I'm done with secular music, now fully for Christ - Akeeb Kareem

To the present generation, his name may ring no bell, but to the older folks, he was among the stars of the late seventies and early eighties. Known as the Blackman, a very proud one for that matter, who never shied away from declaring his identity in most of his songs.

Did you ever heard a song like this:

E ma ma ba mi le'yawo mi lo
E ma ma ba mi le'yawo mi lo
Oto l'ejo ti aro
Oto l'ejo ti e da
E ma ma ba mi le'yawo mi lo
Anti, Amebo, make you shut up your mouth
Brother, Amebo, make you shut up your mouth

If you do, that is the Blackman, Akeeb Kareem for you and if you do not, please study your heritage the more. The song was titled "Amebo". It record was a major hit and dominated the airwaves then. But, sadly according to him, he made nothing from this acclaimed master piece and frustration led him to leave Nigeria for overseas in search of the proverbial, greener pastures. This will eventually lead to a 31 years musical sojourn.


Hear him in the Punch:

 The album, titled Amebo, did not only become an instant hit in Nigeria, it was also well received in other parts of Africa, partly due to the fact that I did songs in some African languages.

“The album was the first that I recorded with an indigenous records company in Nigeria. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a dime for my labour and creativity. I didn’t get any message or letters from the company, even when my record dominated the top 10 chart for several weeks at a stretch. My record sold like hot cake in the market. It sold so well that, at a point, people started calling me ‘Amebo man’, instead of Blackman.

“When I went to the records company to find out why they had delayed in paying me my due royalty, I got the shock of my life. They told me that Amebo did not sell. After that experience, I decided in 1984 that I had had enough of this country.”

He was a quintessential folk artiste who shared the scene with other greats such as Ambrose Campbell, Tunji Oyelana, Jimi Solanke, Lijadu Sisters and others. But his departure left a big vacuum, no thanks to the depature of Ambrose Campbell, Tunji Oyelana to United Kingdom and Lijadu Sisters to The United States. It was like a curtain fall for folk music. But thankfully, folk music has been making a steady return with the emergence of beautiful Nubia and others, fews years ago. Like a thunderbolt and from no where came the song, "Owuro L'ojo"by Beautiful Nubia, which forcefully brought folk music to the fore again. 

HIS CONVERSION TO CHRIST.

According to Punch, but midway into his career overseas, he had a very unusual encounter that would change his life and his musical orientation forever.

“Although I was a devout Muslim, a pastor friend of mine asked me to pray with him sometime in 1997. In the process, I had a vision without even closing my eyes. I heard the voice of God telling me to leave what I was doing, stop singing in hotels or parties and to serve him.

“It was a physical experience. I heard the voice as though I was listening to a visible human being. After that experience, I converted to Christianity and quit playing secular music. I became an evangelist. From that day till now I have been touring parts of the world, preaching the word of God,” Kareem said.

We thank God for his life, and praying, he continues to preach the gospel in good health and in the perfect will of God.