The young, talented, gospel singer, IZZY never seizes to amaze us with his ever inspirational and hi-tempo groovy songs which give meanings to life, God and humanity. Every now and then a new sound is added into the rotation of the gospel music genre. This new sound spreads a message of life and liberty. IZZY is a new contributing factor to this message of hope and restoration. A definite flute with a lion’s heart, this singer/musician, and producer is the total package equipped with everything needed to be a pillar in the gospel music arena. Here is Gospel Hotspot Interview with him on his birthday (19th Dec.), (HAPPY BIRTHDAY IZZY…) Please enjoy.
Can we meet you?
My name is Israel Odebode, popularly
known as Izzy. I hail from Osun state and was raised in Ibadan, Oyo state, the
third in the family of 3 boys, born in Ogbomoso, Oyo State on December 19th ,
19xx. I had my primary education in Oritamefa Baptist Nursery and Primary
School, Ibadan Oyo State and high school education at The International School,
Ibadan, Oyo state Nigeria. A young man of
God, producer and gospel recording artist, ready to take the gospel of Christ
anywhere I find myself, through music. I love diversity in genres of music
(although I love afro-gospel the most).
What
Inspired You Into Music & Who Are Your Musical Influences
I would say it is divine. It’s a
God-given talent from birth. I always loved music right from childhood. I just
naturally liked and will always like to be around music. Hmm, I have an endless
list of music bosses / mentors (laughs). Well just to mention a few, in
contemporary music, the likes of Donnie McClurkin, Tye Tribett, Israel Houghton
and Don Moen inspire me a whole lot. In terms of Nigerian music, K’ore and
Nathaniel Bassey are great ministers I cherish so much. I am influenced by true
worshippers / ministers.
How
many songs have you released so far?
Well, to the glory of God, altogether
with my album (which had 11 major tracks) plus the two (2) singles I released
after that (‘Wonder’ and ‘Kilode’) will make it 13 songs in total. Expect more to
come though. (laughs)
What
has been your strength so far?
I am very optimistic,
purpose-driven and I am a goal getter, I like to be consistent. I am very
passionate about whatever I do (that really interests me).
Why did you choose gospel music
over others?
I choose
gospel music because that is where God wants me. I have tried it the other way
(going secular/mainstream) but I always knew it will never work out. God has
His ways of bringing you back to Him. Although I had a very solid and sound
Christian background, I still decided to do my thing then. But thank God for
who I am now, He has brought me out of darkness and shown me light. Honestly I
feel so comfortable and very excited doing what I’m doing now. Also I am very
conscious of the message I convey through my music, the content and all. I
don’t joke with that. Because of the style of music I do (which is ‘afro’
beats), I usually do not want people to be carried away by that or get the
wrong message, so I make sure the content is edifying and passes a message.
What
do you do apart from music?
Professionally, I’m an I.T Expert
(Network administrator), I’m also involved in school (to some extent), I love
to play video games (especially soccer), and I love soccer as a sport (a
Manchester United fan..hahaha).
Tell
us a bit about your fashion life?
Not really too much of a fashion
person, but I always love to dress nice. Like they say dress the way you want
to be addressed. So I love to dress well so I can be addressed well.. hahaha
What
unique contributions do you have for the entertainment industry at large?
Well honestly, my main and only
focus (as far as music goes) is Gospel Music Industry. I was called to minister
to Christians and reach out to lost souls. I want to make impact through the
afro-gospel scene. Give people a different feel of gospel music. I see my
talent in that area (afro pop), so why not contribute through that.
What matters to you most in life?
God,
my family, close friends and my music career.
What can we never find Izzy
wearing?
Neck
chains. Not a fan of that. But I didn’t say I am against it oh..(laughs).
How
do you unwind?
Go see some movies at the theatre,
chill out with friends, cook or play video games.
What
is your definition of heaven and what do you think it is like?
Heaven is that place I long for,
that place we (the saints that make it to heaven) will all end up in endless
worship and reverence to God. The place where I will be able to speak to my
Father (GOD) face-to-face… How awesome that will be! A place filled with the Glory of God. Just like
John said in Rev. 21:11.. It shone with the
glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a
jasper, clear as crystal.
In
your own view, what is the role of gospel music in nation building?
If gospel music is spread across
all communities, states, cities, towns and villages with songs loaded with great impactful and
inspiring words, I believe the nation and society at large, would be a better
place and people would be inspired to join hands in building a better and reputable
nation. With God all things are possible. We will make it happen through the
help of God. Gospel music is going places.
What
should we be expecting from you next year?
Loads of Surprises…. That is all
I will say for now…(laughs)
Your
single “Mukulu mukeke” is very catchy and gets people dancing, tell us what the
song is about.
(Laughs…) Well.. Mukulu mukeke is
a song I wrote on the 1st of January 2013 and released the next day, 2nd of January.
Mukulu mukeke could mean “dance”, celebrate, get the groove on etc, in that
light… So the song just gives us an opportunity to celebrate all our savior
Jesus has done for us. The inspiration
came when we (my family) were having a morning devotion on the 1st of January,
and my dad said “we owe God our thanks (for the year that passed)”, then he
made a statement in Yoruba (my native language) which says “e ni ba monu ro, a
mo pe da”.. meaning.. “if you can think
deeply, you’ll have reasons to thank God”.. That’s how I got the inspiration,
went to the studio, and the rest was history.
Tell
us about your record label and producer
I am signed under a U.S/Nigerian
based record label, Thavma Records, owned by my brother, Iyanu Odebode and
co-owned by me (Izzy). The label has signed two artistes so far, myself and
another lady (Esther Adewumi). We have a management team and we still working
on signing more artistes. We are on the look-out for great talented born again
gospel artistes. As for producers, we currently have one officially signed
producer, Dammydior. Great guy!! Watch out for more… God bless. Love you all.
What
do you think is the biggest misconception about gospel artists?
Hmmmm very good question… so many
misconceptions but I’ll mention the ones I can lay quick hands on. One is that a
lot of people expect so much from Gospel artistes, they forget we are humans
like they are. I pass through problems too, tough times, trials, struggles, but
what keeps me going is God’s love…nothing more. Don’t forget that it is even in
areas like this (music ministry), that there are more attacks from the enemy
because he (Satan) sees you as a minister intruding into his kingdom to snatch
his people (sinners) from him. But in it all, God sees me through and gives me
strength to carry out that which he has instructed me. Also, many people see
popular gospel artistes as top stars in the industry. No, there is NO big or
small artiste in the presence of God. We all are the same as everyone. I learn
and always pray to be humble and stay humble all through. Humility brings
greatness. God resists the proud and exalts the humble.
What
message do you have for upcoming musicians?
Stay strong. Be focused. Be
prayerful. Shoot for excellence, don’t be a mediocre. Be persistent. Make God
the ultimate focus. You can never achieve anything without God’s hands on it. One
more thing... be patient. He makes everything beautiful in its time.