By Sunday Saanu
Part of my mother’s legacies was the way she raised me with gospel songs. Iya Ijako of a blessed memory was found of returning from her Mushin market with “awo onigbagbo”, (a gospel music record).
The only gospel music she knew at that time was the ones waltzed by Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Good Women Choir led by Mrs. Deborah Adebola Fasoyin.
Enamoured with the lyrics of the CAC Good Women, Iya Ijako bought each record released by the Choir for our listening pleasure, teaching, spiritual growth until I caught the bug, searching for the latest release of the group by myself. Consequently, I am familiar with almost all the labels credited to the Good Women Choir.
Gospel music to me, as Kim Fields says ‘has always been a balm for the soul. It has been able to usher in the spirit, usher in worship, true worship and praise, and healing. I find the music to be very good at healing where one is hurt. I love gospel music. It’s calming. It’s soothing. It gets right to the point of whatever you’re dealing with.
It’s against this backdrop that I decided to pay a courtesy call on our matriarch of music of good news, Mama Fasoyin, having got her contact from Prophetess Dr. Bisi Alawiye-Aluko. Mama who is now 83 joyously received me as I sang from the corpus of her works to her delight.
We indeed had memorable moments as Mama Fasoyin quoted The Bible effortlessly to buttress her points. She counseled me on the beauty of forgiveness and the need to be more heaven conscious, pointing out that life is vanity. Each time I rendered a song from many of the Good Women albums, she returned the glory to God, emphasizing that each song was given to them through Holy Spirit.
According to her, “In those days before we produced any album, we would pray and fast and ask God to direct us on the message to give to people. We would observe current affairs and God would thereafter lead us. That is the reason those songs are still relevant and winning souls”
Among the albums released by the CAC Good Women Choir led by Mama Fasoyin are “Odun Nlo Sopin, Odun Yi A Tura, Victory, Iberu Oluwa, Sanu Fun Mi, Gbakoso, Season, Satani Dehin, Hallelujah, Honesty, Olorun Mi Seun” among others.
Listening to these songs, it is obvious that these Good Women actually saw today yesterday as their songs are not only prophetic but prognosticative, with all what they predicted yesteryear dawning on us today.
Of all different genres of music, gospel music holds a special appeal to me because no matter what life throws at me, gospel music softens the blow. A friend has just asked to know the secret of my ceaseless joy and happiness on Facebook, wondering if I ever have a moment of sober reflection and depression. He probably doesn’t know that I have cast all my burdens upon Jesus through gospel music which is not just a sound but message of assurance, peace and victory.
To the glory of God, as the likes of Mama Fasoyin are aging and leaving the stage, more and more gospel music singers are coming up with soul-lifting songs. May God continue to inspire them as they deliver divine messages to our drooping souls.
May God continue to prolong Mama Fasoyin’s life in peace as her group’s songs remain evergreen.Culled from Sunday Saanu’s Facebook page
