Gospel singer Obiora Obiwon has reacted to the interview of pop singer Rema explaining why he switched from being a gospel artiste to a secular musician.
Explaining why he went from gospel to secular in a recent interview with media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Rema said, “I was still in Benin when that switch happened. A lot of people thought that when I got signed, I started deviating.“No. Actually, life was tough in Benin. I’m not that guy to ask the people in church to pay me because I’m doing God’s work.
“Right there in Benin, I started going to competitions, going to bars, lounges, political rallies; just trying to get on the stage and hold a microphone, to at least get sprayed some money to come back home and feed my family, because we were going through tough times.”
Reacting to the interview in an Instagram post on Monday, Ibiwon, formerly a secular musician, threw a question at Christian creatives and gospel music stakeholders, asking how such a narrative can be changed.
He added that stories like Rema’s sends the wrong signals “down the line to a whole generation as regards dedicating one’s art to the faith they profess and live by.”
“Question to Christian creatives and Gospel Music stakeholders: How can we change the narrative? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not implying that everything “secular” is bad.
“However stories like this, (which are more preponderant), send the wrong signal down the line to a whole generation as regards dedicating one’s art to the faith they profess and live by. If we are being effective in our witness as Christians, why aren’t we hearing more stories of sons who answered the call to switch and use their art to proclaim the gospel that saved them?”
