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I’m into Gospel Music to Impact Lives, Win Souls – Mo’lola

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By Eric Elezuo

Mo’Lola, whose real names are Omolola Ajegbomogun) is a prolific Nigerian gospel artist, based in Calgary, Canada. Experience and grounded, Mo’lola has been in the service of the Lord through the music ministry for over two decades. In this short interview, she revealed her journey into the gospel world and the reasons she is sold to Jesus. Excerpts:

Tell us about yourself

I am an ardent lover of Jesus, a wife, mother, artist, educator, financial advisor and fashion enthusiast.

I grew up in a Christian home where songs of praise and worship were a daily occurrence.

Venturing into gospel music was inspired by my mother of blessed memory (Mrs. F. A. Odetola, a retired Deputy Registrar of the Obafemi Awolowo University).
She was a devoted Christian, who loved to worship and pray. During the course of her prayer and worship, she would compose songs spontaneously as she is praying, She had a song for every line of prayer she said. This legacy inspired me into composing songs by the help of the Holy Spirit.

I was a member of the Healing Streams Choir, Daystar Christian Center, Nigeria, under the tutelage of K Sticks, a renowned Maestro, before I left Nigeria for Canada. In Canada, I became an active choir member of The Grace Levites of RCCG House of David, Calgary, since I moved to Canada in 2013.

I am also a founding member of Goldmark Chorale Group in Calgary Alberta, under the leadership of Gospel Minister Deedee Berepiki.

Goldmark holds annual concerts tagged Praise Blast every summer in Calgary since its birth in 2015. Pastor Kingsley Ike, Mama Tope Alabi, Ada Jesus, Eben, Lara George, Samsong to mention a few have graced the stage at the concerts. I have been privileged to share the stage with this award winning gospel artists.

Why did you choose to be a Gospel Artiste, and what do you hope to achieve with it?

I believe the whole essence of my calling to gospel music is to impact lives while bringing more souls to the knowledge of Christ. I believe the role of gospel music in today’s society is to bring people to a place of divine encounter with God, changing souls for Christ, bringing the peace, joy and hope of Christ to all souls while also unifying all souls.

Speaking about Unity, The Christian Community is relatively divided along the lines of denominations, doctrines, administration and many more. What is your take on this?

The Christian Community is an institution on its own. Yes, there are different denominations, styles of worship, doctrine and so on… these have caused so much division and disunity amongst believers. This has also found expression through the various genres of gospel music over time which are all beautifully serving different kingdom purposes. However, some denominations would prefer not to mingle with other denominations due to doctrines among others. Some people are of the opinion that other genres that aren’t calm, soulful and reflective or as some will call it “worship” has an element of worldliness in it. Personally however, I strongly believe that every genre of music has its place and purpose . The overall goal is to:

1. Win souls to Christ

2. Bring people to a place where they adore God for who He is and just bask in the beauty of His holiness.

3. Rejoice in him and praise Him for all He is, what He has done, what He is doing and that Which by faith we know He will do, with our song and our dance, just like David did in the Bible with joy and thanksgiving.

Christianity is all about Gods love for humanity, Christ paid the ultimate price, He became the ultimate sacrifice . Why? to ensure no soul is lost to hell. He is the one who will leave the ninety nine to seek the one that got lost. God is Love, He loves us irrespective of our denomination or creed,He created us in his image and likeness and so when we express the various gifts he gives us, we exhibit different expressions of him .
If we profess to be children of God, we should exhibit his love for one another especially if we claim to serve God. We just must love like Jesus did. We must leave our ninety nine to seek that lost one? not by judging them or excommunicating and all those “holy capital punishments” we see this days.
Our lifestyle is the Bible the world is seeing, does your life draw people to Christ or does it repel them? In heaven, there wouldn’t be any denominations, it will just be holy saints paying adoration to the God, who sits upon the throne forever.

Satan plants all this seeds of division just to distract us. To take our focus away from the Holy commission.

How many songs have you released so far?

Kabiyesi was my debut single. So far, I have 6 singles – “Healing” being my latest. Everyone needs a form of healing in different areas of life. It’s a call to drink from the never ending fountain of life – JESUS. I had the privilege of featuring the amazing vocalist, Naomi Classik in it. By the grace of God, I’m also working on more collaborations due to come out this summer.

All my songs are all on YouTube (YouTube.com/@itsmolola) and all digital stores.
My social media handles are: IG @itsmolola, Twitter @itsmolola, Tiktok @itsmolola

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Joeboy Stars on Easter Edition of Glo-Powered African Voices

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Nigeria-born Afro-pop star, Joeboy, whose melodies now ripple across continents, takes centre stage this week on the Easter edition of African Voices, the Globacom-sponsored CNN magazine programme.

In a captivating session from Lagos, show anchor Larry Madowo drew out the rhythm of Joeboy’s journey, tracing the arc from a starry-eyed university dreamer to a maestro whose songs now traverse the globe like whispered secrets carried on the wind.

