Motolani Alake

<h1>In November 1989, Osinachi Kalu Okoro Egbu was a 200-level Accounting student at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.&nbsp;</h1>

Born into a Christian family as the second of seven children, she had been a chorister before University, but she hadn’t attended church for a while. She hadn’t suddenly become a bad kid, but she wasn’t as close to God. On a beautiful Sunday morning, some of her friends compelled her to attend church with them and she reluctantly obliged.&nbsp;

“When I got to the church, it was filled with young people and the music was so good, not the usual boring church songs and I was so drawn to that,” she says. “When the pastor made an altar call, I found myself in the front raising my hands [laughs]. I had never seen a church like that and the music was fantastic!”

On that day, she gave her life to Christ and her path changed forever.&nbsp;

She says, “I felt like I was walking on air… Becoming a christian was an out-of-body experience which changed my perspective on life and my life completely… I had been a chorister, but I never had an encounter with the Lord. Religion is the act, but there is the experience and the relationship.”

That church was a branch of Christ Embassy in Port Harcourt.&nbsp;

After Sinach joined Christ Embassy, her faith got reignited and she rejoined the choir. Her intent and dedication to sing for God was reignited. In 1993, Sinach started listening to Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and in 1994, she met him for the first time after she caught his attention by delivering a spectacular performance in church.&nbsp;

“God’s passion became my passion and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else but be for God. Have you ever seen a born again Christian? Their entire system changes and that happened to me,” she says while smiling. “I didn’t even have to decide to sing, I found myself singing.”

Christ’s Embassy is music-driven and its choir has a global reputation for excellence. If Sinach could already sing, the choir and its structure took her talent to another level with an intense development regimen that aimed to develop her voice, her poise, her personality, her stagecraft, her public outlook and her preferred creative direction.&nbsp;

Basically, that was artist development - a concept that the overall Nigerian music industry shirks, barring <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/review-ayra-starr-ayra-starr-ep/xlbmdm3">MAVIN Records</a>. When you hear Sinach discuss the artist development regimen that has seen over 12 Gospel music stars in Nigeria over the past 15 years alone, one might argue that Christ’s Embassy has the best artist development regimen in Nigerian music.&nbsp;

The commendable part; the regimen is not even that intentional and it’s not exactly geared towards producing superstar artists. It’s geared towards astute choral performances in church.&nbsp;

“The idea is to ascertain that you are filled with the spirit first and everything that comes with that -&nbsp;including humility. Then you have to go through the gears and motions because it’s always a choir filled with talent,” she enthused. “It’s not about competition either, it’s just the idea of making great music for God. If one or two people then get their shine, then so be it. That still doesn’t mean they get preferential treatment in the choir.”

By 1995, Osinachi who graduated University earlier than most people had an opportunity to travel out of the country without having an idea or a plan of what she planned to do in the US.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Today, there are a lot of young people who think like I did in ‘95. They want to travel out of the country without a core plan,” she stresses. “I don’t blame these young people though, the country isn’t good, but I’m not sure everybody needs to leave before they can make something out of life. The chances might just be better over there, but money still doesn’t grow on trees.”

“God arrested me through my Pastor [Chris Oyakhilome], who was like ‘You have a ministry here,’ [laughs],” she jokes. “I didn’t even realize, but he told me that when I sang, it was like ‘BOOM!’”

“I loved singing and still love singing. My pastor also told me that I was special and it felt really good. For some reason, I felt like God was speaking to me,” she continues. “It wasn’t like money would grow on trees, fall down and I would pack my share and send home [laughs]. So, I was redirected from travelling out and I’m glad that I was - I feel fulfilled, but hungry.”

In 2020, Sinach celebrated her 20th year in the ministry. She says, “When I say ‘30,’ people shudder with disbelief because they didn’t see all those years. That’s 30 years of singing and writing and performing for God.”&nbsp;

In 2000, Sinach knew she wanted to take music seriously.&nbsp;

“They told us that the world would end [laughs], but my computer worked after that,” she jokes. “It was a great reset, people were everywhere at that time going through the motion, but I realized that I wanted to be serious about music - maybe not make music professionally. I realized that my music had a great impact on people and God is interested in music.”

“If you can touch people with music, God is interested in you. People would come onto me to tell me about the impact my music and writing had on them and I used to be surprised by that,” she says. “It made me feel like I could do more and God began to show me visions of what I could be.”

“Gospel music is arguably the most widely consumed genre in the world. Around the world, there is a lot of depression and fear. Recently, I had to tell my mom to stop with the WhatsApp messages,” Sinach continues. “These things sucks the faith out of people, but Gospel music is faith-building music; it’s the answer for situations like this. You can then mirror yourself as the solution, not the problem.”

