Afrobeats In A Church Service
Have you ever been amidst this set of people who usually criticize secular music and its creators most especially? Most of the time they tag them as unbelievers and label them hell-fire candidates. These bunch, disdain every form of lifestyle they portray from their music to the music video and their reality as they usually kick against everything they stand for, even as I know of someone named Feranmi, who doesn’t care one bit about their celebrity when conversations of them are raised, not to talk of singing along their music or give an ear listening to it.
Feranmi outrightly downgrades secular music, the creators, most especially the contents of the music. I also kick against contents with nitwittery. And back to her, she was a part of the backup singers who lead the Afrobeats in a church service. She even sang and danced passionately to express how much she loves the music. Of course, the congregation could testify that the Lord moved in service because they used the music to praise him, it’s ridiculous, isn’t it? When it’s the same sonic template the people you kick against use to make their music. It’s hypocritical to some level, but funny enough the service only ended up in worship and offering thanksgiving to God (with Afrobeats).
After the service, I asked a colleague of mine named Freeman who also had some level of disdain in the secular world. I specifically asked him about the kind of music that was played in the service, he confirmed it was Afrobeats and called it good music, guess what, I smiled. However, he is informed it is the same music ruling the world, everyone would applaud the contents saying it was used to praise God, of course, it was.
The same musical template, different contents respectively, and the creator of Afrobeats genre, Fela Kuti, who is what majority of religious people eventually kick against and now has begun to embrace his musicality in church services. Like I said earlier it’s hypocrisy to some level and there’s nothing you can do about it. Accept it.
Well, I could still remember how everyone felt overtaken by the music in that service. Every single one that made the instrumentation come alive, killed it through their various portion to make the music. And I can vividly remember how the singers vibed to the music, the drummer, pianist, and the saxophonist. 70% of the church rocked to the groove nonstop until it was time to take the hymn.
I won’t forget a brother who danced through the sonic cadences and became sweaty in between, as the moment became golden and no one wanted to exchange it for anything less. Everyone left service joyously. Me too I was blessed starting from how the music filled my soul, although it was the Lord’s doing as every believer would say. It is the fact, perhaps he was even the one who inspired the music in service that day and even the curator of Afrobeats.
The music was good no doubt, and it is almost the same feeling 60% of talented secular creators perceive as they end up achieving through their creations. Although a majority of their demography are revelers. While religious people would see them as the unfortunate ones, they should also consider the difference or recognize the thin line between this art.
They use the musical template to create and regard it as praising God. They shouldn’t neglect where the music comes from either. Well then, we shouldn’t also forget that the devil is not creative. Fela Kuti has fought a noble cause and in some ways, he wasn’t perfect even as the majority of religious people would damn and label him an unbeliever and all, remember, the devil is not creative and it is how Fela made the music you love, call good music, and appreciate in church…
