Secular music more prominent on radio –Ann Inyang

Delectable Gospel songstress, Princess Ann Inyang who is a multiple award winner and United Nations Peace Ambassador shares her story with NGOZI EMEDOLIBE and VICTOR UDOH Excerpts:
What’s the story behind the hit song Akanam Nkwe?
When my song ‘Akanam Nkwe’ was released in 1996, people thought it was a South African song because they hadn’t heard a “Calabar” song with a calypso rhythm before. Usually, songs from that side would come with the “ekombi” rhythm, besides, there were very few songs from that region then because my people used to be ashamed of speaking their language.
Even when you greet them in Ibibio, they would answer you in English (laughs). Anyway, things have changed now, we are proudly “Akwa Ibomites” thanks to people like us who blazed the trail of singing gospel music in our local language and introducing cultural dressing and dancing into the video. Thanks also to our dynamic Chief Godswill Akpabio (CON0 who emphasizes the need to teach children to communicate in their local dialect and for people to be proud of their language.
What brought about the song “Akanam Nkwe”?
When it was first released, but my fans renamed it Akanam Nkwe so I flowed along with them). What actually gave birth to it was the break-up of my first marriage. The morning the song formed in my spirit was after reading the Bible 1st Corinthians 13 which enumerates the qualities of real love. I couldn’t help but compare what I was passing through with God’s kind of love.
God’s love never ends. I am fond of the exclamation “woyo” or “sai” which you could translate “ehyaah, ewo and ha!, so after reading that scripture, I exclaimed “sai”, because indeed, there is no comparison! It was during the day while driving in Surulere, that the song started to form in my spirit. The chorus line simply means “I have never seen, I have never heard the love that can compare with God’s love”. Then I expanded the body of the song to enumerate the qualities of God’s love which includes the fact that “it is unconditional, endless, full of compassion, not self-seeking, does not select who to love, does not love because of money, beauty, ability to bear children, good character etc”.
Today, the song has become an all-time favourite of the church, both locally and internationally. A fan of mine, who is a Praise/Worship leader in his church, told me that when he observes that the atmosphere of praise is dull, he would immediately bring in the song “Akanam Nkwe” to charge it; because when the people hear “woyoooo….” They are ready to shout “saiiiii” (she chuckles).
Princess, what are the challenges facing the existence of gospel music in Nigeria?
The major thing I see as a challenge to gospel music is its relegation to the background by some radio and television stations in Nigeria, because it is played majorly on Sundays. As a result, secular music now dominates the airwaves. Gospel music is not enjoying sufficient airplay in this country as it should unlike other African countries. I don’t know if this is a directive from Government or what? The result is that secular music is given more prominence on both radio and television and that automatically becomes the more “acceptable” music. When you keep listening to one type of music, pretty soon, you will find yourself singing along. Our children have no choice than to sing songs that have no moral contents and they feel that is the order of the day because they have no other options. Music videos are embalmed with hyper sexuality visuals with the guys fully clothed and the ladies with bra and pant – skimpily dressed, and lyrical contents reduced to vulgarity in most cases. Children are products of their environment, so when they begin to practice what they hear on radio and watch on television at very tender age whose fault is it? On Children’s Day this year, I was invited by a TV station to perform for the children who were between 5 to 12 years of age, I watched in amazement as the younger female children between 5 and 6 years, were wriggling their waists to the songs played by the DJ before I performed – just the way they see it on television. Don’t get me wrong, I do listen to secular music (of course that is the major music on air so I have no choice but to listen to it), but I have a choice to touch the dial of my television set and switch to something else if I do not like it. Same thing goes to the radio. So, why can’t gospel music and even Muslim music be played on a daily basis, let the people make their choice?
Has the relegation of gospel music prevented the religious crisis in this country?
One thing people do know is that a good song is a good song, anybody would buy it whether they are Christians or not. A lot of people bought the album of Midnight Crew because of the track “Igwe”, same thing with Frank Edward’s track “Mma Mma e” and “Oghene Do”. Up till today, exactly 30 years after I wrote the song “Things are getting better”, people still use it as a song of consolation and in the church, a song of praise. Same thing goes to my evergreen song “Akanam Nkwe” – a good song remains a good song!
The second reason is that the Gospel Artiste in Nigeria is not as well paid as the Secular Artiste but, we have more platforms than the Secular Artistes. There are more churches than you can imagine both home and abroad, and most of them organize one programme or the other; so all things being equal, the Gospel Artiste has weekly engagements, depending on how popular he/ she is, and you know what?…. at all, at all naim bad! However, I believe things would change for the better soon and our churches will treat us the same way they treat the foreign gospel artistes. You have graced many international stages with several Gospel acts, did you know you will go this far when you started? For where? God is just amazing!
I never even had any inkling that I would be a gospel singer. I am what you call grace personified! I had the most husky voice you can think of when I was a child. That was the major reason I loved singing jazz then because I listened more to jazz music when I was living with my aunt, so, even when I begun to perform in a Club, I did jazz music.
This went on until I had an encounter with Jesus as a teenager in 1984! When I say encounter, I mean real encounter where He appeared to me and showed me what he would use me to do if I give my life to him. Today, I have been to about 16 States in America including Hawaii, England, Germany, Poland, South Africa, DRC, Ghana, and almost all the major churches and upcoming ones in Nigeria, to minister in songs.