Around that time, Sinach also left her job to hold a managerial position in Church. She also moved from Port Harcourt to Lagos.&nbsp;

<h2>Sinach starts making albums&nbsp;</h2>

A lot of people seem to think that Sinach’s debut album was the 2008 release, Chapter One. However, that’s totally wrong. In 2001, Sinach released her debut album, It’s A Miracle. According to her, the album sold 10,000 copies in one day.&nbsp;

“At the time, a lot of people didn’t really know about the earlier albums that I released because the music was very niche and rooted around my church and other christian fellowships,” she reminisces. “In those days, it was also about trial and error; you also make a lot of mistakes as you learn and grow.”&nbsp;

Then she went on a hiatus as she launched into another part of ministry, which prevented her from releasing more albums. Between 2004 and 2007, Sinach went back and released two more albums. Despite generating good numbers, none was on the level of her 2008 album.&nbsp;

“At the time, I wasn’t making commercial music, I was making church music that could aid meditation and prayers, so that might have affected reception,” she says. “The albums were impactful, but it was also a time for learning. The mass market was also not as ready for that type of music as it is now.”

Gospel music is usually praise, worship or prayer-based. For Sinach, her music is usually Praise or Worship. Some people like creating around specific topics, but Sinach thinks that her faith usually leads the process, so she never forces anything. Usually, the music doesn’t exactly start in the studio.&nbsp;

“It’s like cooking; you desire something, you visualize it and you then go to create it. For me, music starts with anything... a word that somebody says to me, feeling of gratitude or anything,” she says. “David was a good writer who wrote from his experiences - good and bad - and relationships with God. I glean a lot from him [laughs]. I get mine from places of prayer or the word.”

Sinach prefers to write, but on her new album, she performed a song without prior written lyrics.&nbsp;

“If a song was divinely inspired, it would be timeless. That’s why people get surprised when they see some of my songs popping off and winning awards 10 years later,” the new mother says. “The word of God never dies, but your emotion can fizzle out. Sound can change and people can refix it, but the word of God remains steadfast.”

<h2>I Know Who I AM, Great Are You Lord and Way Maker&nbsp;</h2>

In 2012, Sinach’s run with smash hits began. Off her album, Shout It Loud came the smash hit, ‘I Know Who I Am.’ Off the 2013 album, Glory To Glory came the smash hit, ‘Great Are You Loud.’ And then ‘Way Maker,’ which formed the basis of the 2016 album, Way Maker Live.&nbsp;There was also 'You Are So Good.'

‘Way Maker’ has since received many international certifications and has been covered by international superstars like Michael W. Smith, Mandisa, Leeland, Christafari, Passion Worship Band, and Bethel Music.

The song also had the most-streamed Nigerian music video on YouTube for many years. It then became a global favourite for Christian communities during uncertain COVID-19 periods. But before ‘Way Maker,’ Sinach had the smash hit ‘I Know Who I Am,’ which had a spectacular and intense four-year run.&nbsp;

‘Great Are You Lord’ was also the precursor to ‘Way Maker,’ for the beauty of worship. The former also had a spectacular four-year run of its own. Interestingly, a lot of these songs never&nbsp;go out of style.&nbsp;

“I recorded these songs like any other song, but there was something about ‘Way Maker’ because it was birthed out of a transition and I see transition happening once again. I think that’s why it’s come up again now,” Sinach says. “Americans and Europeans like to think they made it huge and that’s fine, but Africans and Islanders have loved&nbsp;it from day one.”

“‘Way Maker’ was the moment that made more people know me outside my church… a lot. We toured a lot with it as well,” she reminisces. “It’s also a privilege to see all these global people creating their versions of the song.”

A lot of people think the Michael W. Smith’s or Leeland’s covers happened by some covert meetings somewhere, but Sinach laughs at such suggestions.&nbsp;

“We don’t have to meet or know each other, the world has moved beyond that. There are rights holders, labels, aggregators and all these people involved,” Sinach jokes and laughs. “We don’t have to see each other or meet before songs can be recreated. What had to happen was that the right people were involved and that the contracts were signed.”

“It was special to see all these international acts pick the song up, but importantly it was going to make me money, nobody says no to good money. It also made my song chart in the US,” she excitedly says. “I know we Nigerians can be very protective of each other, so I get why some os us attacked Michael Smith and Leeland even though they didn’t steal anything [laughs].”&nbsp;

On this day, Sinach hosted Pulse Nigeria at her huge creative hub that’s situated somewhere on the island. She is an employer of many people and a superstar with the treatment to match. But on most days, she doesn’t feel like it. She just wants to chill, hang with her family, do cardio, garden and cook. But sometimes, she gets reminded of the power of her music.&nbsp;

“During our 2018 tour, something really blew me away. We had a show in Suriname and we were meant to go through South Africa, but we were touring so fast and couldn’t put in our passports,” she reminisces. “Somehow, we couldn’t be there due to visa issues and we had to postpone.”

