Akinade Ibuoye, popularly known as Gaise Baba, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and culture architect. His music is a blend of gospel with afrobeats and urban contemporary styles. History was made when Gaise Baba teamed up with Pastor Lawrence Oyor to release the viral anthem, ‘No Turning Back.’ In this chat with ENIOLA DANIEL, he speaks on the impact of the viral anthem on his career as a musician.

What has it been like seeing international audiences connect with your music?

It has been encouraging and humbling. It reminds me that music can communicate beyond language. People may not understand every lyric immediately, but they can connect with the rhythm, emotion, joy and spirit of the song. It also confirms that the message is not limited to one geography. There is an audience beyond our immediate environment, and that creates both excitement and responsibility. The opportunity is not simply to export songs. It is to communicate kingdom culture and values across borders.

Looking at how you started, what has been the most defining moment of your career so far?

To be honest, what I see as the most defining moment of my career thus far was not public. It was a private encounter around 2017. This was the moment God gave me a picture of what I was called to do. This understanding or revelation of my mission was accompanied by a strong burden on my heart, which I have run with ever since. That is what, over time, has given birth to the faith-focused yet unconventional music, the ideology-driven podcast—Black Flame and culture-shaping experiences like Aramanda Festival.

Projects such as the God Is Cooking album have also been significant because they represent watershed moments for the whole community and movement of Afrogospel.

How has the year been for you, musically?

It has been a significant year. I have seen my music reach more people, travel into new spaces and connect with audiences all over the world. I’ve experienced some really interesting moments, like strangers walking up to me to say hello and express gratitude for the music—for example, at a restaurant in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; a train station in the UK or in an hotel foyer in Kampala, Uganda. Randomly meeting people who have been impacted by my music and work is a feeling I’m not sure I can sufficiently explain. It’s a privilege, really. With God Is Cooking album, the heart has remained the same: to serve what God has prepared and to make an indelible kingdom impact through the music.

You recently expressed frustration with inspiration music taking the back seat at The Headies. What did happen really?

I need to correct the notion: it is not frustration. I spoke because institutions matter. The Headies is an important institution in the music industry, and institutions function better when stakeholders who care bring necessary conversations to the fore.

Awards are not only about trophies. They influence visibility, legitimacy, investment, public perception and the kinds of careers that receive support. The Headies has since responded, explaining that the inspirational category was created to give more gospel and inspirational artistes a guaranteed place on the stage, and not to put gospel music in a box.

It also explained that, because the awards have grown to about 35 categories, some categories are rotated during the live broadcast, and its omission from the live stage should not be interpreted as disregard. The point is that faith-based music should not be treated as an afterthought, especially when it is contributing meaningfully to the culture, audience and wider music ecosystem.

Also, the existence of an Inspirational category should not mean that faith-based music is excluded from wider genre and general awards when the work meets the criteria.

As a stakeholder in the industry, tell us some of your background work to ensure alternative music is celebrated and not only Afrobeats.

Afrobeats is an important part of our cultural export. Our music ecosystem is, however, broader in scope, and we should therefore pay cognisance to the wide array of sounds, stories, messages and communities that are contributing meaningfully. My work has been to use my music, conversations and platforms to create room for kingdom expression and perspectives within popular culture.

For instance, with the podcast, Black Flame, we have created space for ideological conversations with strong thinkers and people carrying light across Africa. I believe the industry becomes stronger when we do not reduce African music to one sound or one commercial formula. There should be room for different genres, convictions, languages, communities and forms of expression to thrive.

Inspiration songs used to be the ones with cool beats that require little energy when sung. Why did you tailor your inspiration songs towards a danceable one?

If the music is inspiring, the music is inspiring, whether the tempo is slow or fast. The gospel doesn’t stop being the gospel just because the beat is a vibe! The message of a song and the energy of its sound are two different things. A song can carry a deeply spiritual message and still make people dance, celebrate and participate physically.

For me, the goal is to communicate the message in a way that people can receive. If a danceable rhythm helps the message travel further and allows people to engage with it more freely, then there is no contradiction.

The gospel is not weakened because the beat is energetic. What matters is that the message remains true and intact, and that the music serves the purpose. The sound is the vehicle, but the message remains the message.

How do you strike the perfect balance between high-energy Afrobeats rhythms and a deeply sacred message without watering either down?

