SET HIM OFF!

Today has been a funny day. You know, one of those days when you’re not sure if you’re happy or sad, or just numb. Well, that’s where I am now, and I thought it would help to do what I enjoy doing, blog! So, here we go.

Something about me you might not know (except you’ve worked with me) is that I have to write on paper before I can type on a computer, especially during any creative process. So poems, scripts, chronicles, I have the pleasurable (sometimes) double task of writing, before I type, and it is not unconnected to the fact that my writing is simply brilliant! Store that in your ‘facts about the Fairy Godsister’ and let’s move to the chronicle for the day which is something that happened spits before Christmas last year.

It relates to an event I attended on the 28^th of December at the KLM centre in Bermondsey called Give It Up organized by Set Him Off. Now while up till now I haven’t been able to find the relationship between the title and the fact that the programme was supposed to be gospel concert – Sean Paul’s ‘Give it up to me’ ring a bell anyone -, I’ll run you through it. A little disclaimer before I start; I am recounting this event almost 50 days after it happened so I will not remember every performance. Ok?

Forget the story about my new-found love for Google Maps and how we ‘eventually got there’ and note that the event started an hour behind schedule (how else would you know it was organized by our people). The beautiful, very cosy venue was enough to inspire some forgiveness anyway, plus it was a welcome departure from the cold I had been trudging about in in search of the place!

The place was really nicely set up, they seemed to have read my mind; the one thing that single-handedly has the power to turn me on or off at an event is sound. Your event can move from 100 to 0 in minutes in my sight if the sound is not locked down, and tight too. Did these guys have sound on point or what!!! You know when music makes you get goose bumps? When it feels like the walls could vibrate from the ‘richness’ of the sound? Yeah, that’s what they had!

There was a prayer and a worship session that totally blew me away; there’s nothing like worshipping God sha, nothing compares to it. Sometimes I think that when everything is right in worship, your right, the songs, and instrumentation, it gets God’s attention faster! #justsaying

EBEN took the stage next and was the first act for the evening. To start with, the man can sing!!! (Insert screaming and groupie icons). Now while I have big issues with his curly hair (doesn’t work for me at all) and the fact that he almost didn’t take his gloves off (a` la biker abi), his ministration was on point! Home boy had the audience on their feet from the first stanza of his popular “Ima ran ma”. I’ll stop there before I enter Louis ‘always frenzied’ Walsh mode.

Next up was Rotimi Awonaike, a UK-based worship leader. Nice rendition of Deitrick Haddon‘s ‘He’s Able’; I would have loved something original but that’s just me…

Jahdiel told us her heritage, culture, and tradition, and very powerfully too!!! She looked so pretty, and I am SERIOUSLY waiting for something new from her. About time sister!

Marsha Garrick was next, and not only is she beautiful, graceful and very warm, I really loved her song, and the way she ministered it too. Maybe because I could relate to the lyrics, maybe because it was different, now I don’t know. I hear she’s got a new video out, thought you might want to see….

The compère was fun too, I remember him saying that we all had to buy at least one CD or else we wouldn’t be allowed to leave the hall after the event….talk about the violent taking it by force! Of course he was joking..

Someone came with his swag sha!! Obi Shine brought it and my God he rocked the stage! Funny though, I hear he’s stage-named after one of his hit singles; does that mean we should expect many ‘evolution/epiphany/reintroduction of’ albums? Trust the Fairy GodSister to keep you posted…

Tanya Christina did a happy, go-easy Christmas song but it was more what she said than the song itself that thrilled me. She said that seated in the auditorium were David’s and Esther’s; people who were born to ‘do it’ regardless of the situations or challenges around them. She said all of us seated there were capable of being the change we want to see, and boy did/do I believe her! We need to stop complaining, and blindly too (message to Nigerians) and look at the real issues, we need to move beyond sitting on our backs and whining to actually doing something! Three cheers to anyone who defied the impossible circumstances to register, the journey just started! Who are you going to vote for, and why? What’s his or her track record? Have they been faithful with little? Are you voting for them because you believe in their abilities or because of the cash or favour you’re looking to?

Forgive me, I digressed a bit, but for a good cause. Back to the event, Alice Davies did it for me jor! For now it’s a tie between her and Obi Shine, and her strong point was that she made me ‘be re mo le’! When she sang ‘alagbara bi ara’, I didn’t know when my hands left my sides, found their way to my head, and dipped to the ground in one fluid movement! There’s nothing, absolutely nothing like Nigerian music, nothing compares to it!

After I contained myself and settled back into my seat, I saw Temi T was next with a beautifully revised version of the chorus, ‘Jehovah we praise your name’. It was beautiful et al but I don’t know why I have this belief that when you have been invited out to minister, that’s not the time to sing a chorus; that’s the time to dig deep and showcase the original stuff you have! Again, it’s just me….

Show me a man who will make it, and I’ll show you someone who knows his hustle!! BNG!! Producers, directors, photography (I think they filmed the event too), and artistes too! Plus their song ‘Jesus name carry weight’ really rocked! I loved the versatility the brothers showed, plus did I mention one of the brothers was the compère?

Now, something I’ve seen/learnt over the years; if you’re not Lagbaja, Fela, Donnie McClurkin or even Asu Ekiye, your song/ministration/performance should not exceed four minutes! That’s my opinion and seriously, regardless of how much we love you and the energy you bring to a performance, it still gets tiring after the 7th minute of the same song! Cc @Tim Godfrey.

The boys ‘on’ the building took the stage next! Suave meets deliciously crazy doesn’t come close to describing these lyricists, the Rooftop Mcs!!! Rooftop MCs!! Performing ‘for my life’ from their new album Back at One, they reminded us they didn’t just start doing this today (or yesterday, or last week)! By the time they got to Lagi Mo, they literally brought the roof down! The ministration below is from Trinity Chapel in Essex but I love the song, this is my blog, get my drift? Enjoy!

Now I know she didn’t perform right after the MC’s but it was wonderful to finally meet the person behind a video I saw for the first time in 2008. I loved that video then, I loved her performance of the song. Drum roll for………Nene!!

The rest of the evening rolled by (not as quickly as I hoped) because as much as I was enjoying every minute of it, I was looking at my watch and blessing God for my excellent navigation skills! And starting late didn’t help too!

It was an exciting, performance filled event, and I truly (from the bottom of my heart) salute the Set Him Off crew for assembling the calibre of ministers that they did under one roof; it’s no mean feat! I must make mention of Bola Mogaji who I met briefly, the man to whom the vision for concerts like these was given. I think you rock Sir!

P:S – I feel better! It’s amazing how chronicling events lifts my spirit!

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