To number well in the Nigerian Gospel music space, names of percussionist musical group, the list will never be complete until such name as Ayan Jesu is included. The Ayan Jesu musical band has revolved over the years from just doing music but delivering Spirit inspired songs and transforming lives via their creativity on drums basically and other musical instruments. In this interview with the band, Fabajo Kehinde Olatunde, representing the group tells how members of the group have been able to manage their family lives amid tight engagements. He likewise spoke of successes recorded so far within the space of 17-years it started.


Can we meet you sir?
My name is Fabajo Kehinde Olatunde, one of the members of Ayan Jesu gospel singers.

Can you tell us about the creation of this gospel band?
I will say it was God that established the group because it was something that we cannot comprehend up until now. Actually the vision was given to one of us. The vision was given to one of our brothers in church. We all grew up together. He just came up with the idea that most of us are western instrumentalist, we play Gongo (talking drum) guitar and then ask sometimes back that, is there some way we can praise God in a unique way and that was how Ayan Jesus came to be. We started having some members play drums and some others saying what the drummer is beating and that was how Ayan Jesu started. The group was actually conceptualized in the year 2000 but we fully came out in the year 2001. And we thank God for where we are, 17-years ago, up until now.


We have seen couple of Ayan Jesu musical videos but the group seem to have performed more with percussion. You seem somehow unique about that. Will you tell us why it is like that?
From the name, we have Ayan Jesu and if we should give it the real interpretation from the Yoruba meaning, ‘Ayan‘ is someone that plays the talking drum. And when we talk about ‘Ayan’, we talk mainly about percussion and some instrument accompanying it such as gangan, akuba, omele, bata and some other drums. So when you talk about percussion, it reflects our name, Ayan Jesu. So combining Ayan with Jesus. So when you are talking about Ayan and percussion is not there, it’s just like you don’t know what you are talking about.


In setting up this band what where the major challenges you faced?
We faced a lot of challenges but we are thanking God today that those challenges, we have left them behind. Number one when we started there was no means of transportation for us then, nobody was ready to invite us. Then, we have to bring money from our own pocket to transport ourselves to wherever we were going to minister. Another thing is in the area of instrument. When we started all these instruments we are using today were not ours, some of them we have to borrow them so as to use for ministration. We pay for them just as you are renting something and after usage, we return them back to the owner. But today, those ones are stories and we are thanking God for where we are already. And another one i will not like to ignore is that, sometimes ago we lost one of us in a ghastly motor accident when we were going for ministration. So i will say God understand more better than we do. So to cut it short, those are the challenges we have been faced with in times past.

So can you tell us how many ministrations you have been able to cover since the inception of this gospel band?
It is enormous. I don’t think i can give it a figure. Since inception, let me say a million so that i will not be exaggerating. It may not be up to that, but at least God has helped us to minister on different platforms that some of us cannot remember again.


Where can you say is the greatest platform you have ministered so far?
I will say it is Redemption camp, Redeemed Christian Church of God. That is our church and that is the greatest platform any musician in Nigeria can desire to minister.



So what are your projections for this new year. What are your special ways you intend to minister the gospel to the world this year?
This year we are believing God that He is going to help us more than the ways He has been doing. We have a new album to our credit so very soon we will be going for its Videoshoot and we are hoping that it will draw men to God the more. We are not entertainers, i am sorry for digressing, people tend to see us as one but we are ministers of the gospel. And we believe that through the instruments of our ministry, we know we can reach out to the needy and the lost soul for Jesus Christ.


How have you been able to manage your family time with several ministrations you have been having over the years?
I will tell you it has not been easy because as a minister of the gospel, its very good for you not to fail in your family. I think maybe a pastor said it that if you fail in your family, that means in your ministry, you are going to fail. It has not been easy going for ministrations, travelling up and down in the night but we always find time to make it up to our family because we have family and children God has given to us to look after. So we cannot just ignore them becuase if we fail in that capacity, then in the ministry God has put in our hand… God forbid.

What can you call your greatest motivation so far in this Evangelistic assignment?
Motivation! Well it is God that has been motivating us because if people encourages you, they give you money, they give you cars, they give you things of this world, you discover that our needs as human beings according to economics is insatiable. It will never be enough. But our greatest encourager has been God. He is the one that has been encouraging us, He is the one that has been motivating us. When we dont feel like doing anything, the holyspirit is there to encourage us.


How many make people make up the Ayan Jesu band?
Actually we are eleven, we have two people in diaspora. One in Finland, the other in Canada but in Nigeria presently, we are nine.



Have you ever had any international Ministration so far?
Yes we have. We were in South Africa in the year 2014 and we had some other invitations overseas but the embassys didnt grant us visa. But we hope this year, God is opening more international door for us.
https://dailyfamily.ng/as-a-minister-of-the-gospel-it-is-very-good-for-you-not-to-fail-in-your-family-ayan-jesu/