ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MIN. JENGOA | #RwGBlog

 

My music career I started singing in Church children's choir at The Chapel of The Transfiguration, Rivers State College of Education, Rumuolumeni. Throughout my secondary school, I sang classical songs, beginning at Enitonna High School choir from my JS1 to SS3. About the same time I briefly joined some church choirs in Port Harcourt: St Cyprian's and Banham Methodist churches; in addition, for a short while, I joined the Clustered Male Choir. 

Classical music laid the foundation of my music career. Later, I joined the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) choir at 19 King Jaja Street where I was a keyboardist for several years. I was later transferred to The Way Parish of RCCG where I served as music director for a couple of years.

 My time at RCCG exposed me to negro spiritual music and contemporary Gospel music. During my undergraduate years, I was the music coordinator at the Student Christian Movement fellowship at Rivers State University of Science and Technology. After graduation, I was music director at Vision Family Church, Yenagoa. After NYSC I came back to my childhood church at Rumuolumeni where I was music director for about 10 years. During this period, I met many talented undergraduate students who dedicated themselves to Christian music and it was a pleasure working with them. Some people have richly influenced my music career. At Enitonna High School, they were Graham Tobins, now Dr Precious Omuku and Otonte Ekimiete. It's encouraging to note that former members and leaders of Enitonna High School choir have done exceptionally well in classical music. In RCCG, I was influenced heavily by Asu Ekiye; he made me realise I could borrow some knowledge from classical music into contemporary music. 

The Onofeghara family was another immense influence. Those guys were so dedicated even after they lost their mother. George Frederick Handel is one man I cannot forget. His book The Messiah opened my understanding to the breadth and depth of classical singing. When I came into the contemporary Christian music, the likes of Kirk Franklin, Hezekiah Walker and Fred Hammond laid the foundations of organised/arranged choir songs. The song Thank You for the Rain is much influenced by Hezekiah Walker's song Calling my name; it starts with a need for rededication and reconsecration of our lives and ends with joyful expressions of thanksgiving as God releases His anointing on the worldwide church. I'm married with four children.