“The next week was a holiday, so we rescheduled the tour after missing yet another flight. We eventually got there at 7 pm, for a programme that started at 4 pm [laughs],” she continues. “From the airport to that place, the road was blocked so we had to be airlifted by a helicopter. There were 20,000 people waiting for us… excited. That is the most memorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

She then says, “I don’t think it was about me, it was about my music…”

Sinach has two books coming out and it’s titled, Way Maker. It took Sinach a couple of months to put the book together by herself.&nbsp;

“My passion has always been writing, you know. When I was growing up, my mum had a library and she loved books. She would make us read books, so I fell in love with writing as a child. I would even write my own fictional materials,” she reminisces. “My dad also had a large library of songs, so I fell in love with music as I grew older.”&nbsp;

Her new single titled, ‘Greatest God’ is scheduled for release on January 29, 2020. It’s the lead single off her upcoming 13-track 13th studio album, Greatest God, which is said to drop in March. For the first time, a Sinach album will have a lot of features.&nbsp;

Acts like Travis Greene, Miranda Curtis, Darlene Check, Michael Stampley, Leeland, Nathanial Bassey and Panam Percy Paul will be on the album.&nbsp;

Sinach hates the social media culture of pitching an artist against another. She says, “I’m sorry for artists that latch onto that. The few times that I operate my social pages, I block one or two people.”&nbsp;

She is only focused on doing more and spreading the peace of God. She feels like success is an opportunity to do more because you have a platform, more attention and more resources. Her primary goal is to make more impact for Jesus Christ.&nbsp;

“I am uninterested in hit records that give me short-term relevance even though that can be sweet, I want impactful records that can stand the test of time,” she says. “I go to certain events and people request some unpopular, old records - that’s what I like.”

When Sinach isn’t making music or hanging with her large family, she watches Flatmates with her husband.

5 soul-lifting songs by gospel music star Sinach

Sinach tells Pulse about Christ Embassy, Chris Oyakhilome, Way Maker, her upcoming album, watching 'Flatmates' and more.

Sinach: The makings of an African superstar [Pulse Interview]

<h1>She was about to release her sixth body of work in a career that had already spanned 14 years. Yet, she walked into Pulse Nigeria’s building with all the calmness in the world. If you are not schooled in the art of Nigerian Gospel music, you would have needed a second look to realize that Ada Ehi just walked in.&nbsp;</h1>

My God, she was stunning and her smile lit up the entire room. Accompanied by Moses Ehi, her husband and manager, she incessantly pressed her phone. As certain members of the Pulse Nigeria’s staff rallied to say hi, she looked stunned. It almost felt like she didn’t realize that she’s Ada Ehi, a superstar of Nigerian music.&nbsp;

At the end of the interview she says, “I forget sometimes because ‘superstardom’ is relative. To my friends on my street,&nbsp;I am just Ada. To my parents, I am just Ada. To a lot of my church members, I also just Ada. So when a lot of people treat me like this ‘superstar,’ I get surprised a lot. And to be honest, I don’t think it really matters. I am just an artist who is blessed by God.”

She had a point. When the conversation hit Born of God, her sixth body of work, she was quick to point out that two of those projects are actually EPs.&nbsp;

She joked, “It’s two EPs, a double disk and two more albums. When I look back, I feel like ‘wow,’ but I also feel like I could do more. I’m not saying that EPs are not bodies of work, streaming has made EPs a reality and it’s our reality.”

Born as the second child of four, Ada Ehi found music early. Her dad is a music connoisseur with a vast library. He was versed in Mozart, Bach and other brands of classical music and this influenced the taste palettes, construction and musical grounding for a young Ada. Her mother was also the choir master alongside her dad in the same church.&nbsp;

She also credits her Lagos upbringing for the blend of perspectives that she has. She says, “It helped me think as a Nigerian, not from a tribe perspective. That’s why I write music for everybody.”

Ehi started writing music early enough and she was encouraged by her parents. Her level of chill around stardom is probably because she got an earlier start, compared to others. By the age of 10, she was already a star.&nbsp;

“It was fun, I got to miss classes, extra lessons and stuff like that. I don’t know if I would say I started music at 10, but the interview came out around that age, so I ran with it [laughs],” Ehi says. “I was randomly recruited to backup Tosin Jegede. I wouldn’t say I was a child star, I would say I was shining alongside a child star.”

Around that time, she knew she wanted to do music and she worked and prayed towards it. But she still had school to deal with and she wasn’t about to quit school for music.&nbsp;

<h2>Ada Ehi: University, BELEWU and finding a sound&nbsp;</h2>

B.E.L.E.W.U is an acronym for Believers Love World, a popular christian fellowship in Nigerian universities and an arm of Christ’s Embassy. With her church background, Ehi had a seamless entry into the church scene at the Lagos State University where she studied Chemical and Polymer Engineering.&nbsp;

She credits Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s meticulousness with finding her feet early.&nbsp;

“In a gathering like that, you have the opportunity to sharpen your skill because your family is large. You also have the word [of God] to build confidence quickly,” she says. “But due to the number of talented singers and prospective artists in that gathering, you have to find your sound quick enough.”