Born Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus in 1997, Joeboy—affectionately dubbed Afrobeats’ “lover boy”—embarked on his musical odyssey in 2017 with a viral reinterpretation of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You.

This pivot from rap to melodious crooning caught the discerning eye of Nigerian artiste and entrepreneur Mr Eazi, who, upon discovering him on Instagram, extended an invitation to join the emPawa Africa Talent Incubation initiative—a sanctuary for budding African talents where raw potential is nurtured into brilliance.

The partnership bore fruit in 2018 with the release of Fààjí, featuring Mr Eazi, and soon after, Joeboy was signed to Warner Music Africa. From there, his ascent became a symphony of milestones: the intoxicating single Baby in 2019, followed by Beginning, which amassed over 23 million views on YouTube, and Love & Light the same year.

Collaborations with Mayorkun yielded the spirited tracks Don’t Call Me and All for You, further cementing his place in the Afrobeats constellation.

Joeboy’s debut album, Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic, unfurled in February 2021, a melodic tapestry of youth, hope, and desire. By 19 May 2023, he unveiled his sophomore studio effort, Body & Soul, preceded by the evocative singles Sip (Alcohol), Contour, Body & Soul, and Duffel Bag. In 2023, he teased the world with Only God Save Me and the extended EP Body, Soul and Spirit, offering listeners a window into the essence of his artistic spirit.

February 2024 marked another milestone as he launched his own imprint, Young Legend, soon releasing Osadebe, a track that resonated nationwide with the familiar warmth of homegrown brilliance.

Joeboy’s dedication has been richly rewarded. He clinched Best Artiste in African Pop at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards and Best Pop at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival. His music has earned numerous nominations, including at the City People Entertainment Awards and The Headies, affirming his status as a luminary of contemporary African sound.

The Easter edition of African Voices featuring Joeboy will air on DSTV Channel 401 at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, with repeats at 11 a.m.; Sunday at 3:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Monday at 3 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.; and Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. The schedule will be mirrored the following week, culminating in Monday at 3 a.m., giving audiences multiple opportunities to bask in the artistry of a musician whose voice carries the pulse of a continent.

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Hollywood Action Movie Superstar Chuck Norris Dies at 86

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Chuck Norris, the US martial artist and Hollywood action star most famous for his role in “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has died, his family said Friday. He was 86 years old.

“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” the family said in a statement on Instagram.

“He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives,” the statement said.

Norris reportedly fell ill on Thursday on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

Norris turned 86 last week, marking the event with a video of him boxing on social media and saying, “I don’t age. I level up.”

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Great Facts About the Forthcoming Oscars You Need to Know

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By Samantha Ofole-Prince
Below are great facts about the forthcoming Oscars most entertainment buffs may not have know…
1. Oscar is a nickname. The origins of the nickname are not clear, but a popular story has been that Academy librarian Margaret Herrick thought it resembled her Uncle Oscar and said so. The Academy staff began referring to it as Oscar, but the Academy itself didn’t use the nickname officially until 1939.
2. Each Oscar statuette is individually handcrafted, and the Oscar statuette stands at 13½ inches high and weighs 81/2 pounds.
3. The Oscar statuette is the most recognized award in the world and statuettes have been presented since the first initial awards banquet on May 16, 1929.
4. At age 74, Clint Eastwood became the oldest winner to date in the Directing category.
5. Hattie McDaniel is the first African American to win a best supporting actress Oscar. She won for her role as Mammy in the 1939 movie “Gone with the Wind.”
6. Halle Berry is the first African American actress to win best actress Oscar. She won in 2002 for “Monster’s Ball.”
7. In 2002, Denzel Washington became the second African American actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor (“Training Day”), and the first African American actor to have won Oscars for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor (Sidney Poitier was the first to win an Oscar in 1963 for “Lilies of the Field “).
8. Whoopi Goldberg and Chris Rock have previously hosted the Oscars, but Billy Crystal remains the longest serving host. Crystal has hosted the Oscars nine times to date.
9. Attendance at the Oscars ceremony is by invitation only. No tickets are sold to the public and in Oscar history; only three circumstances have prevented the Academy Awards presentation from going off as scheduled. The first was in 1938, when destructive floods all but washed-out Los Angeles and delayed the ceremony. In 1968, the Awards ceremony was postponed out of respect for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who had been assassinated a few days earlier, and in 1981, the Awards were postponed for 24 hours because of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
10. The longest Oscar telecast was the 74th Oscars show in 2002 which had a running time of 4 hours, 23 minutes. Shortest Oscar telecast was the 31st Academy Awards in 1959 which had a running time of 1 hour, 40 minutes.
The Oscars, one of the most-watched live entertainment events of the year, will be held on Sunday, March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, streamed live on Hulu. With 16 nominations, Sinners set the record for most nominations for a film for the 98th Oscars. 
Samantha Ofole-Prince is a U.S. journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film.

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