Let’s get to meet you?
I go by
the name Olalekan Olaitan Ogunyinka. My stage name is OMO OBA ORUN. I’m married
to Adebola ogunyinka. We are blessed with two lovely kids. I finished from the
federal polytechnic Ilawa. I read marketing, after that I joined a professional
institution, that’s deal with advertising, which happens to be a newspaper. I
have being in the media for seven and the half years. I was the assistant
manager in the advert department, and since then, I have being grateful to God
almighty.
When did you start music
professionally?
I
immediately started my music career, after my National Youth Service (NYSC),
when I got back to Lagos,
in the year 2002. While I was doing my NYSC, in the north, sometimes, I come to
Lagos, to
perform shows.
How did you start your band?
That was
in the year 1998, or so, I was still a student, when I started my band. I have
performed for so many people.
Since you are into music, why
didn’t you study arts or music?
I have
flair for marketing, while music, I thought to myself why don’t I use the talent
God gave me. I was doing marketing full time, while i was doing music part
time, because it was my passion. I was like let me do what I want to do.
Did you go for any training for
you to be a musician?
Well, I
was in the choir, before I moved to the Band. I have been in the choir for
three years. I play some of the equipment in the church.
Which band was that?
It was
called GLORIOUS BAND, and then I was in ND1.
At one point of your life did you
decided to leave marketing and face music?
In 2007,
I have discovered that the band has gotten to a stage it has to move forward.
It was clashing with my job as a marketer. I thought t myself, now the band is
having shows to perform, and I had a job on the same day. Since then, I have being working out a way
for that. I decided to let go of that and unfortunately, the company I worked
with was having issues. I decided to back out, and with God on my side, I don’t
have any cause to regret that decision.
When you left marketing for music,
what was your wife reaction?
My wife
actually knew that music was taking my time, apart from the job and we have
being living together. She understands my decision. People see musicians as those that are not
serious; it all boils down to how you handle it. I see this as professional
job, not something you just wake up and do. It’s not everybody calling. I’m a
professional musician. The experience I got from my marketing job, has
distinguished me from other artiste.
When you quit marketing, didn’t it
cross your mind that you would be competing with the likes of Yinka Ayefele?
I have
this belief in life that, what we call competition is just like marketing.
Wherever you find yourself, what you need to aspire is to make yourself better.
This music of a thing is very wide, if you can plan, package, and work it well,
you will fit in a place that will suit you best. Once you are being known, some
people in the A class will come to your event. I have played for Gold link
Insurance, corporate functions of some hospitals, banks and a lot of them.
You seem to have a lot of
corporate clients, would you say your experience into marketing is giving you
an edge?
I would
say yes, because anytime I see some of my former colleagues, they are surprised
at what I’m doing. My meeting in the corporate world was not a joke. I guess it
has helped me in becoming whom am I today.
So if you look back, dumping your
marketing executive career for music you don’t regret?
Like I
said earlier, I don’t regret it, not even for a day. Its one of the best major decision
I have taken in my life. I can remember vividly, when I told my pastor that I
would leave the job, he congratulated me. It was like I was free, it was then I
understood what my pastor said to me. There was no more asking about how much I
would bring from my salary. Leaving the job, gave me time to think some things
down on my own and it has given me opportunity to stay with my family.
How often does the job come?
At times
we do it on Monday, Wednesday etc. its being splendid. Its not only during
weekends, I could work during the week. The pay has being forthcoming. In this
business you are not the only stake holders in the job, others people are
there, its left for you to build yourself in other to achieve what you aim at.
At the end what gets to you, should be able to get whatever you want.
How many albums have you release?
I have
released about three albums in the market. There is a new one I’m currently
working on it and it is titled New Wine. It has about three tracks on it.
Do you compose your songs all by
yourself?
What I do
is that, I mix them all. I compose my music by myself, and those church songs I
add them up to what I already have on ground.
As an artiste, what inspires you?
It has to
be God Almighty. There is nobody that can give you the inspiration you need.
There is nothing he can’t do.
Where would one place your kind of
gospel songs?
I would
say my kind of gospel is corporate gospel. It is not like juju music.
Most gospel artiste of nowadays,
when they release and music to the market, especially the audio cassette, you
will notice that the side A contains gospel, while the side B contains them
appreciating some people, is that how your music is?
Well, I
won’t say that I don’t do that, I do that some times. One has to appreciate the
people behind you. It’s not wrong.
What you are saying s that it is
not wrong to praise man and at the same time praise humans?
No, don’t
get me wrong. There is no wrong in appreciating those who are useful to ones
life.
There is so much condemnation of
our gospel artiste, especially the female, with the way they dress, and also
having collaboration with a non gospel artiste. Is this right?
Well for
me, I can’t do that. That is doing collaboration with a non gospel artiste.
When you know where you are coming from, you won’t delve out of what you
already know you are going. I have my foundation in church, everything that is
outside of the scripture I don’t do it as a Christian. Whatever song that is
outside the inspiration of God, I can’t collaborate with the artiste.
So, you don’t cant do a Collabo
with someone who does not get inspiration from God?
You see
gospel artistes have a way of singing their songs, so I don’t see myself doing
a Collabo with an artiste like that.
So, you don’t cant do a Collabo
with someone who does not get inspiration from God?You see gospel artistes have a way
of singing their songs, so I don’t see myself doing a Collabo with an artiste
like that.
How did you come about the name OMO OBA ORUN?
Actually when we attend
fellowship, when we pray, i call God Oba Orun, that was far back
1994/1995. So the president of my fellowship got to discover that I always
mention that name, and from there he started calling me Omo Oba Orun.
