Nigerian Worship Music and Praise Songs

Nigerian worship music is apart of African culture, that dates back many centuries. Christian praise songs were first sung in Nigeria as a way to pay homage to God during religious ceremonies. In the 1960s and early 70s, Nigerian Christian music increased in popularity and became an integral part of mainstream culture.

In Nigeria, religious ceremonies are a way to celebrate and praise God in a manner that is both exhilarating and mysterious. Nigerians believe that lifting up the voice in praise is the way that they can show their devotion in religious practice. They honor God for giving them life, and this is the inspiration behind the songs. The reason behind the praise is considered more important than the actual lyrics, the purpose of their music is to offer praise to God for all things.

One influential Nigerian Christian music artist was recently gunned down in Laos. Buchi Atuonwu was the most successful Nigerian Christian music artist. He felt that his sole purpose for living was to reveal God to the world, through Nigerian praise songs. For Nigerians religion is both their spiritual identity and their way of life. Their praise songs are reflective of the daily reason to celebrate the joy within the human spirit.

Atuonwu, was a born again Christian, who dedicated his life to singing and sharing Nigerian praise music with the world. In one of his songs in particular, reveals the message behind this influential style of gospel music. He singed, “What Am I to God?”-this song illustrates that the lyrical content of the praise song is not as important in Nigerian Christian music as the message behind the music.

Nigerian Christian music is devoted to singing about the connection between man and God. To Nigerians, each person should be grateful to be alive despite their living conditions; it doesn’t matter if a person is rich or poor. The most important thing is their relationship with God.

Today, Nigerian Christian praise music is a combination of reggae, calypso and gospel. Some of the most popular contemporary Nigerian Christian artists are: Ben Okafor, Agatha Moses, Prince Ogbonna, and Sister Uzoma Ndubueze.

Nigerian Christian praise music is considered to be a tool to reunite the soul with God. The music is based on West African culture, and invites in purity and a sense of peace with God, as a form of religious worship. The most important aspect of Nigerian worship is their music, they consider the role of all people in their culture, is to sing and praise through music, as a way to stay connected with God.