Though a budding artiste, Michael George, recently bagged a degree in Business Administration from the Lagos State University, Ojo, he says that his major calling is to win souls for Christ. Signed to Rona Entertainment, he talks to OVWE MEDEME about his soon-to-be-released album, Amen, growing up in an orphanage, as well as his desire to touch lives through music
WHEN did you realise you had the calling to be a gospel musician?
Let me say, I am a God addict. I like doing things for God. It dawned on me at an early age that I was called to do this. It was a call to serve and because I have a skill in music, I decided to use my skill to communicate the gospel of Jesus to people. That was how I started. I started way back from school, my university days to be precise. That should be about 2009. It was in phases. But I grew into it until I found myself where I am right now.
As one who discovered a love for music early, why didn’t you study it as a course in school?
At that time, I didn’t know I was going to do music professionally. I just loved singing. I wanted to be a successful business man. So I wanted to go to school, study Accounting or Business Administration. I ended up studying Business Administration but along the line, my love for music grew even stronger than my desire to do business.
What genre of music do you play?
My genre is not laid out. The kind of music I do is diverse. For me, my focus is God, so whenever is works. I can’t really pinpoint my genre.
Have you released any album?
My first album will be dropping next month by the grace of God. It is still a work in progress.
How many tracks are on the album?
So far, I have ten tracks in it but I cannot say specifically how many tracks will be on the album. For now, we have about 10. I have two singles that dropped on my birthday, the 10th of October. They are titled Chioma and My God. They are doing very well out there.
People say that gospel music is not commercially viable. What has been your experience in that regard?
Basically, I hear people say that a lot but the reality is that no one does the things of God and starve. So if you are called and you carry out the assignment that was given to you, God is always behind whomever he has given an assignment. For me, I think it is wrong when people say Gospel music is not commercially viable. It is a give and take situation. If you bless lives, definitely God will bless you.
Is there any collaboration in your album?
Yes, I did one with Maestro. He is a gospel artiste too
What genre of music do you play?
My genre is not laid out. The kind of music I do is diverse. For me, my focus is God, so whenever is works. I can’t really pinpoint my genre.
Have you released any album?
My first album will be dropping next month by the grace of God. It is still a work in progress.
As a child growing up, what were your biggest fears?
Growing up, I had inferiority complex and that was as a result of the fact that I lost my parents at a very young age. And then, I was afraid that I wasn’t going to make it. I had a lot of hopes and dreams. I wanted to be a good person. I didn’t want to be a nobody. I had huge fears because my parents left so early. I had fears that I wasn’t going to be great, that I wasn’t going to achieve my dreams. Those were my fears basically.
You sound like you have family background. How did you end up in an orphanage?
The only family I had was my dad and my mum. My dad died when I was about six and my mum died when I was just a teenager. At that time I was in secondary school. Before then, she registered as a member of a widows association. What they do in that association is to help the widows and their children.
At that point, I got a scholarship to study in a secondary school. When mum passed on, I was about fifteen. There was no relative for me to go to, so the only option was for me to go back to the proprietress of the school who granted me the scholarship. She was the one who put the call through to the founder of the orphanage.
Looking back, how would you describe the journey?
My journey so far has been very interesting. It’s been a lesson. It’s been a mix of ups and downs. I am where I am today because it’s been God all the way. Every step I took, every phase I found myself made me appreciate who God really is and how mysterious his ways are. My journey so far has been very interesting and it has drawn me closer to God. It has drawn me closer to the ‘almightyness’ of God.
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