Page 74 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 6

AFRIKAN ARTS
Tell us about you
My name is Igbunu Derrick
Egwero. I was born in Sapele,
Delta State but I hail from Isoko
South Local Govt. Area of Delta
State, Nigeria. I am a graduate
of Mass Communication from
the Delta State Polytechnic,
Ogwashiuku however; I am not
a practicing journalist.
I currently reside in Lagos
State, Nigeria where I work as
an assistant producer at Green-
land Sound Factory Lagos. I
also serve as a pianist and a
music instructor in The Re-
deemed Evangelical Mission
(TREM) Headquarters Lagos.
I am also the pioneer of the
Sapele Alive Vision with my
team, Royal Priesthood Family,
RPF.
You have a deep passion
for music, how did it be-
gin?
Music has always been all I
have come to know and love...
First, I'm a Preacher’s kid and
that exposed me to music early
because I was always in church
and so at 11 I was already
drumming, but I took particular
interest in the piano. At 14, I
became the music director of
my dad's church and that was
the beginning of professional
music for me.
What has the journey been
like for you?
The journey has been amazing
and has been a fulfilling one
but like any endeavor or career
path, it has been a roller-coast- love deeply and appreciate so
er.
Since I started playing commer-
cially at a very early age I was
exposed to a host of people,
talents and characters as well
as a versatile world and so
the ability to fit into all of that
74 | heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika
and still stay strong has been
a great feat especially since I
started really early.
My area of influence for some
time revolved only around my
locality, but when I got into
the higher institution it was a
whirlwind! I joined the House on
the Rock Church Asaba in Delta
state as a student, and in no
time, I became and remained
the music director of that amaz-
ing choir for 4yrs. In that time,
we emerged the best choir in
that region and even beyond,
winning lots of awards. I moved
to Lagos quite recently and I
have worked with really amaz-
ing artists like Onos Ariyo, Pita,
Pat Uwaje Kings and so many
others.
However, there were many
times I felt like just quitting
because a lot of people who I
looked up to disappointed me,
looked down on me and with-
held their support but in those
dark times I have always run to
God and continuously He has
always proved Himself true as
my Father and biggest support-
er as many testimonies have
and are still abounding from
these bold steps.
I am aware you have a
music/singing group called
RPF. Tell us about that
group and how you have
managed to stay together
for so long?
Yes, I am privileged to lead an
amazing set of great men and
women who I have come to
much and I call them The Army
but God is our Captain!
It all started when God began to
open my eyes to the vastness
of talent in my city as well the
corresponding attention and
impact that was being achieved.
RPF
I began to see that it fell short
of what it was supposed to be
at all levels. So after prayers
and seeking the Lord fervently,
we launched out as a team and
began to consciously introduce
God again into the city through
music. When we started, people
looked at us like another one of
those groups which had started
and crashed - but we held on
to God's mandate of restoring
the consciousness of God in
the city, reviving the dying art of
corporate praise and worship
and this we did in various cities.
We also - by God's help - in-
spired a lot of God's children,
especially the younger genera-
tion, to embrace their God-giv-
en destinies and to pursue their
dreams in God.
After some months of touring
some cities, The SAPELE
ALIVE movement began. It is
a concert of intense praise, wor-
ship and intercessory prayers
for the City of Sapele.
As God will always confirm His
Word, there have been lots of
mind-blowing testimonies tied
to this yearly concert. Because
of it, many other worship and
music concerts have launched
out and other choirs, which had
been afraid to start, all came
out and it has been bigger and