When she decided that music was a her way, Gospel was a no-brainer, as a genre of choice.&nbsp;

She quips that, “Which other genre is worthy of this level of appraisal and appreciation? What is worthy of talking about besides the word of God, for a career? I always felt like if you give me five minutes of your time, I’d like to leave you with something that could change your life forever. If I’ve found faith and strength, I think that would help you. I’d sing about that…”

At a time when Gospel had a template, Ehi’s sound was very “pop-py,” filled with a lot of rhymes, EDM and all that.

“I just wanted to sing what I was writing at the time. The reality of the Nigerian Gospel market didn’t hit me till a little later,” she jokes. “The music was very, very experimental, but the good thing was that I was accepted early enough. It wasn’t about what Alaba market was saying till a little later.”

<h2>Ada Ehi: The influence of Alaba&nbsp;</h2>

When Ehi started to take music seriously in the late 2000s, Alaba International Market was at the peak of its powers, as Nigeria’s major music marketing platform. At the time, reps from different marketers used to be in all the studios, trying to find the next marketable talent.&nbsp;

“In the studio where I used to record, [Alaba Agents] would come there and feel like some type of expert A&amp;R or Simon Cowell [laughs],” Ehi jokes. “Whatever you’re singing, e nor concern them. The only thing they say is, ‘This song nor go sell o… Do you know who I am? I have marketed…’ Those guys were arrogant, man [laughs].”

Looking back, Ehi isn’t thinking about the rightness or wrongness of Alaba marketers. Instead she praises them for encouraging the Nigerian sound.

“At that time, it was cool not to like anything Nigerian because the validation that comes with consuming foreign content was more profitable,” she says. “The piracy was wrong, but they bridged the gap between Nigerian artists and the audience. They encouraged and promoted our sound because they kept asking for the Nigerian/homegrown sound. Their mischief played our well for us.”&nbsp;

<h2>‘Born of God,’ streaming and distribution&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

The reality of streaming hit the mother of one in the post-production of her last album, Future Now. At one hour and 50 minutes, it was so long that it couldn’t fit in one disk. The distributor then advised that the album should be reduced or split into two disks.&nbsp;

After Ehi vehemently objected, the album went through the gears. But that moment taught her something, “Your albums have to be shorter.”

<a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/review-ada-ehi-born-of-god-new-album/m8ecbgb">‘Born of God’</a> was released on December 18, 2020. Ehi started recording the album about a year ago, but it comes in the middle of a pandemic, and after an intense study of music streaming realities as well as the direction of Nigerian Gospel music.&nbsp;

“As Gospel artists, we are different. Our market is slightly different and a lot of our music is tailored to live performances,” says Ehi. “Our audience also enjoys some of the longer worship songs. But at one hour and five minutes, I think I did better than the last time [laughs]. A high five for me.”&nbsp;

Ehi is distributed by Continued Entertainment, which also distributes Solidstar,&nbsp;Immaculate, Tosin Robeck and other artists.

Ada Ehi’s music is very rounded, as it taps from every genre for a great experience. On Born of God, she makes a few Afro-pop records and ‘Now,’ has heavy EDM/Pop leanings. Her 2017 song, ‘Jesus’ is also heavily EDM. This is a step away from the archetypal Alternative Rock background of contemporary Gospel music.&nbsp;

“Gospel music is a calling and I’m a messenger, but I believe in relevance. You make music for a people and you must be open to the fact that delivery is everything. If I go to buy a meal in a restaurant, you have to present and deliver it properly,” she clarifies. “In the same vein, if you’re dealing with a dynamic generation and you have a dynamic message, your delivery must be dynamic so that they know that it’s for them.”

Ehi doesn’t feel like all Gospel artists should follow her path. She feels like Gospel music in Nigeria is mostly about praise and worship, and artists will always finds hat works for them. However, she is excited to see the next crop of artists to storm Nigeiran Gospel. She calls them, “dynamic.”

But at the root of it, the Nigerian Gospel artist has a duty, a mandate and a life. As much as they can get inspired by secular music, they also have a spiritual mandate to follow.&nbsp;

“I don’t know what exactly is secular because the National Anthem is secular [laughs], but in honesty, music hits you from all corners these days,” Ehi illuminates.&nbsp;“To say you don’t listen to secular music is unrealistic. At the bank, on the queue, the filling station, the mall… you hear whatever they want you to hear. But listening is different from consumption.”

