News: Fast-rising gospel act, Abraham Junaid to feature Gospel Force in his debut song, "Gba Gbogbo Ogo"

New Christian act, worship leader, Abraham Junaid, set to release debut single featuring prominent and energetic rock band in Nigeria, Gospel Force. We reached him to find out who "Abraham Junaid" really is and what we should expect from him. The following is the interview one of our staffs had with him:

Interview
Can we know you briefly? 
Well my name is Abraham Junaid Olalekan. I am mostly called by my surname, while some have preference of my Yoruba name and call me Lekan, but only a few call me Abraham. Obviously a Nigerian, born in Lagos, in the year ... Lol let me just leave you to guess. I am the first of three children in a family of five, the eldest grandchild of my grandparents infact ... A graduate of Computer Engineering from the Yaba College of Technology (Higher National Diploma) but a practicing Graphic Designer and yes, I sing.

When did you really venture into being a recording artist and why music? 
Well, I believe there is a recording artist somewhere in every music minister because of the necessity to document the sounds you create and for people to have a reference every time they want to "feed" on your material. I cannot remember when I did but let's say some years after I chose to go into music really and that was in 2012. Because even before then I had been writing raps and songs. So the recording was consequential for the place I had reached so to speak. Why music? Hmmmm... To be sincere, first, it was for talent sake and ok let's just do it and see what it becomes but then it really became more. Like there was a necessity and God had planted me in a place to supply a particular demand through music as a medium...

Is your family the musical type and what can you say about their support? 
Well, I'd say partly and that's because of my mum. Who had been in the choir for as long as I can remember and still is a part of the RCCG mass choir and a head in her zonal headquarter's choir. The rest of the family are what I consider as indifferent lovers of music lol... That is they know its importance, essence and all, but can really do without it or let me say they just roll with it and not really "die hard" fans if you get... Truly. Their support has just rolled with the indifference. Cause as long as you love it and you want to do it (music in this case) and its not "yahoo yahoo" lol... They are with you unwaveringly. PS: Don't come and be asking them for money for studio session oh lol... Better go and hustle cause that's where "comma" will enter the story.

Do you play any musical instruments? If yes, when did you start and how long have you been playing? 
Na...no. Not really. But the guitar is the instrument-love of my life and I am learning, planning to learn actually lol

What do you plan to achieve with your type of music?
Plainly, and this might sound very funny... My plan is to sneak into people's heart and impress upon them the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ until they are consumed by the revelation and they don't even know how they got there. That the reality of the coming, death and resurrection of Jesus, its essence and importance in the world and lives of every human be unravelled, seamlessly and graciously.

Looking at the drastic increase of youths taking up the musical career, what can you say about what you hear generally?
Firstly, I'd like to say I am big on musical content melodically and structurally and the context of any musical content. So once I hear a song and its obviously without depth in communication, I am immediately put off. The word "youth" is the problem for me. Because what I feel is, the bunch of us, "youths", are already disoriented, with an inadequate mental and societal grooming, affecting the ultimate communication in different areas of involvement. In the case of music, its mostly the same story. Honestly, I say this without any intentions to be rude but what I hear most is empty songs not basically rhythmically but structurally and lyrical and its appalling for me personally because what we have now is market full of hungry consumers that keep getting stuffed with nothing but 'rubbish'

The gospel music industry, how will you say it has grown? 
I cannot be overly explicit about this but like everything in life or let me say most things, there is the concept of evolution, consciously or unconsciously, as trends are set and demand patterns are also altered. So yes it has grown, and the introduction of new arts and their own different sounds and approach have contributed greatly to this, but I just still feel with due respect we are still far from it content wise and in lyrical quality terms. Because there is no doubt about the appeal of the many different sound and the alterations that have been introduced but it has overshadowed the need for the message to be substantially ground breaking, life changing, spiritually impactful and not predictably mediocre.

