Edo State born Adesuwa Odutan
, gospel artiste and daughter of Late Monday John, former lead guitarist of Chief Ebenezer Obey, in this interview with AKINBILE OYINDAMOLA, spoke on her music, family and first love. Excerpt…
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
The pleasure is mine.
Please, share with us something of interest about you.
Well, Adesuwa as a gospel artiste is not so different from Adesuwa outside music. Adesuwa is just a contemporary minister of songs, my kinds of songs are inspirational and evangelical in nature. Adesuwa is a lady minister who is promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ with songs.
What was your launch into music like?
Music has always been a part of me. I grew up in a family of music because my dad was a musician. He is Monday John, the former lead guitarist for Chief Ebenezer Obey in the 70’s. Music has always been with the family. But I’m doing mine on a higher level.
What other thing do you love doing aside singing?
When I’m not singing, I love to write. I do a lot of writing. I write short plays and stories. I’ve not developed much in that though. I love watching movies too. I watch movies at my leisure time (laughs).
Do you write your songs?
Yes, I do write my songs. I compose them myself.
Your profile revealed that you studied Accounting and you once worked at GTBank. Is that correct?
Uh! Yes, I studied Accounting and I worked at GTBank (laughs).
During your banking years, did you envisage venturing into music?
Although music has always been a part of me like I said earlier, I never saw music as a career. I never thought I would go into it professionally, I only loved to sing. I sing to have fun. I listen to music and enjoy myself. And that was it. I thought I was okay with banking. I have always had the dream to become a banker.
What motivated you to go into music professionally?
I will call it motivation. Music, for me, is an everyday thing. I’m still a part of the choir in my church, Christ Chapel International, and to the glory of God I’m the assistant co-coordinator of the choir group. So the motivation has always been there.
Do you have an album yet?
Yes, my first album was launched in 2011; it is titled ‘It’s All About You’. And it was an instant success.
How was your growing up like?
I grew up in a polygamous home although I didn’t get to live with my parents for long. I lived with my grandma, my maternal grandma. It was fun, I grew up in Ajegunle (laughs). Wow, it was so, so beautiful back then. You know we had this freedom of speech and freedom of movements and you could do things, you’d discover yourself on your own? So I had fun growing up.
What’s your thought about Nigeria’s music industry?
I don’t have issues with Nigerian music because we do different kinds of music that I believe are acceptable at different levels and different places. And, in Nigeria, we have the secular music group, we have the gospel artistes. So, we do different things and it’s all called music though with various kinds of lyrics.
What’s your brand of music?
I do inspirational songs. My music is evangelical in nature. I believe that it’s not every one of us as ministers of God that will preach the word in quote. Some will preach by reading from the Holy Bible and some will do through music. I’m doing mine through music.
What do you have coming now?
I have the video of my hit track, ‘Olorun Dada’, coming. It’s the fourth track of my album. It was shot in Ghana.
