How Emmanuel Odelola ‘introduced keyboard’ to CCC – Imole Ayo

Who really introduced the keyboard to the Celestial Church of Christ? As simple as the question appears, it is one that has over the years been a subject of heated debate among Celestial Church faithful, especially music scholars.

Recently, in a no-holds-barred interview with New Telegraph, veteran gospel musician, Akin Adebayo, poularly known as Imole Ayo, lent his voice to the debate.

According to the the Celestial Church of Christ evangelist, despite the fact that the founder of the church was a multi instrumentalist, the use of the keyboard never gained prominence in the church until Evangelist Emmanuel Akande Odelola introduced it to the Celestial Church of Christ.

“Music is my blood, life and everything. I grew up with it. I started as a guitarist from the age of 14 years, and at 15 years of age I was playing the piano and at 16, I was playing the horns but I didn’t know I’d play them professionally.

“The use of the piano was not common in the Celestial Church of Christ. Although it was being played at CCC Yemetu Ibadan, it was introduced into the Celestial Church of Christ by the late Baba Odelola, who came from a Baptist Church in Ogbomoso.”

Shedding more light on the genesis of its prominence, Imole Ayo explained: “The Celestial Church of Christ was majorly known for local drums, the horns and the guitar. The late founder Baba SBJ Oshoffa was a guitarist and keyboardist. He also played the horns very well, but  he didn’t lay emphasis on the piano, and that was the reason the CCC didn’t prioritise the piano.

“It was when we were having a harvest celebration at  CCC Makoko, the National Headquarters of the church, in 1969 or 1970 that the choir from Yemetu was invited and   the keyboard Baba Odelola brought along was used.   Pa Oshoffa loved it and ordered that the keyboard be purchased for use at CCC Makoko. When the purchase was delayed,   Pa Oshoffa  accompanied the late Pastor Abiodun Bada to get his father’s keyboard at  Owu Baptist Church. That was how Makoko started using the keyboard. That was how using the keyboard started gaining prominence in the church.”

He further stated:”The parish that first played it professionally was CCC Ayilara Parish in Surulere as a great number of the instrumentalists in the church then were playing for a prominent musician,the legendary Bongos Ikwue.Their arrangement, their horns pattern, their guitar pattern were fantastic. Later, many CCC parishes started using the keyboard. Ayilara also introduced the Jazz drum to the  CCC.”

Speaking on how his songs have shaped his career, Adebayo asserted that in spite of the fact that the hit song, Imole Ayo , which brought him to limelight was released 45 years ago, he still earns proceeds from the song. 

“ The song that brought me to limelight was Imole Ayo. I still sell Imole Ayo up till now. Figbayemi too did very well. Ona Ara was extremely successful. For two straight years, Bibeli o Iwe Ayeraye was everywhere. I did another song, it maintained its dominance. Then, there was Tanimape. That was marketers’ favourite. They didn’t want any other song apart from it. It sold like hot cake. 

“There was Gbe Gbe Gbemileke, Mo N’owo Mi Soke…We give God the glory. But songs are not the same. There are people who have one hit and they keep body and soul with it. Some have 10. Every song of a singer cannot be a hit. Songs are not the same.”