Music Corner with Mo

William Shakespeare once said “If music be the food of love, then play on.” This shows how powerful music can be to the human soul; it can inspire such strong emotions such as love. For me, music has been one of the greatest tools in helping me uncover God’s unending love for me.

Here, I list a few songs that have encouraged me and that remind me of the faithfulness of God. Also, in celebration of Nigeria’s 57th Independence I have selected songs that celebrate my Nigerian heritage. Hope you are richly blessed and encouraged by my selections!

  1. Simi – Aimasiko

So, this is a remix by the Nigerian singer/artist, Simi and it seems the song was inspired by a Yoruba proverb.

It was actually originally performed by Chief Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi popularly known as Ebenezer Obey. He is a popular Nigerian artist known for promoting the highlife-juju music genre. For non-Yoruba speakers the lyrics of the song, generally states that when things don’t seem to be working out for us and it seems our hopes and dreams for the future isn’t being manifested in reality and we can easily become disillusioned, we must remember that the situation we are in, is in God’s hands. I totally enjoy the vibe as well as the message of the song as it reminds us that everything has its time and season and no matter what your current situation, it’s all in God’s hands.

The chorus of the song which is also the most memorable part states “Aimasiko lo n daamu eda, Oro mi lowo Oluwa lo wa” which loosely translates into “We fret/worry unduly because the future is hidden from us, but God is in control of everything concerning us” (major shout out to my family and in particular my cousin for helping me translate this, my Yoruba is trying sha). Now, this reminds me of another song ‘Ain’t No Need To Worry by Anita Baker and The Winans (you should check out the blog post Music for Keeping On if you haven’t already).

At times, due to our human nature it is easier said than done to just not worry therefore I offer another practical advice. Somewhere towards the end of this song, there’s a dance interlude. I don’t know about you but for me dancing is such a great stress relief.  This interlude could be a wonderful opportunity for some “komele” (serious dancing), because sometimes you might just need to dance the worries and fears away.

  1. Gbadebo Odufuwa – Nothing for your Grace

This is a recently released song with a clear and simple message along with being a great tune.

Nothing for Your Grace

It reminds me of the salvation of my soul and the great privilege I have to say I am a child of God. So freely was this given to us, so feel free to #DabForTheLord because trust me, I definitely did during the many times I listened to it. Apart from the general hype and great artistry on this song ministration, it also has such an impactful and strong message. Since a majority of the song is in Yoruba, I have listed the English translation to a section from the lyrics below to give a general understanding on what the song is about.

Chorus:
I paid nothing nothing
I paid nothing for your grace
I did nothing, nothing
To deserve your love so great
I gave nothing, nothing
Yet you died in my place
Nothing at all
Thank you my Lord
Nothing at all
Thank you Jesus

One of my favorite verse states:

     Yoruba                                                                                                 English
Ko gba sisi to yo                                               He never took a penny from me
Emi gan o ni kobo lowo                                   I never really had a kobo to pay
Ore elese tooto                                                              The true friend of a sinner
Loni mo useful, l’oro ba tan            Said I’m useful to Him and that is all that matters
O dust mi, mo di mimo                             He dusted me and I became clean
O clean mess mi, l’egbin ba tan              He cleaned up my mess, and my filthiness ended
Kini mo gbe fun o                                                  What did I offer him?
Mi o ma mo o                                                              I don’t really know
Kini mo ri fun o?                                           What could I have given to him?
Mi o mo’di to fi femi                                        I don’t know why he loves me

Lyrics and Translation by Mr Gbadebo Impression

For more information, check out this page

NOTE: Kobo is Nigerian currency. It is to the naira what cent is to the dollar.

The ‘Hallelujah oo’ at the end signals the end of the song beautifully, but also silences all the fears and worries we might have. ‘Hallelujah” means to “Praise God” and to me this means that in order to truly praise God you have to put aside all your worries and fears. Indeed, we have no need to worry because God’s in control and Christ finished it all on the cross, by dying for us he won the victory over death.  Nothing else matters.

In the midst of the turmoil and troubles occurring in the world as well as the internal turmoil we go through on a daily basis, it is necessary for us to remind ourselves of the faithfulness of God through it all. Likewise, we thank God for his faithfulness to Nigeria and all its citizens. We look forward to the future with hope and prayers for a better tomorrow and a brighter future for Nigeria(#EGoBetter). Just the fact that we are still alive is enough reason to show utmost gratitude to God. Moreover, He is the only one that can truly change our situation and turn things around for our good.

What are some of your favorite songs that encourage and inspire you? What do the different songs mean to you?

#KeepOnKeepingOn


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