#LeadMeByOBA. The story behind the Song!

 

One songwriter said,”Music can change the world because it can change people”

What a profound message that is, indeed music changes people and if people change because of what they hear, then ultimately the world would change-One person per time.

That leaves a great responsibility on the shoulder of many people like me, who have been given the capacity to birth songs that causes transformation. I have to admit that it is not every time a musician get to birth a song that is  revolutionary and classic in every sense of the word.  But when such opportunities come, you want to seize it and make sure you get core message of the song that is been birthed through  you.

On Thursday 25th February, I released a new song and video simultaneously titled ‘Lead Me’ it was another milestone for me, and I am so overwhelmed with joy.

Every songwriter is a storyteller though not every storyteller is a songwriter. ‘LeadMe’ was written at that point in my life when it seemed as if I had lost every reason to move on.

Back to my story, The year 2012 was quite a challenging year for my family, we had it so rough that it seemed all hell was let loose on us. It wasn’t a pleasant  experience, but we had to go through that season, which lingered for 2years.

One afternoon I was watching a video of Herbie Hancock feat. India Arie, on Youtube, it was the song performed at Nobel Peace Prize.

As I sat down watching there was a battle  going on in mind, One part of me was saying,’That’s the kind of platform that God has ordained for you to share his love with the world. It will come to pass if you hold on and believe…. with time!

The other voice was like,’hey, wake up dreamer, only in your dreams. How will you get there? do you think it’s your kind of music? and on went the negative pessimistic side of my mind.

For a moment, I paused, and thought to myself,’ I know that I have been given a mandate that goes beyond the four walls of “church”. It is a global assignment and I will get there, with that ounce of hope I picked up my guitar and started strumming on the chords.

I sat on the pavement behind the house staring into the clear blue sky, as I strummed, tears rolled out of my eyes and the words began to flow;

Lead Me, Lead Me

Lead me into something better

I don’t want to stray from you, Lord

don’t wanna go from you, my God

Lead Me.

The memories of my experience as a struggling Christian musician started playing out, it was as if I was watching a movie. I remembered how some promoters told me to tone down on my Jesus thing because they believed that for my kind of music to thrive in the mainstream, I should do less of Jesus Songs. Remembering  these  experiences

I cried out again

I don’t wanna stray from you, Lord

don’t wanna go from your presence

Lord Lead me.

I wrote the other verses to the song, afterward, we performed it at our usual lounge in Ikoyi and everybody identified with it, and it became an anthem among OBA&Friends.

Fast forward to 2014, We were in the studios rehearsing and getting ready to go and record the album, my producer Philip Uzo was just playing something on the piano, as he was playing I saw an all white background and a piano at the centre of the stage, and I was hearing this same song #LeadMeByOBA but in another version.

I beckoned on my manager(The Husband Himself), and my producer and told them what I saw as He was playing.I hummed what I heard and I was told to develop it, That took a while but I developed and that was how another version  ‘Lead Me’ was birthed.

As we got to the studio to record, we did the first version (which had become an anthem among OBA&Friends), I was told  to record the new version as well. I went into the recording booth and started singing, as I sang, the memories  came flooding my mind and I broke down in the middle of the recording, but I didn’t stop singing.

That moment was like my ‘aha’ moment. I just knew right there and then, no more struggles because I know God will indeed lead me all the way to glory and virtue no matter how bleak things may look at the moment.

It is with that same assurance that I want to encourage anyone going through whatever it is you may be going through. God will lead you to the promise Land in your life, marriage, career, family, ministry for as long as You lean and depend on Him for direction. Because He knows you by name, and His plans for you is to bring you to an expected end.

 

 Show me the way that I should go,for to you I entrust my Life- Psalm 143:8b

My Desire is that this song will bring encouragement and assurance of God’s presence into your lives and Indeed wherever you are on your Journey ..God will lead you to something better, greater, heights beyond measure, and you will experience Peace hope and love.

#LeadMeByOBA.

Help me share it with the world.

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