Obiwon Opens Up on Why He Dropped R&B for Gospel Music

In a recent interview with Punch, Obiora Nwokolobia-Agu, popularly known as Obiwon tells why he ditched R&B for gospel music.

Excerpts;

Why did you transit from R&B to gospel?

After recording some successes on my first album, I found myself right in the thick of a celebrity/ fame lifestyle. I wasn’t yet a practising Christian but I found myself often pondering if I could possibly end up well or ever lead a good life with the way things were going. Secondly, studying the personal lives of a couple of music icons, who were my role models at the time, was scary because they all had terrible endings.  Also, things hadn’t exactly gone as planned in my career despite some successes. All these drove me to seek God and answers. Eventually, I gave my life to Christ and became born again. For me, it was first, a step of faith, as the answer to the kind of life I desired while pursuing an entertainment career.

Initially, I intended to carry on as a pop/R&B artiste, who is guided along by his faith. However, the closer I walked in the faith, the more I encountered Christ, and the clearer it was to me that He particularly desired to use my career and talent for the propagation of His gospel. I struggled a little because I had already made some gains as a secular artiste, but I did give in and I’m very glad I did.

How has the journey been since then?

It’s been a little more than five years ago. My second album, “The Rebirth”, was gospel although the success of the love song in it, “Obi Mu O”, almost eclipsed that fact. It was also the album that basically carried my transition and its effects, the process of trying to gain acceptance within the Christian community. I even had to leave my management team then and basically go at it by myself. However, like I always say, this wasn’t a business decision. It was about answering a call, and I’m glad I’ve received grace and inner strength to pull through.

It was not something you were prepared for?

I was totally not prepared for it. Due to my background, I initially used to imagine I will get to do one thing or the other sometime for my faith along the line of my career, but totally not like this. I discovered my passion for music through the pop songs I heard around me as a child. If I started early enough I would have been serving and preparing from years back…

Were you not scared of witnessing a drop in your fan base and do you think they have coped well with this change?

Yes, I was and that was exactly at the heart of my initial struggle. Surely, everyone will not understand it. I still get snide remarks about what informed my decision, but it’s all funny to me. It’s been more than five years now and I know where I’m going. It’s part of my mission to let old followers know what happened to me and how real it is, as well as anyone else who will come across the music. I’m trusting God to do the convincing with the music.

Do you miss the kind of music you used to do?

Honestly, I think I sound better and make better music now than then. I think there’s been a whole lot of change in my musical skills, understanding and overall presentation. I believe that very little of it is by personal efforts. In addition to the ease that comes by inspiration, I’m also more conscious of the quality of music I put out now. It’s part of my mission to change the stereotypes associated especially with Nigerian gospel music, within the resources available to me and God being my helper.

What’s the most fulfilling aspect of this new genre of music you have chosen?

Seeing lives changed, souls blessed and saved, certainly is most fulfilling. There’s no greater pleasure than being in God’s presence. This genre is all about the true essence of life and reaching out through it, is like saying, ‘look what I found, come experience it too. Take a step of faith and you too can discover the true essence of life and begin to walk in it.’