A music producer, Adewole Adesanya, said on Saturday that the rush by producers for commercial viability is causing highlife tunes to be blended with modern day pop as gospel music.
“Consequently, most musicians of today now want to sound commercial, instead of staying with the sounds that come naturally to them.’’
Adesanya, the Chief Executive Officer of Green Sounds Factory, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that highlife music had evolved and it has become a little different from what it used to be.
“That is why musicians now use highlife tunes for gospel music. Highlife has been blended with modern day pop sounds to create something fresh and exciting.
“This new sound genre falls under Naija hip hop music and highlife is a genre brand of songs that are very good in sounds and lyrics.’’
Adesanya spoke against the backdrop of why gospel musicians now use highlife tunes to sing gospel music.
“I do mix gospel songs with highlife tunes and with good lyrics, for the artistes to praise God.
“Highlife is for matured minds; the change here is what the lyrics are saying to the people,” he said.
The music producer stressed that differences in sounds depended mainly on the trends of the day.
“Right now what people enjoy is hip hop and disco beats, so most people kind off tend to shift a little to what will help them to relax.
“ I think as time moves, things will sort themselves out, when every genre of music will take its rightful position,” he said.
Adesanya, however, said that as a gospel music producer, he tries to mix sounds that will make people enjoy the music as they hear it anywhere.
“Some people like instruments and as a producer, my focus is to continuously remind any listener of the word of God.
“People like to listen to popular gospel songs, so I use instruments to do that.’’
He explained that when he produces, he still wants to remind people about the work of God, and the day-to-day miracles “we have been experiencing’’.
According to him, many artistes like it when you use some sounds, it attracts people the more.
“God’s grace is abundant in our lives and I will use some highlife sounds to make people appreciate the word of God,” he said.