Most Christian songs sometimes are not deeply rooted, what can you say about the word of God and the music? 
You will notice this has been what I have been talking about and I will gladly emphasize and over-emphasize. What we, as gospel ministers don't get is, what we do with music is give the word of God a sound not give the sound some word of God. So you think because this rhythmically will make people dance or put them in the "mood" of worship lol, you pick some off the words you have been hearing here and there that sound churchy and Christian music impression and attach it to fit the melodic pattern of the sound you already have premeditated to achieve your own purpose. And even if that's not the case, let's see you really get hold of a word. Don't just run and add two three lines and just cluster in everyday church words to the song and say "yes, good"... They will sing it anyways. Ministers are spending less time reading the word, seating under right teachings, researching about the writing craft and just building a foundation on mediocrity and the seeming ready reception of a mostly innocent congregation. It's wrong. See, forget deeply, if it's not rooted, it's not rooted. Why does Sinach's songs break grounds? Ask yourself. I will like to say assuredly, it's because they are spiritual revelations proclaimed melodically, that are a outcome of sound teaching and obvious spirit filled moments in personal worship and purposeful meditation on the word. Let me just stop here, I can go on...

Is gospel music really accepted in Nigeria if compared to the secular music? 
Well let the truth be said. I don't think the idea should be about acceptance. The bible said about Jesus before he came about how in comeliness he won't be pleasant and he never really bothered acceptance in fact when he walked the earth, acceptance was the last thing. He just had a message and he had to pass it and whether accepted or not, it still really changed lives. We don't try to appeal, we just have a message and it should be passed. You know what, even the secular artiste listen to the gospel songs that we consider less accepted. So what is acceptance. I don't think amount of downloads or views should determine this. Gospel music was not created to be accepted but to intrude into people's lives and change their lives. I'll end on this note, Hallelujah challenge that just was held had a bunch of this secular artiste there singing along and all. Who says gospel music is not accepted? Lets concentrate on the anointing upon our songs first not appeal of the song...
I believe the comparison of gospel songs and secular songs should be played down significantly. There's no comparison.

If you were to rate gospel songs, what do you look out for?
1. Beautiful sound. If you don't have a beautiful sound, you won't appeal to the ears in the first place. Beautiful is really an broad term because there are different genres and they appeal to different people.
2. Obviously, lyrics. Lyrics. Lyrics. Content. Content. Don't get my attention and start disappointing me. Don't just put words like "You are good Yahweh, you are mighty Jesus" altogether and that's all. What more? What more? There has to be more. You have to take my mind, my spirit being on a journey away from the normal into the spiritual.
I think that's basically all. Because however, I am also in a place to personally respond to the content of song as a spirit being. So beyond those two, it's more of personal diversity for me.

 

We do know very well that the Holy Spirit is most of our Christian artists greatest inspiration so we'd like to know those people the Holy Spirit inspires you with?
Well, they are many because like I have been saying content is what catches my fancy. But some standout. So I'll say. Bethel Music, Hillsong, City Harmonics, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin. Yeah those are the ones I have had my root in majorly.

We understand that you are yet to release your debut single, what should we expect? 
Hmmmm... Well. I'll say expect something refreshing. Simply refreshing.

How do feel teaming up with Gospel Force on your debut?
Well, it's quite obvious the kind of spirit Gospel Force brings every time they have to grace a platform. So much energy, anointing and endearing charisma and it's the same for this song. Teaming up with them for me complements the whole essence of the song and it actually feels great that even more than I myself they have embraced the song lol. So what more would you want, what more can you think. It's going to be explosive and that's exciting.
Let me give you inside gist, one of them even said Abraham ehn... If it was Gospel Force that owned this song ehn. That's the extent of how much is given to this project. Abraham Junaid and Gospel Force? It's heavenly sounds everywhere, anytime.

Where do you see yourself in five years with your type of music?
Simply. I see myself in a place where the Lord would have blessed the world (and emphasis on world) with so much from the place of music through me. I am unwaveringly convinced of that. It's going to penetrate every nook and cranny, every deep and high part of the nations of the world, to the ends of the earth.

There are great gospel artists in the world, who are the people you would really love to work with looking at your type of music?
Smiles. Give me the chance to work with any of the arts I mentioned earlier that have influence my music and I will be fine. As in I mean very fine. But one person in Nigeria that I would add to that list is Sinach. Oh such anointed minister of the gospel.

How can you be reached for more questions that may come from fans?
Facebook: Abraham Hikmah Junaid
Twitter: JunaidtheJunaid
Instagram: iamabrahamjunaid

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