Nonetheless, Ehi realizes that Gospel artists have to be careful about what they admit in public because they a role models to a lot of&nbsp;people who have expectations of these artists. She claims some of these expectations are unfair, but that&nbsp;

“If I admit to listening to Wizkid during this interview, that’s all some people wil take from this interview [laughs]. And then I will have to fight battles and convince people [laughs],” she jokes. “We try to avoid controversy, but some people look for validation from us to do something they’ve always wanted to do.”&nbsp;

<h2>Ada Ehi and Sinach, and the problems confronting collaboration amongst women&nbsp;</h2>

Recently, Ehi released a record titled, ‘Fix My Eyes On You’ with the legendary Nigerian Gospel artiste, Sinach. Both singers spoke about the song in mid-2019, but they were respectively touring heavily at the time. Then COVID-19 hit people in Q1 2020, and the need arose to make a song like ‘Fix My Eyes On You.’ On January 16, 2020, they finally made the record.&nbsp;

It marked yet another instance of collaboration amongst women in Gospel music, unlike their secular counterparts. Ehi blames a lot of that lack of collaboration of stan culture.&nbsp;

“I go on Twitter and I see comparisons. The next thing, people are arguing and for all you know, the artists being compared might have just had a conversation,” she says. “In Gospel, we don’t really have a lot of that. I also think management has a lot of work to do, if gaps will be plugged.”&nbsp;

Ehi then made a salient point that the lack of collaboration might also be due to strategy. She says, “Male artists are more popular and they headline a lot of new sounds. They also outnumber the women, so maybe visibility also has a role to play. But I don’t think there’s animosity there.”&nbsp;

First off, Ada Ehi would love to see Gospel artists perform in more expansive settings than just Churches. Secondly, she would love to see local touring become a real thing in Nigeria because “Nigerians are religious people who love music.”&nbsp;

“Whenever we think touring, we just start dropping countries and I think that’s a problem. Some foreign artists don’t have to leave the US or even their states in the US to have great tours,” she says. “Nigeria is the springboard for most of us and we can’t do without the home front. We need need to fix that.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

More so, Ehi feels like the power of Nigeria as the influencer of African trends is too sacrosanct for her artists to ignore. In consequence, Ehi feels like that reality means Nigerian artists will never be able to completely do without Nigeria - even with the streaming reality.&nbsp;

She would like to work with Hillsong and would like people to pay more attention to the numbers that Gospel artists generate.

Ada Ehi: 'Born of God' with a warm spirt and a smart mind. (Instagram/AdaEhiMoses)

Ada Ehi speaks about Nigerian gospel, secular music, Alaba, Sinach, Hillsong and more.

Ada Ehi: 'Born of God' with a warm spirit and a smart mind [Pulse Interview]

<h1>On May 6, 2020, Nigerian superstar gospel singer, Sinach revealed something special - she had been topping American charts, Billboard's charts of Christian songwriters for seven weeks and did not even realize.</h1>

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">So apparently We have been No 1 on billboard USA for Christian song writer for 7 weeks !! Look at God!! First Black person 😳😳😳😳😳😳 First from Africa ... So grateful to God!! Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/billboard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@billboard</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/loveworld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#loveworld</a>❤️ @joe_egbu 💕💕 <a href="https://twitter.com/integritymusic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@integritymusic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/waymaker?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#waymaker</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sponsoredbygrace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sponsoredbygrace</a> <a href="https://t.co/XfarPtlIGX">pic.twitter.com/XfarPtlIGX</a>&mdash; Sinach (@sinach) <a href="https://twitter.com/sinach/status/1257814754548158466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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She made this known via her Twitter account with the caption, "So apparently We have been No 1 on billboard USA for Christian song writer for 7 weeks !! Look at God!! First Black person. First from Africa ... So grateful to God!! Thank you&nbsp;@billboard #loveworld @joe_egbu."

Sinach tops the list ahead of names like Jason Ingram, Lauren Diagle and Chris Brown. The woman who is no stranger to accolades celebrated this one with a soul of gratitude.

She made this known via her Twitter account.

Sinach tops US Billboard charts for 7th week

<h1>Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is part of a group of viruses that infect mammals and birds. </h1>

On its own, COVID-19 is an infectious disease that is caused by caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Since it was first discovered in Wuhan, China in the final quarter of 2019, it has spread across the world with over 200,000 cases. While about 82,000 cases have recovered as at March 19, 2020, over 7,000 patients have died from the virus. The disease gets transmitted via body fluids and it affects respiration and overall physical functions.

The disease also thrives in large gatherings where it can be easily transmitted. For that reason, it has affected Nigerian music and its creative processes to a large extent. For a lot of reasons - especially how it is hard to sometimes tell its victims, artists have been refraining from collaboration and public appearances.

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Pls wear mask and gloves pls! <a href="https://t.co/vpVqB2YbIP">https://t.co/vpVqB2YbIP</a>&mdash; Wizkid (@wizkidayo) <a href="https://twitter.com/wizkidayo/status/1239982348638334986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Nigerian celebrities have been vocal about the disease. On March 17, 2020, Nigerian pop star, Wizkid told a fan to, "Pls wear mask and gloves pls!" Pulse Nigeria was meant to get an interview with a top Nigerian pop star, but the interview had to be scrapped due to coronavirus - that's one of many more interviews scrapped.

