Popularly known as Moses Harmony, Moses Adeyemi has caught global recognition with his unassuming and lively style, which has endeared him to many people across the globe. He speaks with IMOLEAYO OYEDEYI on his bitter-sweet journey to stardom and the remarkable role popular Nollywood actress, Joke Silva played in it. Excerpts:
You have been in the Nigerian gospel music industry for over 20 years, how has the journey been?
I give glory to God for it has been good. You know there is no journey without ups and downs, but I still give glory to God for He has been merciful. And I will say my consistency and God’s endless mercy has been the catalyst fuelling my breakthrough over the years.
For someone that studied Electrical Engineering, how did you find yourself in the music industry?
Electrical Engineering for me is just secondary because music has always been part of me. I was a former assistant choirmaster in my Sunday school days at Tejuosho. So, one day, our choirmaster in the big church, Daddy Ajala, needed a drummer during one Sunday service. And for me then, whenever the adult choir is having a show, like those of the greater tomorrow group in those days in 1993, they usually call me to come and perform the role of a vocalist. So, I would gladly run to them, sing for them and render other services. But when during the Sunday service in 1996 that the adult choir needed a drummer, they called me because I used to play the drums too then. So, I helped them to drum.
And since then, they retained me in the church adult choir. And it was this adult choir that provided enough platforms for my talents and musical skills to be noticed more by the people. I hardly stay idle in the choir, because once any instrument is vacant; I would take it up and start playing, including the percussion. So, music has always been my passion. But I had to go to school so that in the future, people will not say that I didn’t pass through school. The truth is I never made a kobo through what I spent four years studying in school. In fact, I have never climbed an electric pole. And I don’t like anything like fire. I just studied the course and know more about it theoretically. But music is in-built in me. It has been what I have enjoyed doing for years. So, I will always choose it over Electrical Engineering.
How will you rate the gospel music industry in terms of quality music productions and raising brilliant music acts that can compete globally?
I think in terms of quality, the Nigerian gospel music industry is getting there. We are really coming up, especially when you look at the quality of our songs, the studio works and the song mixing. I can boldly say we are thriving. And I think this has been because most of the fast-rising gospel artists of Nigerian descent have carried out massive research to know what constitutes the tastes of the global audience. And that is why you see Nigerian gospel songs thriving on international music platforms. For instance, for the first time ever, a Nigerian gospel song, Way Maker, grossed over 150 million views on YouTube. More importantly, nowadays, we make use of music instruments of global standards and our studio settings boast of international finesse as well. So, I believe we are really thriving and I can rate us 7/10 right now.
Since you came into the industry, who are some of the big names therein that you have worked with and how has this shaped your music career?
To God be the glory, I have been able to work with a lot of big names, some of them are my seniors now and some are my juniors in the industry. I have been privileged to work with gospel sensations like Daddy Ayewa, Steve Pelemoh (Bro Bro), Evangelist Akin Adebayo, Opelope Anointing, Tope Alabi, Bidemi Olaoba, Laolu Gbenjo, Yinka Alaseyori, Abel Dosumu (Mega 99) and many more. In one way or the other, they have all had notable impacts in my career, while I have also impacted them as well.
So, it has been a win-win for every one of us in the industry. You know as an artist when you go for ministrations, you learn and even after performing, you still have people coming to you to tell you how they feel about your music and the areas they want you to improve upon. So, these have been ways by which I have learnt lessons all through my music career and they have all sharpened my creativity and musical skills. But in all, I still give all glory to God, because without His grace and mercy, everything wouldn’t have happened the way they have done. But of all the big wigs that have impacted my life in the Nigerian entertainment industry, I won’t forget the impact veteran actress, Joke Silva had on my career. I celebrated my 21 years on stage in 2021, this doesn’t include all those years I was roughing things. I counted right from the day I met Joke Silva, the wife of Olu Jacobs. In fact, the day I met her was the best day of my life. Aunty Joke is just like a mother to me and I love her so much.
But how did you meet her?
I could remember that I went to play for her elder brother, who was celebrating his birthday then. So, while I was playing that day, Aunty Joke Silva and her husband, Olu Jacobs, came around. And I was so happy to have met her for the first time in my life. So I sang; she was very happy and she danced. Afterwards, she gave me her card and said I should pay a visit to her office. She gave me three hundred naira to take care of my transportation, which was a lot of money at the time. When I got to her office the following week, she inserted some words of wisdom into my brain and I gladly listened, because I do listen to advice and think through it. That day, she said, “You played well. But you need to expand your brain and make yourself different among your peers.” She said my brain was stereotyped and anybody that listened to me would definitely know that I am a celestial singer, because I was using the common style typical of Cele vocalists in those days.
She challenged me to think big and think outside CCC to touch the world and be the Moses that everybody would want to listen to irrespective of their denomination. I asked her how I should go about it and she connected me to some people. She then employed me as a staff member of her productions. So, I started working for her. While working, I learned a lot. I saw how she did her things. I discovered that she didn’t do things the way others did theirs and that she always thought far ahead of people, which was what made her different and relevant for over 40 years even till now. I love how she reasoned and I emulated this. So, I started listening to other musicians outside the Celestial fold all over the world. And that is what has made it so easy for me now to perform excellently at any other Christian denominations aside from the Celestial Church. I give all glory to God and I bless the day I met Joke Silva because everything she told me that day was what I implemented to get to this level. So, I would say it was that day that harmony voice was born as it opened me into a world of connections and wisdom.
Looking back, what are some of the challenges you faced?
To the glory of God, God has been merciful and faithful, because there is no journey that will be smooth without having rough patches. How many can I even recall? Is it the day that we took the wrong driver and bus that later broke down in the night along Lagos/Ibadan expressway? Or the day that we sang at the National Stadium in 2001 when some area boys came and chased us out of the place because we didn’t give them Fuji? It’s a whole lot of funny stories. But each time I remember the year 2000 and what the Lord has been doing for me since then, I just give glory to God, because He has indeed been God in my life. I was the one he took from the gutter and made to sit and dine with kings. In fact, when I remember the first time I entered the plane when I was invited to South Africa to perform and how I have since that 13 years ago, visited London, US, Dubai and others to perform, I just give all glory to God the most.
For this year, what do you have for your teeming fans in terms of album release and entertainment programmes?
For this year, by God’s grace, on the 20th of March, I will be dropping my first album for the year and I can tell you it is very powerful and soul-lifting. My fans all over the world have known that anything that comes from my staple mirrors excellence as a purpose-driven gospel artist. And having gone over 20 years in the act, I can’t relent now. So as usual, my fans should be expecting a standard package from me in March as inspired by the Holy Spirit.
What amazes most of your fans is how you dance spiritedly and lift your body on stage despite your big stature, what will you say make you do this easily?
We thank God for His grace. I know my fans love the way I dance. And it is just that dancing is part of me. Right from childhood, I have always noticed that once I hear good music; I tend to move my body in line with the beat. It is more when I am singing personally, either on stage or anywhere, I dance like David. And my body is so flexible that I can lift it the way I want to praise my God. So, I don’t even feel I am big as whenever I am on stage; I dance spiritedly and sing as the Holy Spirit inspires me.
and then