Nigeria is a country with a rich and diverse musical heritage, and many of its popular artists have been influenced by their religious backgrounds. In fact, some of the most successful Nigerian music stars began their careers in the church choir, where they honed their vocal and instrumental skills. In this blog post, we will highlight some of the Nigerian music artists who started from the church, and how their faith has shaped their music.

Wizkid:
Wizkid is arguably one of the biggest names in the Nigerian music industry, and a global sensation. He has won several awards, including a Grammy, and has collaborated with international artists like Drake, Beyoncé, and Justin Bieber. Wizkid started singing at the church as early as 11 years old under the name "Lil Prinz". He later formed a group called Glorious Five with his church friends, and released a gospel album in 2006. He then switched to secular music, and rose to fame with his hit single “Holla at Your Boy” in 2010.

Chidinma Ekile:
Chidinma Ekile is a talented singer and songwriter, who won the third season of Project Fame West Africa in 2010. She became a household name with her songs like “Kedike”, “Emi Ni Baller”, and “Fallen in Love”. She started as a chorister at the Foursquare Gospel Church, and later joined the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries choir. In 2021, she announced that she had returned to gospel music, and released a song titled “Jehovah Overdo”. She said that she had a personal encounter with God, and that she wanted to use her music to glorify him.

Cobhams Asuquo:
Cobhams Asuquo is a renowned music producer, singer, and songwriter, who has worked with many Nigerian and international artists, such as Asa, Bez, Tiwa Savage, and Alicia Keys. He is also visually impaired, but that has not stopped him from pursuing his passion for music. He joined the choir and started playing the piano at the age of eight, and later learned other instruments by himself. He played for various churches, such as St. Charles Iwanga Catholic Church, Ikeja; St. Christopher’s Church and the Protestant Church. He released his debut gospel album, “For You”, in 2017, which featured songs like “Ordinary People”, “Angels All Around”, and “Here It Is”.

Waje:
Waje is a powerful vocalist and performer, who has won several awards and nominations, including the Best Female Vocalist at the Headies. She is also a coach on The Voice Nigeria, and an advocate for women empowerment and education. She started as a choir member at the Word of Faith Church, Benin. She was so good that the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa took care of her secondary education. She later moved to Lagos, where she joined the choir of House on the Rock Church. She has released both gospel and secular songs, such as “So Inspired”, “I Wish”, and “Ominiknowest”.

Khale:
Khale is one of the rising stars of the Nigerian music scene, known for his Afro-pop tunes and smooth melody. He started singing in the church Boys Brigade at an early age. Khale later traveled to South Africa to pursue his music career. He released his debut motivational single, “Ups N Down", in 2022, which featured collaboration with international artist, Bee DeeJay. He has released songs like, “Oluwa", “In A Minute", and “Pariwo".

Wande Coal:
Wande Coal is a versatile singer and songwriter, who has been in the Nigerian music industry for over a decade. He started singing in the teenage choir at his church, where he discovered his passion for music. He became a dancer for the then Mo' Hits Records, and later moved over to singing. He has released several hit songs, such as “Bumper to Bumper”, “Iskaba”, and “So Mi So”.

Banky W:
Banky W is a singer, rapper, actor, and politician, who is regarded as one of the pioneers of R&B music in Nigeria. He started singing at the age of eight in his church choir, and later formed a group called The Trybe with his church friends. He moved to the US, where he continued his music career, and then returned to Nigeria to establish his own record label, Empire Mates Entertainment (EME). He has released songs like “Strong Thing”, “Yes/No”, and “Made for You”.

Don Jazzy:
Don Jazzy is one of the most influential music producers and record label executives in Nigeria. He is the founder and CEO of Mavin Records, which has produced and signed many successful artists, such as Tiwa Savage, Rema, and Korede Bello. He started playing musical instruments in his church, where he learned the basics of music production. He has also ventured into singing and rapping, featuring on songs like “Dorobucci”, “Adaobi”, and “Collabo”.


These are just some of the Nigerian music artists who started from the church, and have gone on to make a mark in the music industry. They have shown that their faith and their talent can go hand in hand, and that they can use their music to inspire and uplift others. We hope you enjoyed this blog post, and learned something new about your favorite artists.