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Official Statement <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SociaLiga?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SociaLiga</a> <a href="https://t.co/WS4zIfSDrv">pic.twitter.com/WS4zIfSDrv</a>&mdash; The SociaLiga (@TheSociaLiga) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSociaLiga/status/1240320327940530178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Recording sessions have been scrapped and even on the pop culture side, popular Nigerian social gathering, Social Liga got cancelled. On the global stage,<a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/coronavirus-seun-kutis-coachella-performances-have-been-postponed-till-october/fqymdxe"> Coachella 2020</a> - which Grammy-nominated Seun Kuti was billed to perform at - has been postponed till October 2020.

In the same vein, <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/burna-boy-seun-kuti-to-perform-at-glastonbury-2020-as-organizers-fear-coronavirus/z693103">Glastonbury 2020</a> has been postponed. Burna Boy and Seun Kuti were also billed to perform at that one. As if that's not enough, as much as five Nigerian music shows have been cancelled and they are;

<h2>1) Davido suspends A Good Time tour of North America</h2>

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">1 Milli video out now <a href="https://t.co/cRfniq7uCP">https://t.co/cRfniq7uCP</a> plus we are still touring North America! <a href="https://t.co/SiwPh98mAJ">https://t.co/SiwPh98mAJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/1xFy3CSuon">pic.twitter.com/1xFy3CSuon</a>&mdash; Davido (@davido) <a href="https://twitter.com/davido/status/1234892874992373760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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On February 21, 2020, Nigerian superstar, Davido commenced his A Good Time tour in Edmonton, Canada. Since then, the tour has visited places like Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Los Angeles, California, US, Las Vegas, Nevada, US and more. The last location played was Denver, Colorado, US before the tour was cancelled on March 13, 2020.

The show was meant to hit Dallas, Texas, US on March 14, 2020 when Davido made the decision. When he announced the cancellation via his Instagram page, Davido wrote, ""I’m saddened to halt what has been a fantastic sold-out tour so far, but postponing is the right thing to do. The health and safety of my fans and staff is most paramount and nothing else matters. Be safe and see you all soon! God be with us all!"

2) Sinach postpones 'Sinach Live In Concert'

Sinach postpones Sinach Live In Concert. (Ariiya Tickets)

On January 28, 2020, Nigerian gospel superstar, Sinach announced her Sinach Live In Lagos Concert. It was slated for May 22, 2020. But due to the rise of coronavirus, the event was postponed till October 18, 2020 on March 6, 2020.

A message on Ariiya Tickets reads, "Sinach loves her fans, it is for that reason this decision was made to ensure that everybody including our Foreign team, Special guests, Sponsors and the entire public are carried along to execute an Excellent and World Class Concert.

"A wholehearted thanks to all our Corporate Sponsors, Special Guests, Our team, Churches, Gospel Artists, Contributors and Volunteers who have stepped up and been involved in the organization of the Concert to date, we truly recognize the heartfelt support shown towards organizing Sinach Live in Concert 30 year’s celebration (SLIC30 2020).

"Sinach thanks everyone who has already purchased tickets. Tickets purchased for the event are still valid and will be honored on the rescheduled date. Thank you and God you&nbsp;bless you all richly."

<h2>3) Sinach postpones her South Pacific Tour</h2>

Sinach postpones her South Pacific Tour. (Tuko)

On March 13, 2020, Nigerian gospel superstar also postponed her tour of the South Pacific till September 2020. The tour was meant to visit five Australian cities. Australia is where Tom Hanks and wife, Rita Wilson were diagnosed with coronavirus.

A message on Sinach's Facebook page reads, "The organizers would like to advise that Sinach's South Pacific tour has been postponed to September 2020. Sinach and her team are committed to the well-being and care of their entire team, fans and every person involved globally.

"As a result of that commitment, the Sinach Live in Concert tour for the South Pacific has been postponed at this time."

Now the tour will take place between September 4, 2020 and September 26, 2020.

<h2>4) Asa Cancels the three-city LUCID TOUR</h2>

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/4FK2BinDpy">pic.twitter.com/4FK2BinDpy</a>&mdash; Asa (@Asa_official) <a href="https://twitter.com/Asa_official/status/1236438399134957568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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On March 6, 2020, Nigerian singer, Asa announced her LUCID Tour with a stop in Lagos. That stop was tagged Asa Live In Lagos. She was meant to perform at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on April 11, 2020. Other stops on the tour included, London (March 29, 2020) and Abuja (April 13, 2020).

