His rise to fame was mercurial. From nowhere, he hit the music scene with a chartbuster, Atorise. And since then his story has changed. In this chat with Entertainer, gospel singer, Lanre Teriba opens up on his humble beginning, career, family and challenges. Enjoy it.
How
did music start for you?
Before I was born, my mother had been told in church that I was going to sing for God. But she was warned that I should not be allowed to sing secular songs. So, I started singing when I was in primary school. While in Federal Polytechnic, Offa, I joined the Kegites’ Club. More importantly, anytime I sang in the midst of my friends, they always encouraged me, saying God has blessed me with good voice.
Is that why you decided to build a church in your community?
I have completed my own house. Now I’m building a place in my hometown where I will be worshipping God. That has been my vision a long time ago. God said I should set aside a place for Him where people can come and pray. I’ve got 10 acres of land; it is a mystery land because it was the same place I went to pray before I became famous. God told me that I should buy the land for him. We have never been rich in our family; we were so poor. But I bought the land.
Are you the first person to have a breakthrough in your family?
Yes. I happen to be the first person that will have a breakthrough in two or three generations. We were so poor that we lived at the bar beach here in Lagos for 15 years. I mean we didn’t have a shelter for that number of years and my father happen to be a fisherman. Sometimes I cry when I remember where I was coming from.
With all the struggles, what has life taught you?
Everybody in this life has one or two opportunities. We all have reasons for coming to this world. I often tell people to pray in order to discover the reasons why they are in this world. You can’t discover it without praying. We are in a wicked world where people monitor your glory.
Tell us about a particular event that has made you cry?
I cried when I lost my mum. Another event was when I had a child out of wedlock. The reason why I felt bad about it was that some people were using it against me. I regret it as well. Certain things happen in your life that are beyond you. I am human. But I don’t know why some people think I should kill myself because of that singular mistake. Some Nigerians will see one mistake and magnify it. When I read stuffs about me on the Internet, I feel so bad and I wonder why people are doing that to me. But I have some wonderful fans that encourage me. And I thank God for my wife for being a great encouragement.
How did your wife react when she heard about the child?
My wife knew about it, she really appreciated God that the marriage did not break. Today, the two of us are husband and wife. I have prayed to God for forgiveness. My wife has also forgiven me. So, those who still use it against me are haters.
Have you ever thought about quitting music?
I have never experienced a situation whereby things are not working in my career. My first album, Atorise, brought me into the limelight. God used it to announce me to the world. Before then, I did some songs when I was in Federal Polytechnic, Offa. My parents didn’t want me to be a musician because they believed musicians are poor, that’s despite the fact that my mum had received a prophecy that I would be a singer. Each time I sing, people get converted and want to worship God the more.
How many albums have you?
I have recorded 14 albums. The last one is entitled, The Unstoppable God.
What inspired the album?
A lot of people want to stop me from achieving greatness. They say and write rubbish about me so that my fans would stop listening to my music. But the more they write what they don’t know about me, the more God promotes me.
What makes you different from any other gospel artiste?
Humility and creativity.
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