Gospel Singer Temitayo Irawo Gives Advice To Up And Coming Gospel Singers...

Temitayo Irawo started her career 20 years ago and has had to struggle through the murky waters of poor remuneration in the gospel music industry in Nigeria. 

In a chat with Saturday Beats, she noted that it had not been a walk in the park since she started her career as a gospel artiste.


“I started gospel music 20 years ago, I have faced a lot of challenges but God has been faithful. Sometimes, I have to sing in three different churches in the dead of night, and going from one event to another is usually risky but the joy of the Lord has been my strength.

“Some people don’t like paying gospel artistes; their argument is always based on the fact that the gift is from God.

Some of the guys that work with me and play instruments for me are always discouraged due to the fact that sometimes I don’t have enough money to pay them.


“Sincerely, no one can pay a gospel artiste apart from God, but we still need the money to pay our band members.

There was a time I travelled from Lagos to Ondo State to perform, and I was underpaid. The money was so small that I am even ashamed to mention it.


“There was a time someone wanted to lure me to go into secular music, but I had to decline. I had to tell the person that there was no way I could perform with a Fuji artiste.


“I do not have anything against Fuji artiste, but I sing spiritual songs, so I can’t do secular music at all. My advice to upcoming gospel artistes is for them to focus on God and not on any man.


From punch