Day a suitor threatened to commit suicide if Gospel singer, Bola Are didn’t marry him

Veteran gospel singer, Dr. Bola Are, in this chat with Punch revealed ho a suitor threatened to commit suicide if she didn’t marry him. See excerpts below:

Does being a gospel singer make you an evangelist or pastor?

Some people think that is but being a
gospel artiste is not a criterion for anybody to say he or she is an
evangelist or pastor. You must be ordained by somebody before you can
call yourself an evangelist. For me as the head of singers in the Christ
Apostolic Church and also a former general evangelist of the mission,
Pa David Babajide, anointed me 11 times before he died. Pastors Samson
Akande alias Baba Abiye and Obadare prayed for me and anointed me
several times too. Giving oneself that name (pastor or evangelist) can
be likened to one crowning oneself as king. One must be ordained,
trained and anointed before being given these titles.

Is being a gospel artiste a calling?

Yes, you must be called to be a gospel
artiste. If you are not called and you call yourself, you wouldn’t last.
Singing is the only thing that one cannot learn. If God didn’t give you
the gift and you force yourself to sing, it wouldn’t work.

You were brought up by four
top prophets in Christ Apostolic Church– Apostle Ayodele Babalola,
Prophet Babajide, Prophet Akande and Prophet T.O. Obadare. Did that
contribute to your success story?

I was the first fruit of my parents and I
was ‘donated’ to the late Apostle Babalola. I grew up in the Mission
House. But when Babalola died, I was taken to Pastors Abiye and
Obadare.  I grew up with them and that’s why I mention their names a
lot. Their prayers are working in my life till now and they will
continue working till the end of my life. I claim 120 years for myself. I
want to go home (heaven) and sing with the 24 elders; before then, I’m
going nowhere. This is part of why I’m successful in singing and
praying. My parents told me that I started singing when I was
one-year-old and I believe them because my grandchildren are also
singing at that same age. Singing and dancing are hereditary gifts from
my grandfather who was a hunter.

As a young lady who started gospel music early, did you get enough publicity?

Three years before I was born, it was
prophesied that my parents would have a child that would work for the
Lord. However, it was not specified that I would sing. So, when I was
supposed to talk, I was singing instead. It is God that publicised me. I
go all over the world singing.

People think that gospel artistes are boring and strict. Is that really so?

Those who say gospel music is boring are
not Christians. Gospel music gives one joy, peace, and everything good.
If you see people going to secular music programmes, watch them; they
are just looking for money and once they don’t get money from gospel
music, they would opt for secular music. I cannot run from gospel music;
I have no other place to go.  Most of those that used to be gospel
singers and turned to secular music fade easily. What fame has God not
given me since 1973? I have 87 albums out already and two are pending.
If it is real gospel music, it cannot be boring. When you are singing
out of Jesus Christ, you are singing nonsense. We are not strict at all.

READ ALSO: Christians are being killed in Nigeria, CAN replies Sultan

A lot of gospel singers have spiritual fathers that they acknowledge in their songs. Do you think that is right?

You’re referring to me on this one.
Personally, I acknowledge all my parents in faith. I always mention the
God of my spiritual fathers (Babalola, Abiye, Obadare.) In fact, if
nobody else does, I would do that and continue to do it. I cannot but
acknowledge them because they have prayed for me. God would not come
down from heaven; He would send somebody to one. All those great men of
God monitored me and prayed for me. Prophet Abiye did two weddings for
me. The first one was at a CAC church in Ede, because God said I should
not do a noisy wedding. That day, 39 members of the top hierarchy of CAC
attended my wedding and none of them knew what they were coming to do
in Ede. When I asked him (Prophet Abiye) the reason for that, he said
all of them would be witnesses to the wedding. My second wedding was a
month later.  It was held on a prayer mountain. Prophet Abiye hosted the
wedding there because he didn’t want people to think I got pregnant
before marriage. Note that I didn’t get married to two men; it was the
same man. Mentioning their (prophets) names is a way of cherishing them
and thanking God for their lives. I feel it is right to acknowledge
one’s spiritual fathers. If I mention the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, who I didn’t see, I need to also mention the names of the ones I
know. I‘m not eulogising them or worshipping their names, I’m just
praising their God who Has done wonders through them.

What keeps you?

It is Jesus Christ. I like dancing to
gospel songs. What keeps me going is (the thought of) facing God, and
doing His work. When my husband died about 25 years ago, I promised God
that I would remain Bola Are and not remarry. When I was working at the
University College Hospital, Ibadan, in 1979, God gave me 30 days to
resign and work for Him. Since then, I have never lacked for a single
day. When I’m singing, I feel on top of the world because that’s what I
was created for.

Do you think it is right to bring comedians to church?

That is what we call modern
Christianity. If you bring comedians to the church and they crack jokes
against Christianity, that is wrong in my own opinion. If you must bring
any comedian, whatever the person says must be from the Bible. Anything
outside that, then the comedian should not be on the pulpit. If the
person is a secular comedian, he or she should not come to the pulpit at
all.

What comes to your mind when you see gospel singers ministering in fashionable clothing and jewellery?

As for me, I don’t wear jewellery. I
like to be natural at all times, so I don’t adorn myself with them at
all. However, dressing very well is part of our music but one shouldn’t
just be too audacious or extravagant. People should not see one’s
nakedness; it is bad if one dresses that way. I hear people classify
some people as old-time (old school) but God is old-time too. It is
important that we dress well but even if the clothes cost as much as
N1m, it should be made decently.

Compared to when you started, what has changed about gospel music?

A lot of things have changed about
gospel music of my time, compared to the present day. Some people just
sing funny songs these days but some are actually singing well. It was
not like this when we started in the 70s. These days, one wouldn’t even
recognise some gospel singers when one meets them outside. When we
started, a lot of us were not after the money. Sometimes, when we went
to perform, we were given just food and drinks; no money. But these
days, some are after money. However, some of these artistes really don’t
have other means of livelihood except music. Music has changed.
Sometimes, people even say that gospel singers are commercial but we
have to pay the people going around with us and settle other logistics.
These days, one has to take professional singers to the studio or the
stage.

As a young woman, how did you handle the pressure of male admirers?

As a young lady, I didn’t look at men.
Any man couldn’t even walk up to me and woo me anyhow. I wasn’t
promiscuous. If I don’t know much about a place, you wouldn’t find me
there. As a young lady, I was not someone men could toy with. Before I
got married, a lot of suitors came. One even said he would commit
suicide if I didn’t marry him. He tried to entice me with a brand new
Volkswagen car. But, my spiritual father and I chased him after fervent
prayers. We later discovered that the same man had impregnated another
woman and was married to her.

How do you relax?

I listen to music and I get inspiration
from there. At times, I just keep quiet. I also travel out of the
country whenever I want to relax. Nigeria is too stressful, so I always
create time to rest abroad.

How do you keep fit?

I was a footballer in elementary and
secondary school. I also used to run while in school. Dancing on stage
is serious exercise. In fact, I consider that to be the greatest form of
exercise. When you see me on the stage, I am not gentle. I am very
active and agile on stage. At times, I also run to keep fit. When I’m
outside the country, there are places that I run to and come back to my
hotel.

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