Born over 60years
ago in Saki. a popular town in Oke Ogun axis of Oyo State into a family of
farmers, he had the intention becoming an electrical engineer; but his parents
could not afford the fund to raise him to the desired standard. thus he
enrolled at a training centre in Ogunpa. Ibadan, Oyo State, where his came to
reality though not through western education,
He once got admitted to Olivet
Baptist College, Oyo but he could not go due to the financial incapability of
his parents. bur today renowned man of the pulpits, who became famous through
music, Evangelist Joseph Adebayo Adelakun wines and dines with the most powerful
people in the society as a result of his total submission and obedient to the
call of God.
In this interview
with Kunle Bakare, he disclosed how he began his career as a military man and
how he became a vessel of God.
How
did you spend your childhood days?
I was born into a
Muslim family in Saki over 60 years ago, it was painful that I lost my father
when I was just 16 years old, but when he was alive, he took good care of u.
Though he did not believe in beating us, my mother was the opposite of my
father, after my elementary school, I got admitted to my dream school, Olivet
Baptist College, but I could not go because of lack of fund, so I went to
Ibadan to learn electrical engineering at Labaowo in Ogunjpa area at one Kareem
Electrical Engineering Services for two years and when I completed the
training, I joined the Nigerian Army and I was posted to the Engineering
Department in Lagos.
At that time, I was
a heavy smoker of cigarette and hemp because we never saw it as something that
was not good as an army officer. I worked under many prominent generals
including former president Olusegun Obasanjo. I am a straight-forward person
and I hate stealing, when I was in charge of the store, I was not carried away by
worldly things because the trend then was that many of my colleagues were
actually owners of many taxi cabs in the town.
How
did you meet with the Holy Spirit?
There was a time I
was posted to Ede in Osun State, it was there that I met Christ on the way
from, where we went to smoke hemp and that was the beginning of my Christian
life, it was at a crusade organized by a church, so whenever I want to worship,
I would take permission from my boss to attend Baba Abiye Prayer Mountain in
Ede and since then I have not looked back and I thank God for that.
How
did you form Ayewa Group?
The formation was a
divine intervention because it was beyond what I can explain, but to give a
brief history or how we started, I would say the band was started in Kaduna,
then I was looking for a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) where I could worship
and somebody directed me to Kawo area of the city, where one is located and I
joined the church and I joined the choir. Though I love music from my childhood
days, there is no trace of music in my family at all so it is the favour of God
upon my life that made it happen. One Sunday after the choir presentation, I
rendered a special number titled; 'A Kuku Yewa,' and the congregation were
fascinated by the song and they encouraged us to form another group within the
choir to present special numbers on Sundays. At that time, I was afraid of job
duplication because I was still in the military. Later, Pastor Ore from Kaba in
Kogi State anointed the band, when It was obvious that we could not rebel
against the church.
In 1977, I invited
my colleagues in the band to Lagos after I was posted to Lagos and then we
solidified the band and then I had been pressing for my disengagement from the
service because God had actually told me to serve Him fully but my boss did not
want to release me because of my humility and faithfulness to him and the work.
But I finally pulled out of the service in 1983 finally and God inspired me to
release an album titled; 'Iyin' to thank God for His grace upon me throughout
my years in the military.
What
prompted the release of 'Amona Tete Mabo'?
We first released
that album in 1972 and God redirected me to do it again so I called the owner
of Ogo Oluwa Records, Chief Afolabi and I told him about it and he said 'you
this man will not listen to anyone except that soldier blood in you.' So he
said we should enter the studio to do it as God directed. Also, I was very
close to Evangelist Ebenezer Obey at that time, he called me and commended that
I have almost the same calling with him and that I can always improve on my
composition, so he gave us his guitarist, Paul Tao now a pastor with the
Redeemed Christian Church of God to assist us and that was all. On completion,
the album was all over the place that was in 1984.
What
is your source of inspirations?
If you listen to all
my songs, you would find out that I derive my inspiration from the Bible and
that is why I don’t sing to praise anyone it is purely the word of God.
Although so many people had invited me for social engagements, I politely told
them that God has not called me to sing about people, but to sing to draw
people to the vineyard of God.
Do
you think there is a difference between your brand and those of other gospel
musician in town now?
It is only God that can judge that. Initially,
I didn’t criticize others, but later Gold told me that if I didn’t do that it
mean I wanted so many people to derail from the vineyard and I called those who
were with me that God had called me to correct others and that's why you see me
constructively criticizing those, who take me as their spiritual father because
He warned me not to condemn Gen: I vs 31. Nowadays, gospel musicians do not
have time to pray for God's direction, they are always in haste and they depend
on the knowledge they got from the college and that is why they are lazy and
real gospel music is beyond that, which is why they lack identity. They always
have temporary identity, what they need is the Holy Spirit and the wisdom to
excel.
If you are truly
called, the grace will be sufficient, when I left smoking and alcohol drinking,
I commune with the Holy Spirit, but nowadays, alcohol and smoking are the major
sources of inspiration of some singers.
What's
your source of joy?
I thank God for his
sustenance, I have been known worldwide and my children and the home fronts
also contribute to my joy, while I have trained many popular gospel musicians
like Esther Igbekele and Omo Olope. The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian
Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has also given me a
permanent slot to perform at Holy Ghost night for the past six years.
However, the landed
property where I built my church and studio was bought for me by my boss in the
army because of my obedience.
How
do you cope with your family despite your tight schedule?
God has been given
me the grace to cope despite my tight schedule. I have an apartment in
Evangelist Obey’s house to rest if I want to do so, and we use the same doctor.
There was a time he noticed stress on my face and he tricked me to see the
doctor and when I got there, the doctor took all my phones and gave me sleeping
pills, which made me slept for five days and after I was discharged from the
hospital, my children bought ticket for me to go and rest in the United States
of America, when the stress was clearly written on my face and the doctor over
there exclaimed that I wanted to kill myself as they said that if the mark
should burst, that means the end had come.
What
are your most challenging moments?
I have lots of challenging
moments, but I see them as if they never exist at all because the Holy Spirit
has told me that He would be revealing things to me. In fact, one of my songs;
'Satani Deyin’ (Satan Desist) was released after I passed through a turbulent
time. Some people ganged up against me, but God told me he has a covenant with
me and not a promise. I do have challenges, but I overlook them.
Do
you have any message for upcoming artistes?
They should allow
the Holy Spirit to control them and all other things will be easier for them
and they will get the master key of humility, which will make them to be much
more useful for God.