The underlying problem with this question is the unstated premise that a rhythm can water down a message. I don’t align with that. Once the message is clear, then communication between creator and listener is achieved. My conviction is solid, my consecration is in place, and the sound simply carries the message to the intended listeners.

Who are the musical pioneers, both within gospel and mainstream Afrobeats, that have most heavily influenced your artistic direction? Oliver Mtukudzi, Bob Marley, Rev. J. J. Ransome-Kuti, Fela Kuti, Tope Alabi and Kenny Kore.How do you define your mandate as an artiste?

Simply put, it is to superimpose kingdom culture and values on popular culture to penetrate and influence society with the gospel and the values of God’s Kingdom. This is what it means when I’m referred to as a culture architect. Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 49:6 and Isaiah 41:14–16 are the scriptural passages that underpin this. Music is the vehicle; however, the assignment is bigger than music. I see myself as someone entrusted with a message, a platform and an opportunity to influence culture.

Take us through a day in the studio when you are working with your producer

My approach to recording in the studio depends on the song. Sometimes, the producer plays a beat, and I write to it. In this case, the sound and rhythm of the beat guide how I channel the lyrics, the direction and the overall feeling of the song.

At other times, I already have a topic, concept or some lyrics in mind. In this case, the producer creates a beat that fits the topic, mood and message I want the song to communicate.

So, the process is flexible. Sometimes the music inspires the message, and other times the message directs how the music flows.

No Turning Back became a song played in nightclubs where alcohol and smoking reign supreme. How do you feel about that?
For people to believe, they must hear. For them to hear, someone must reach them. For someone to reach them, he or she must be sent.

I am very, very glad and grateful that my music is reaching those to whom it is sent. The music is going where it needs to. Let the people dance to it, let them sing it and be confessing the lyrics thereby; the Spirit and power behind the music will handle the rest.

I see music as a vehicle; a vehicle carrying a message. Once a record is released, it will travel into spaces and reach people we may never physically meet.

The fact that No Turning Back is being played in spaces where people may not share the same faith or lifestyle does not make the message less meaningful or powerful. In fact, it creates an opportunity for the message to encounter people outside the usual church environment.

I do not make music to condemn people from a distance. I make music to communicate truth, hope and kingdom values. If the song enters a space where those values are not usually being discussed, that is progress. The responsibility is to remain clear about what the song says, carries and stands for.

How do you define your call to ministry through upbeat and danceable music?

Like I already said, music is a vehicle. Another analogy is to see it as language. You have to speak to a people in the language they’re fluent in. Hymns reached a people, a generation. Classical music served a generation. The predominant sound of congregational worship today is CCM, which is actually soft rock. Upbeat, groovy African rhythms offer us another language with which to communicate the same truth. Sacred truth can be expressed through contemporary African sounds without losing its substance. I am expressing it through a sound that people understand and can engage with.

Jesus operated in mainstream spaces. He engaged people where they were, and I believe the message of the kingdom was always meant to go beyond religious walls. The important thing is that the music remains truthful and that the sound serves the assignment.

What has been the most surprising part of seeing Afrogospel gain a massive global audience?

I think what has surprised me the most is how much the music resonates with children, toddlers and even babies. Even I can’t explain it. They really love the sound, and it is quite refreshing to see, because what that means is that God is already giving us the ears and hearts of the next generation.

This is a takeover, and we are still seeing only the beginning.

There is also the part of people from other cultures connecting with the sound, even when they may not understand every word or share the same cultural background. It shows that music can create an entry point for a message across borders.

What is next for your career, and what major projects should fans look out for?

There’s a lot coming, so let me break it down. First, this festive season, get your tickets for God Is Coming Live on December 19. I want you all to be there. There’s also an Easter celebration coming in 2027, so Aramanda is very much active.

On the podcast side, Black Flame Season 3 is already underway. Honestly, the lineup this season is beyond your expectations. We recently had Kenny Kore, who had been away for several years, and that episode was a bang.

Black Flame now has its own dedicated channel, so subscribe and turn on your notifications, because you don’t want to miss what’s coming.

Visually, look out for video and collaboration projects with some of our favourite cooking influencers and restaurants near you. Yes, cooking, tied directly to the album, God Is Cooking. That’s going to be a fun side of Gaise Baba.