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Stay safe my love. We will get through this. ❤️🦅 <a href="https://t.co/dDbnGuNL53">pic.twitter.com/dDbnGuNL53</a>&mdash; Asa (@Asa_official) <a href="https://twitter.com/Asa_official/status/1240423161608495109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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But on March 18, 2020, she announced via her social media pages that all tour dates had been cancelled and all tickets will be refunded. This was due to coronavirus.

<h2>5) Gidifest postponed till October</h2>

In January 2020, Gidifest - the largest celebration of music and culture in West Africa announced yet another edition. Headliners included Rema, Flavour and Naira Marley. The event was slated for Easter Weekend, 2020.

However, due to the developing situation of coronavirus, the event has been postponed till October 3 and 4, 2020.

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We are sad to announce this, but we are going to have to reschedule <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GidiFest2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GidiFest2020</a> to October 3 and 4 2020. If you have purchased tickets for the April dates they will roll over to the new dates. See Full Statement <a href="https://t.co/jkEE6qmV7G">pic.twitter.com/jkEE6qmV7G</a>&mdash; Gidi Culture Fest (@GidiFest) <a href="https://twitter.com/GidiFest/status/1240330681307344914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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A statement from the Eclipse Live reads, "We are sad to announce the rescheduling of The Gidi Culture Festival 2020 due to COVID-19. Your health and safety are of the utmost priority to us and we strongly encourage everyone to adhere to the guidelines and protocols set out by Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre of Disease Control (NCDC), and other public health authorities.

"Thank you for your support and all the love. We hope everyone is staying safe, practicing good hygiene and keeping calm.

"New dates for the #GIDIFEST2020 will be October 3 and 4 2020 at The Cricket Pitch, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. All purchases for the April dates will be honored for the rescheduled October dates. You will be contacted in the upcoming weeks on how to obtain a refund if you are unable to attend the new dates.

"We will continue to work hard to ensure that the festival is of the highest standard, thank you for your continued support and we look forward to bringing you home!"

As at March 18, 2020, Nigerian coronavirus patients have risen to eight. Please stay safe and observe precautions. That said, a Japanese drug called <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/beauty-health/coronavirus-cure-may-be-japanese-drug-favipiravir/rcykyx6">Favipiravir</a> has been announced to successfully tackle coronavirus.

Coronavirus is affecting Nigerian music. (Instagram/Davidoofficial)

As at March 18, 2020, Nigerian coronavirus patients have risen to eight.

Here is how coronavirus is affecting Nigerian music

<h1>On March 16, 2020, Nigerian gospel music superstar, Sinach took to her Instagram page to announce the latest source of her joy. She got a gold plaque from YouTube. </h1>

A gold plaque is presented to artists with one million or more subscribers on YouTube. Sinach has 1.14 million subscribers to her YouTube page. The last Nigerian female artist to get this honour was Yemi Alade.

While celebrating the feat, Sinach wrote that, "Look what came in the mail !! Thank you my friends for celebrating GoodNews music in a big way!! @youtube @youtubengcreators @youtubemusic @gosgem.

"PRAY WITH ME: I see victories and possibilities only; I’m bold and courageous. I win, irrespective of the challenges and circumstances that I face; they’re “bread” for me. As I set my gaze on God’s unfailing and eternal Word, I walk continually in victory, health, success, prosperity and righteousness, in Jesus’ Name. Amen. RoR with Pastor Chris."

The singer had an incredible run last decade. She was named Nigeria's Female artist of the decade by Pulse Nigeria and her video for 'Way Maker' is the second most-viewed Nigerian music video yet at 143 million views.

Sinach gets gold plaque as she hits one million subscribers on YouTube. (Instagram/Sinach)

The Gold plaque is presented to artists with one million or more subscribers.

Sinach gets gold plaque as she hits one million subscribers on YouTube

Steve Dede

<h1>Ace gospel singer Sinach has announced the postponement of her 'Sinach Live in Concert'.</h1>

Sinach in statement wrote to sponsors, special guests and the entire public that the earlier scheduled concert tagged “Sinach Live in Concert 30 Years Celebration of Worship (SLIC30 2020)” at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, has been shifted to 18th October, 2020.

According to the singer, the decision to shift the concert was made to ensure that everybody including her foreign team, guests, sponsors and the entire public are carried along to execute an excellent and world class concert.

"A wholehearted thanks to all our corporate sponsors, special guests, our team, churches, gospel artists, contributors and volunteers who have stepped up and been involved in the organization of the concert to date, we truly recognize the heartfelt support shown towards organizing Sinach Live in Concert 30 year’s celebration (SLIC30 2020)," part of the statement reads.

"Sinach thanks everyone who has already purchased tickets. Tickets purchased for the event are still valid and will be honored on the rescheduled date."

SInach is one of the leading gospel singers out of Nigeria. She has nine albums

Sinach says the concert has been shifted to make it convenient for everyone.

