Entertainment

Choristers-TurnedMusic Artistes Exposed

Published

11 years ago

February 13, 2015

A recent investigation has
revealed some of the top Nigerian artistes who started from the church either as singers in choir, praise leaders or drummers before moving over to secular music much later in their lives. They include the following.
Peter and Paul Okoye (P Square)
This singing duo disclosed that their mother, Josephine Okoye influenced their music career later in life. She used to be a member of a choir and when they were growing up, she took them to rehearsals and they watched her as she sang with the choir, so they got the music disposition from her.
Later she became a pastor in her ministry called “Friends of Jesus Catholic Prayer Ministry and when she started her ministry, they were her choir, her choristers.
Olubankole Wellington (Banky W)
This great entertainer and top artiste disclosed that everybody who knew him knew that he sang.
He said he started singing at an earlier stage. I was always singing in school or church choir.
Michael Collins Ajere (Don Jazzy)
In an interview, Don Jazzy made it known to the public that he started singing at the church choir.
Amanyi Oche Gabriel Terry G.)
Terry G as he is popularly known revealed that he came from a Christian background. His dad was an elder in church, while his mother was a deaconess and at one time she used to be a choir mistress. I used to go all the time to the church with my mom. I already knew how to sing, so I ended up in the choir. Quickly I started developing interest in musical, I picked up the drums, graduated to key boards and even played bass guitter”, he said.
Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (D Banj)
The Koko master needs no introduction since the name has become a house-hold name. He said during his younger days he learnt how to play harmonica, that was where the love for music grew.
He disclosed that he joined the choir and played every instrument he could lay his hands. At any opportunity he got, he tried to express himself through music.
J-Martings
He also mentioned in an interview that he started singing at the church. “Actually my mum was a choir mistress, so I think the seven of us caught the singing bug from her. From singing, I took to playing musical instruments and got into production while I was in school in Onitsha.
Enetimi Alfred Odom (Timaya)
The ‘Ukwu’ singer who spoke on his musical journey, said he started from church before starting up as a back up for Eedris Abdukareem for three years before exploring his musical career.
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (Wizkid)
The dude who started his music career at a young age is not left out. He started when he was eleven years at the church and from then on, he has been in love with music. He dropped an album in church, performed in church and went from church to church for performance”, I am thankful to God for where I am now”, he stated.
Iyanya Onoyom Mbuk (Iyanya)
It was gathered that Iyanya used to sing in his church choir and was the choirmaster for the children’s choir at the age of five, he later started rapping even back than he was rapping, he was in the choir.
Oluwatobi Wande (Wandecoal)
Wandecoal like most great musicians started singing in the teenage choir in church where he was with a group member, Chuddy K. He got his breakthrough in the Nigerian Entertainment industry as a dancer. He continued improving on his vocal skill and got signed to Don Jazzy’s Mo Hits Records in 2006. He featured on D’banj’s Rundown’, ‘Funk You Up’ album and on singles like Loke, Tonosible and Why Me’
Dare Art Alade
Dare Art Alade revealed that it all started when he was about eight in the children’s choir of his church. While he was at CMS Grammer School, he led the choir, they would perform at functions, he was also a member of the choir of Cathedral Church of Christ and capped it up by studying music at University of Lagos. Some of his friends came together and they formed a singing group called “Chorde Webs”.
Aituaje Iruobe (Waje)
As a young and gifted singer, she once sang gospel tunes to the delight of the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa of the Word of Faith Church Benin. While at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, where she had a degree in social work, Waje was very much with her musical side by making sure she performed in school concerts and fellowship.
Culled from global excellence magazine.

Entertainment

Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes becomes Nollywood’s highest-grossing film of 2025, earning ?1.77bn in under four weeks.

Multi-award-winning actress and producer Funke Akindele has done it again, and this time, the numbers speak louder than applause.

Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has officially emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2025, pulling in an astonishing ?1.767 billion in less than four weeks.

The Tide Entertainment reports that Funke Akindele Makes Box Office History as Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn
Earlier in its release cycle, the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, revealed that Behind The Scenes smashed five opening-weekend records, including the highest single-day gross ever recorded on Boxing Day, with ?129.5 million in one day. That announcement already hinted that something unusual was unfolding.

Reacting to the milestone, FilmOne described the moment as both surreal and communal, crediting audience loyalty for pushing the film to the top spot once again as the number-one movie of the weekend. And that sentiment feels accurate. This wasn’t just ticket sales; it was momentum.