I have also performed in many corporate events and State events in Nigeria including Nigerian Navy annual get together, American Embassy Jazz night with Jazz Ambassadors, Cross River State Carnival music nights, annual Akwa Ibom State Carol nights, Rivers State Women’s events, annual Aso Villa thanksgiving to name a few.
How is it like managing your band, Saints Music Crew?
I have a 9-man band and a Manager. Some of them have been with me for almost 15 years because I treat them with respect and pay them well. That is what they do for a living. I pay them according to how much we are paid as a Band. I am not one of those sound track Musicians, in fact, I hate singing with sound track because it does not allow one to flow easily with the crowd. We get regular invitations to minister within and outside Nigeria. Not only in church o (laughs). Yes o!
What has been the most challenging moment of your career?
Majorly, it is my inability to get sponsors for my concerts. No one wants to sponsor gospel! I also still struggle to promote and market my works in this country because it is so expensive to promote. If you do not promote effectively, marketers would not accept to market your work. I am trusting God for the promotion of my latest work. I want my albums to reach people and I cannot only make sales only when I have a ministration somewhere. I have also had a lot of challenges which caused some setbacks on my finances.
One of it is my building at Alpha Beach, Lekki which was destroyed during that flood of 10th July 2011. I call it “Lagos tsunami” because it affected the whole of Lagos but worse at the beach areas. I had my studio there and I could not remove a pin when it happened, including my cars. I thank God that I had travelled abroad when it happened, otherwise, who knows if my life would have gone with the house as well. It took three weeks after the incident, before I could gain access to the street where my house was because everywhere in that axis was still flooded.
You are a United Nations Peace Ambassador, what has the experience been like?
I cannot begin to tell you how privileged and honoured I felt when I was nominated for that award. When I got the letter, I felt it was all these 419 people telling me I was nominated for the award, so I ignored it until one of the officials called. Imagine people addressing me as “Your Excellency”, (she laughs) the thing never enter body, that is why I use the title sparingly. I am writing a peace song which will be released next year by God’s grace.
What project are you working on now?
I have been shooting my videos and will begin to promote my new tracks “Nyafun Nyafun” and “Cannot Stop” this month as the Lord helps me. So fans should watch out for them.
You decided to go into Gospel music full time, when it was obscure and unlucrative, how was it then trying to be a ‘revolutionist’, changing the face of Gospel music in Nigeria?
Well, then I went into it because God called me to go all the way. I know I have a calling to Pastor but this was my first call. I could not have left a well paid job in First Bank to go into the unknown if I did not have an inward leading. Remember, I have been doing music from my teens, so naturally I continued when I was working in the bank but it didn’t work out. Banking hours were tedious and I could not combine work and music so, one had to give way.
I recall in those days when we had invitations to minister, I would go with my band (then we were 13) and 12 dancers. At the end of the day, no one would pay us. I had to be funding the band with my salary. Of course, you know that I could not keep up with that for long. My eyes opened when I travelled abroad and started relating with other gospel music artistes who taught me how to administer the Lord’s business.
Today, the story is different. The payment is still not up to our expectation and yes there are still those who feel that we should not charge fees because “it is a free gift”. I tell them the word of God is free but you have to buy a bible to read it. The gift of music is free, but the channel to communicate the gift to the world is very expensive. I know how much I pay to shoot just one video, not to talk about producing a full album. Now I have nine albums in all.
In your long years of ministering to people, which incidence really “wowed” your imaginations?
Several – one was when I travelled with a friend who is the Managing Partner of our NGO, Opal Awards to Poland for World Dancing Competition with children to represent Nigeria, and we happened to bump into some Nigerian student Doctors who invited us to their church the Sunday after the show, as it was African day. I was invited to sing and I sang some English songs.
This was not even an English speaking church. Suddenly, the Pastor asked if I could sing in our native dialect, and I felt, it would be too much for them to handle. I said, “well, I have a popular song in Nigeria which I wrote titled, Akanam nkwe”, to my amazement, they starting clapping and telling me that they knew it. To prove a point, one of the white people sang it in the best way she could and I was like “wow”.
Another one happened in South Africa where 10 armed teenagers entered a church I was ministering in at night in Port Elizabeth. It’s a long story, but they came to rob us at gun point, but the power of God hit them and they ended up giving their lives to Christ. I will not ever forget that incidence. Then I have also recorded a lot of healings taking place when I minister, that is why I know that there is power in anointed music. Music is much more than just singing, when it is spiritual music, you release the power of God.
With all you have achieved, are you totally fulfilled, are there still dreams you wish to fulfill?
I thank God for bringing me this far but I feel I haven’t really achieved much. I have unfulfilled dreams which I pray God to help me achieve. My major hindrance is finance or sponsorship, for the kind of projects I have in mind, but I believe that when there is life, there is hope.
Apart from music, what do you do?
I love fashion a lot and I am hoping to start my own clothing line soon. I also run a food delivery service – majorly our “Calabar” food. I am a very good cook. It started when people would come to my house in South Africa to eat, then they would wish they had such food in the refrigerator. I volunteered to cook for them at a cost. During the world cup in South Africa a lot of Nigerians enjoyed my cooking. When I came back to Nigeria, I continued. We have orders weekly but I look forward to when I could start a proper restaurant. Also, I write…..I have some unfinished books.
Are any of your children taking after you musically?

Yes, my son Richard is a great dancer. He has a group known as M.A.D-X Dance Crew. They have even featured in Nigeria’s Got Talent and perform annually in the Calabar Carnival. They also minister in dance in churches.