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| Prof. ‘Femi Adedeji |
By ‘Gbenga Bankole
A former Head of Department, Department of Music, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) , Prof. ‘Femi Adedeji has said that the indigenous musical heritage of Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide is unique and worth studying, saying that we need to go back to those indigenous powerful songs of our forefathers.
Prof. Adedeji who is also an ordained Pastor in CAC Worldwide stated this yesterday Wednesday September 12, 2018 while ministering on the topic “Western Influence on the Indigenous Music in CAC” at the ongoing CAC Music Ministers’ Conference in Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji-Arakeji Osun state.
He said although Christianity as a religion is adjudged as Western as against traditional African religion, contextual theology of which African Christian theology is at variant gives African the liberty to worship God in way that makes Him real to them.
According to him, CAC Worldwide, one of the foremost African indigenous churches evolved her own indigenous music that enhanced music ministration, in both liturgical and non-liturgical contexts.
Prof. Adedeji noted that indigenous music of CAC is the music that originated and peculiar to the church, adding that the bulk of these songs are borne through the inspiration of Holy Spirit.
“The indigenous music of CAC was as effective as it produced godliness, effective healing and deliverance, invoked the Holy Spirit, transformed lives of sinners, enhanced victory in spiritual battles and provoked tremendous signs and wonders.”
“A category of CAC indigenous songs are lyrics for invocation and Holy Spirit baptism. No church has this brand as CAC. (Wa, wa wa Emi mimo; wo ‘nu mi lo o, wo ‘nu lo; Mi si mi, Baba mi si mi). Another brand is our praise and thanksgiving lyrics (e.g. O seun to gba mi la, mo jawajawe mo soogun soogun; Ile ni mo gbokiki Jesu, Jesu gba mi la mo dupe, igbala yii ga). Another unique brand included the old evangelistic songs that formed part of what we now call gospel music. They contained testimonies of positive transformations that are no longer found among us (E sare wa, o n pe o; wa gba; Jesu nikan lo le gba ni la, e wa wo ‘ko),” he stated.
He however noted that some western musical legacies are blessings to us, while many others are cankerworms.
God, according to him has blessed CAC with diverse spiritual gifts and they should rather be blessings not curses to the mission.
“We need to go back to the ancient landmarks. Howbeit, we are in the end time and the Bible has said it all. It is a perilous time with rebellious and demonic characteristics. While musical forms have increased numerically, the spiritual quality has waned drastically. We should sieve whatever we inherited from Western legacies and even African culture and stick to those that edify spiritually, profitable and pure,” he noted.
Prof. Adedeji recommended that every chorister in the church must be grounded in the theology and doctrines of the church.
He also suggested that indigenous hymnody and hymnology should be developed more in the church, adding that we should depoliticize and detribalize music in our church saying it would make things worse in the future if we do not check it.