to praise the Lord. He cannot be ignored; Prophetess Helen Nkume of the Cherubim and Seraphim will console and make you feel the presence of God with her cool but touching music. You will appreciate her way of praising God. Still there are numerous Igbo gospel singers that have made the Igbo proud in gospel music arena. We have been brought so close to God by the Igbo that we imagine God in an Igbo environment.

It is like no gospel music in Nigeria is complete if the song has not been done in Igbo. The Midnight Crew is a clear example of this for we have all come to realize that it is quite possible to make God praised using all the different languages in the country. “Igwe” is titled in Igbo but rendered in Yoruba and Igbo. It is a beautiful song to listen to any day and if played in a party venue, surely people will get lose and dance to it forgetting that it is the music of God handed down to us to help us understand how he should be praised and that he is all without equal. That is what the music has done.