Sinach postpones 'Sinach Live in Concert' to October 18

<h1>Here are the most viewed Nigerian music videos of the past decade. </h1>

A day ago, Nigerian PR Consultant, Ogaga Sakpaide released the list after due research. Upon verification, Pulse has decided to run with it.

The list is created off the number of views the videos for those songs were able to amass on YouTube. The decade in view is between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019.

<h2>Here are the songs in the top 20;</h2>

<ol><li>Fall by Davido (153 million views): The song is the biggest cross-over Nigerian pop song ever. It charted on Billboard's digital airplay chart. The weirdness is how the song began charting in the US two years after its release. Cardi B also leaked an unreleased remix to the song. </li><li>Way Maker by Sinach (136 million views): This is the biggest Nigerian cross-over song ever. It is sung in churches across the world and performed by Kanye West's Sunday Service Choir. </li><li>Pana by Tekno (116 million views): In 2016, this song was huge in the US - especially the major cities. Ebro Darden confirmed it in a chat with Davido on Ebro In The Morning circa 2018. </li><li>Johnny by Yemi Alade (111 million views): This was the biggest pop song by a female Nigerian artist in the past decade. It also catapulted Yemi Alade into superstardom. </li><li>Mad Over You by Runtown (98 million views): This was the song that defined an entire era of Nigerian music. This era was the heavy Ghana-influenced sound of 2016. It was also the biggest song of 2016. </li><li>If by Davido (97 million views): 'Fall' might have been the biggest cross-over song from Davido's immense 2017 run, but 'IF' started that run. </li><li>Personally by P-Square (95 million views): This was one of the final mega hits of P Square's run. </li><li>Do Like That by Korede Bello (89 million views): A surprise on the list, considering it's not even close to being Bello's biggest song. </li><li>Come Closer by Wizkid (86 million views): This was the second collaboration between Wizkid and Drake. The song was slightly lukewarm in Nigeria, but it was a pivotal part of 'afrobeats to the world.'</li><li>On The Low by Burna Boy (85 million views): After Burna's run with his sixth studio project, Outside, this was his follow-up single and boy, did it blow up? </li><li>Kontrol by Maleek Berry (76 million views): Despite Maleek Berry's 2017 run, this is another surprise on the list. </li><li>Collabo by P-Square (75.5 million views): This was a power collaboration in Nigerian music. Don Jazzy ran a hook with longtime pals, P Square. They were also dramatic in the music video - three men obsessing over a beautiful woman. </li><li>Bank Alert by P-Square (75.3 million views): This was another one of the final hits P Square had. </li><li>FIA by Davido (71 million views): In Nigeria, this was arguably Davido's biggest hit of 2017 - it was as if the song stayed true to its title. Upon release, it went nuclear. </li><li>Shekini by P-Square (70 million views): This is P Square's third entrance on the list. </li><li>Duro by Tekno (68.7 million views): This was the second song on Tekno's immense 2016 run. </li><li>I Know Who I Am by Sinach (68.5 million views): This was the Nigerian gospel song of 2015 - everywhere, people make noise. </li><li>Soco by Wizkid (62 million views): After a fairly lukewarm 2017, Wizkid returned with a bang of bangs. 'Soco' was arguably Nigeria's song of the year for 2018. </li><li>Aye by Davido (58 million views): This is Davido's fourth entry on the list. </li><li>Only You Jesus by Ada (56 million views): The third gospel song on this list. </li></ol>

Burna Boy performs anybody on VEVO Ctrl. (YouTube/BurnaBoy)

Burna Boy joins Megan Thee Stallion, 6lack, Lauryn Hill on 'Queen and Slim' Soundtrack

The decade in view is between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019.

Here are the top 20 most viewed Nigerian music videos of the decade

Ayoola Adetayo

<h1>In Nigeria, Gospel is the biggest and highest-selling genre of music in Nigeria. It is unmatched and it is untouched. Lamba is Lamba, but gospel music is the cream of the crop. Nigeria is a religious nation. As such, gospel musicians have become celebrities who inspire millions and require as much branding as the next secular act.&nbsp;</h1>

The past decade witnessed a slight decline in mainstream English-speaking gospel acts who could penetrate the upper class. What we saw was the rise of ethnic superstars who mostly sang in their native tongues. But since 2010, the rise in the power of pentecostal worship gave way to an increased number of gospel acts with a national reputation.&nbsp;

For this, Pulse celebrates them and picks 10 of the best. The criteria is; commercial success, impact, discography, critical acclaim, awards and international acclaim.&nbsp;

His debut single ‘Imaranma’ got people to pay attention to the artiste who has, with the passage of time, evolved beyond his rock music beginnings to ballads and popular church music. These days, Eben is pretty much as gospel pop as they come.

With multiple albums to his name and a plethora of well-known praise and worship hits, Eben deserves accolades and surely, recognition for his contribution towards meeting the unquantifiable demand for inspirational and gospel songs that Nigerians always have.

Sinach