“My Life With Baba Ara” …Gospel Singer, Segun Ajidara

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Baba Ara’s sing-alike, Olusegun Daramola was trained by CAC pastor father and devout CAC mother. He started his singing career as a chorister at CAC and became an ordained pastor at CAC. But along the line, he switched over to CCC.  He shared some interesting aspects of his life and career with AKIN SOKOYA in this interview. Excerpt…

 

Let us meet you

I am Olusegun Daramola, a gospel artiste popularly known as Ajidara.

 

How did you discover your singing talent?

I have been a chorister.  I joined the choir at my tender age in 1985.  To the glory of God, I attended my first singing competition in 1997 and I was the best vocalist at the Light of The World Competition for my district, at CAC, Oke-Anu, Sabo-Oniba, Lagos.  I later relocated to Ijegun and attended CAC, Agbara Olorun Ni Igbani, I later gathered my own team. At the initial stage, my style of singing was different, because in CAC, we are not used to Alujo music and the impression I had then was that if you go near Celestial Church, you would disappear; they would either use you or your destiny.  My first musical group was in 1996, it was disbanded and in 1998, we put together Ododo Jesu. In 2002, I gave the sum of N25,000.00, the highest money I have ever made as an artiste then to my father, he blessed it and invested it on my career. My father gave the money to a music producer to produce me. That was the last thing my father did in my life before he died. He died on a day to my session in studio. Thereafter, I continued with my life and continued my singing career.

 

At what point did you change your former pattern of music to Baba Ara’s style?

I came into the pattern in 2004 stylishly. What propelled Baba Ara’s style was when I saw him in my dream singing, he gave me his microphone to start singing the way he was doing it. Then, I never knew he had died. I later heard the news that he was dead, I shed tears!  Because after I saw him in my dreams, I had the plan to see him and learn some things from him. I have met him once when he performed at El-Bethel C & S Church in September, 2002.  When I wanted to move closer to him, his manager restricted me from seeing him but Baba Ara told him to allow me to see him.  When we saw, I told him my Daddy is late and I want him to come and perform at his one year remembrance. He attended to me well. Having given me his microphone in the dream, he gave me the courage.  Later, I wanted to drop Baba Ara’s style because the band I used to have then was calling me all sorts of names like Alayojuran, Ajidaran instead of Ajidara. Then, I just had hope in God that it would work-out for me in 2007, 2008, I faced a lot of challenges that wanted to push me out of my career but to the glory of God today, God has stood by us and I am not regretting my actions.

 

Baba Ara gave you his microphone in the dream to sing his style of music and then you still attend CAC Church. At what point in time did you leave CAC to join CCC?

CAC is my foundation but if you don’t value what you have, and somebody else treasures it, you might lose it to the latter person that treasures it. I am an ordained pastor at CAC.  I do sing in my district and zone, but they don’t really appreciate you financially but my parents had poisoned my mind that CCC is fetish.  But when I joined CCC and I sang once in a while, I was received by good hands.  I will not eat your food and renounce you.  I have a duo citizen but one is higher than the other.  If you call me a Celestial, you are on point.

 

When Baba Ara died, we heard that the leader of the band Baba Ara left behind, Kola Arole was having disagreement with other members, what is the cause?

If you have five children and you gave them obligation and they do it according to their strength, definitely one would be higher than the other.  What I discovered about Baba Ara Group or those that knew Baba Ara when he was alive believed that I am not part of them, that Baba Ara did not know me, but I let them understand that we are from the same father, we should not have grudges against each other. I was invited to Prophet Elijah Akinade’s birthday and after Kola Arole’s performance, I was called upon to do my performance, but when I got on stage, they stopped the music.  I was in Imeko, CCC Prayer City in 2012 when I got on stage, I was not welcomed.  All that has become history because God has settled the issues.  I want to use this medium to plead to CCC leaders to make just one stand for artistes to perform.  Imeko should be recognized as CCC Galilee and everything should be in order.

 

How many albums have you done?

I have produced about five albums but every album I have done is inspired by story.  My first album was titled “Ajinde Ati Iye,”  “Labe Orun”, “His Grace”, “His Grace” was done twice when we got more inspiration and it was released again as Divine Grace.  I am working on the latest one now.

 

Tell us about your Annual Praise Event

The Lord gave me a message to organize Pillar of Praise in 2013.  As an ordained Pastor, I have time to talk to God but if you go beyond God’s direction, you will suffer for it.  I was facing challenges and I was just fasting but God told me I have given you life and lots of things but what are you giving back to me?  I told God that I want to make a Pillar of Praise and God told me to go ahead.  We started in 2013, I asked God for signs.  I blessed the lives of my friends, Taiye and Kehinde Adegbodu, they encouraged me, Sammy Jerry, Prince Debo Ojubuyi, Aduke Gold, Bunmi Omije Ojumi, Pastor D.S. Ishola, encouraged me.  This year Pillar of Praise will come up Thursday, November 30, 2017.  On that day, we will launch a new album and Award, it is an all-night programme.  Pillar of Praise is now five years, so we are giving it back to God and the theme is “Giving Back to God”.

 

How did you settle your feud with Kola Arole?

I blessed God for the organizer of BroBro 50th Stage Anniversary: they have really helped my life and the situation. If not for that programme, the feud will be getting worse.  We settled our rift on that day of the event and we “collabo” together on stage. Today, I see Kola Arole as a brother and he sees me as one too. I go to his house anytime and he enters my house anytime. I was at his birthday few weeks back but we are now united in the love of God.  I discovered what was happening then was superiority issue because we sing the same pattern.  We have left that behind us now and we are together.  He is planning the Pillar of Praise 5th Anniversary with me, we are doing it together.

 

What is your message to your fans and admirers?

Baba Ara’s fans and admirers believe that after his demise, his music is gone; that is not true. We still have some good artistes that do his style of music such as Tunde Olomola, Kola Arole, myself and others. They should endeavour to patronize us and still feel that Baba Ara is living.