How we made First Class, got Commonwealth scholarships

The story of Kehinde Caleb and Tayelolu Joshua Ayansola is one that comes with mixed feelings. They both graduated with First Class Honours from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, won Commonwealth Scholarships and proceeded to the United Kingdom (UK) for their Master’s Degrees in Public Health and Psychology of Sports. While many people would expect them to proceed for their PhD programmes, Kehinde and Tayelolu have another calling—music. With a burning passion for music and soul-winning, the Osun State-born identical twins released their first album a few days ago. They were in Tribune House during the week where they both spoke with SEGUN ADEBAYO, on their academic pursuits, family background, vision and their music career and why they hope to get married to a set of twins.

What have you been up to since you graduated from school?

We finished our first degree in 2014 at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife with First Class honours and we then had our National Youth Service. I (kehinde) served in the North while my twin brother (Tayelolu) served in Anambra State. In April 2016, we both got Commonwealth scholarships and proceeded to the United Kingdom (UK) for our Master’s programme in Public Health and Psychology of Sports, respectively. We came back last year September and we have been actively involved in full-time gospel music.

How did you win the Commonwealth scholarship?

It was very competitive but one of the major things that helped us to achieve that was the fact that we had First Class in our first degree. In our set, there were about 450 graduates and we emerged as the two with First Class honours in our department. So, that could have helped us a great deal in clinching the scholarship. We applied to a few universities which gave us more chances. We had wanted the same university but we had different universities for the scholarship.

What was your CGPA in Ife?

I had 4.66 and Taye had 4.54.

How would you describe the experience in the UK compared to schooling in Nigeria?

If there is one thing that makes things easier for students in the UK, it is the perfect structure and organisation. From the moment you start a session, you know the date it will end and nothing changes it. There is nothing like your lecturer is not coming to class today or they have to change the venue of a lecture or you don’t have your notes. Even the meeting schedule with your supervisor is so well structured that your supervisor is always on your neck to help you. You get more help from your supervisor that you need. It is the easiest academic programme I have ever seen.

You must have practically lived together since you were born. You both graduated with first class and did your Master’s in the UK. Apparently, the only time you had to stay away from each other was during your youth service. How did you cope for one year without each other?

We actually didn’t expect that we would not serve in the same place because we wanted to have it close to home as we are from Osun State (Modakeke). We would have preferred Oyo or Lagos State because we didn’t want to be apart. It was not too difficult to cope because we talked almost every day on Whatsapp. But it was, indeed, a good experience staying apart for one year.

Whose decision was it for you to study Physical and Health Education in your first degree?

Usually, when people hear that we studied the same course in the university, they always conclude that we planned it. The fact remains that there was never a time that we sat down to plan our course of study; it always happened that whatever decision I made, my twin brother did the same. It was just a natural interest for both of us. It was not that I tried to convince him or vice versa.

While in school, how did people cope with both of you being so identical?

Let’s just say it was quite interesting because many of our classmates were confused, and still are. They could hardly tell who was Taye or Kehinde. In fact, in our practical classes in school, the only time our lecturers were not confused was when they saw our matriculation numbers. It was quite interesting. It became more difficult in our theoretical classes because they could not just know who did what between us.

One might be tempted to ask how easy it was for you to choose the same career path — music.

It may sound surprising to you but the truth is that there was never a time we had any conversation about what we both wanted to do career-wise. We just find that we are always wanting or liking the same thing. Only on rare occasions have we not agreed on what we wanted to do. The interest has almost always been the same. We always end up liking the same thing. So, the decision to pursue music professionally was basically borne out of the same interest.

Does that mean you have interest in the same woman?

(laughs) It has really not got to that level. Currently, we live under one roof. We share almost everything; there is nothing that I have that he doesn’t have access to and it is the same with him, too. We don’t separate anything that we have. It is always ‘our things’, not ‘my things’.

How hard has it been choosing women?

We believe that if we have been able to live together till this time, it won’t be difficult to continue this way. We are trusting in God that we will make the best choices when we decide to take our wives.

 You hope to live together, still, after getting married?

It will interest you more that we hope to get married to a set of twins.

Have you found one?

We are very close to finding one.

What are you looking forward to when you find one and how close are you?

By the grace of God, we hope to find women that can complement and help our vision. We are very close to finding the women we want.

One would have expected that after the completion of your Master’s, you would begin your Ph.D programmes but it is surprising that you are moving into music. At what point did music set in for you?

We started structured music in 2010. We started with playing musical instruments and singing in churches. We were in the church choir at The Light of God Christian Assembly in Osun State. We have always had this burning passion for music and we knew we would do well in it because we trust God. Music is what we can do almost all the time. Music, for us, is a calling. We are convinced that it is the best thing for us right now. We have a studio and we recorded our songs the moment we returned to Nigeria after the completion of our Master’s.

Why gospel music?

It is just our calling. We could not have done another genre of music because this is what God wants for us and we are certain He will provide all the necessary support we need to succeed. We launched our album Sunday last week and it was a success. We had Tope Alabi and a couple of other popular gospel singers in attendance. It was a glamorous event.

How did your parents accept your decision to pursue music rather than academics?

We have a lenient mother — our dad passed on a few years back. Our mum wanted us to do our Ph.D but we explained to her that this is what we want to do for now and she was fine with it. We may go back for our Ph.D this year, but right now, what we are focusing on is music, especially our street praise concert. We invite people to give their lives to Christ. We hope to do that once in a month.

Who makes the best decisions most of the time?

I think Tayelolu is calm, so he makes most of the decisions and they always turn out to be great ones.

Who composes your songs?

We both do. When I write, I give it to him and he does same, too.

Have there been singers or musicians in your family before?

None. Well, we may say our surname suggests we are from a family of drummers.

What position are you in the family?

We are the last in the family of seven. We have two elder brothers and three elder sisters.

Who is the favourite of the family between the two of you?

There is no favourite in the family; we are equal.

You lost your father about five years ago, who was the closest to him?

That’s a bit hard to explain because we were all close to him; we all had equal access to him. Our dad was an unusual father and he allowed us to have access to him. We stayed at home for a major part of our lives even during our university days; we became the closest to him at that time.

Did he influence your career?

No, he never did. He would have wanted us to study Accounting or Economics because our two elder brothers are chartered accountants. He never attempted to force anything on us. He told us that once there is excellence, any field is lucrative.

What lesson did you learn from him?

I think he was a giver. He gave to people even to his detriment. He never hesitated to help anybody. He was a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University. He was an entomologist while our mum is a school proprietress.

Which primary and secondary schools did you attend?

We attended Omolayo model school and Omolayo Model College, both in Ilesha, Osun State.

But you stayed in Modakeke, why did you school in Ilesha?

At some point, the family moved to Ilesha.

Why?

I think it was the Ife/Modakeke crisis at that time. But immediately we finished our secondary education, our parents relocated us back to Modakeke.

Where did you have your masters in the UK?

I (Kehinde) had my masters in Public Health at Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom while Tayelolu had his masters at the University of Stirling, Scotland, UK.

Who is your mentor in music?

Nathaniel Bassey.

Why Nathaniel Bassey?

He displays clear spiritual seriousness in his music that tells one he’s a true man of God.

What’s the name of your music organisation?

The name of our music group is Ejire Kakaki Jesu because our major musical instrument is the saxophone (Kakaki in Yoruba), which we both play very well. That’s why we are Ejire Kakaki Jesu.