What makes this achievement even more striking is that Behind The Scenes is Funke Akindele’s third film to cross the ?1 billion mark. Before now, there was A Tribe Called Judah, and then Everybody Loves Jenifa, a film that didn’t just open big, but went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time. At this point, it’s no longer a fluke. It’s a pattern.

Part of Behind The Scenes’ success lies in strategy. The film enjoyed advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, quietly building curiosity and conversation before its nationwide release on December 12. By the time it officially hit cinemas, audiences already felt like they needed to see it.

Then there’s the cast. The film brings together a lineup that feels deliberately stacked: Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, and several others. Familiar faces, strong fan bases, and performances that kept word-of-mouth alive long after opening weekend.

Still, beyond timing and casting, there’s something else at work here. Funke Akindele understands Nigerian audiences. Their humour, their pacing, their emotional buttons. She doesn’t guess, she calculates, experiments, listens, and refines. That understanding has slowly turned into box-office dominance.

Behind The Scenes crossing ?1.77 billion isn’t just another headline; it’s confirmation. Funke Akindele has moved from being a successful actress to becoming one of the most reliable commercial forces Nollywood has ever produced. Three-billion-naira films don’t happen by luck. They happen when storytelling, business sense, and audience trust align.

And right now, that alignment seems firmly in her hands.

Entertainment

Adekunle Gold, Simi Welcome Twin Babies

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

Popular Nigerian music stars, Adekunle Kosoko, widely known as Adekunle Gold, and his wife, Simi, have become parents again this time to twins.

The award-winning singer shared the joyful update on his Snapchat story on Wednesday, confirming the expansion of their family.

“Asked God for another child and he blessed me double,” she wrote.

While the couple has not yet disclosed the gender of the newborns, the announcement has sparked an outpouring of warm wishes from admirers, fellow celebrities, and industry colleagues.

Speculation had intensified in December when Simi posted a video on Instagram accompanied by the caption, “From my baby, for my babies.”

The clip showed her with a growing baby bump, fueling anticipation that another child was on the way.

Their latest blessings arrive just weeks after Simi highlighted a scene from Adekunle Gold’s newly released music video, “My Love is the Same,” further stirring excitement among fans.

The Tide Entertainment reports that Adekunle Gold and Simi who tied the knot in 2019 after a long history of friendship and musical synergy remain one of Nigeria’s most admired entertainment power couples. Both artistes were once signed to X3M Music before soaring into mainstream acclaim.

The pair welcomed their first child, Adejare Kosoko, fondly called Deja, in May 2020.

Entertainment

Jesse Flames Opens 2026 With ‘Praise The Lord’ Featuring Magnito

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

After closing out 2025 with the release of “Praise the Lord” featuring Magnito, Jesse Flames enters the new year with renewed clarity and purpose, continuing to build a body of work rooted in intention rather than noise. In a moment where Afrobeats is moving faster and louder than ever, his approach remains measured and deliberate, prioritizing meaning, craft, and longevity over momentary attention. The official music video arrives January 10.

Following the momentum of his breakout single “FLEX,” “Praise the Lord” represents a shift from celebration to grounding. Reflective and soulful, the record centers gratitude, growth, and perspective, capturing a quieter confidence that resonates beyond a single moment.

“This song is about recognizing the full picture,” Jesse shares. “The work people see and the work they don’t. The lessons, the setbacks, the growth.”

The collaboration with Magnito, a respected voice in Nigerian hip hop known for his sharp lyricism and cultural authenticity, adds depth and weight to the record, reinforcing its themes of resilience, faith, and self reflection.

Released in December at the height of Detty December, “Praise the Lord” became a natural soundtrack for both celebration and reflection as the year came to a close. With the video arriving in January, the record takes on new meaning, opening the year as a tone setter rather than a reset.

Born in the United States, raised in Festac, Lagos, and now based in London, Jesse Flames brings a global perspective to his sound, blending Afrobeats, hip hop, and melodic soul into something sleek and intentional. His music reflects lived experience and cultural nuance rather than trend chasing.

The Tide Entertainment reports that with over 11 million streams, performances at O2 Brixton Academy and OVO Arena Wembley, and coverage from The Guardian and Business Post Nigeria, Jesse’s rise has been steady and self made. Looking ahead to 2026 and 2027, he is preparing for collaborations with Ice Prince, M.I Abaga, and Smurlee.

“Praise the Lord” ft. Magnito is available now on all streaming platforms.