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Dupe Oyeneyin revs ‘In God Presence’

By Gregory Austin Nwakunor, Arts and Culture Editor
11 November 2018   |   3:20 am
Modupe Omoyeni Oyeneyin, aka Dupsy Oyeneyin, is a trained microbiologist. The lady, who has a master’s degree in Operations & Supply Chain Management...

Modupe Omoyeni Oyeneyin, aka Dupsy Oyeneyin, is a trained microbiologist. The lady, who has a master’s degree in Operations & Supply Chain Management, is the organiser of the yearly Foretaste Concert. This year’s event,  tagged ‘In God’s Presence’, held yesterday. She spoke with Gregory Austin Nwakunor, Arts and Culture Editor on the concert and her journey into the music world.

Who is Dupsy Oyeneyin?
She laughs. “Dupsy is a child of God, wife, mother, successful professional, songwriter, worship leader all rolled into one by the special grace of God. She gave her life to Christ in 1987 and has since then spread the gospel, especially through music,” she says.

Modupe grew up in a family and generation that loved and still love to sing. Her parents loved music and she remembers while growing up that the family’s daily devotions (morning and evening) were not complete without singing hymns.

So, all her life, she has been surrounded by people who are passionate about music. Her maternal grandpa was an organist in Methodist church back then and my maternal grandma was a member of her church choir even in her 70s.

More importantly,  Dupsy, as she is called, remembers watching her mum sing while cooking.

“It was capped when I gave my life to Christ and it then became a calling and a gift deposited in me by God for the healing of nations,” she reveals.

The lady, who has a degree in microbiology and a master’s in Operations and Supply Chain Management, says her involvement in the concert, was a divine act.

As she exchanges banters with everybody, the rhythms of November played out in her head. Even as she smiles, laughs, jokes and dances, she croons like a baby who wanted attention.

Almost with a throaty laugh, snugging up close, she breathes: “I was going through a programme in my local church, Guiding Light Assembly sometime in 2014; it was called Master Life and Experiencing God.”

For her, singing helps to de-stress and unwind.
She continues, “it was a ‘scary moment’, because prior to this time, I only see or attend concerts, it never crossed my mind I would have to organise one. First, I didn’t have the funds nor the experience, but the Holy Spirit told me it had to be done that same year 2014. So, with Him, we started the plan, He led me to people and places, told me to use some money we had saved up as a family for a project (story for another day…) and we had the maiden edition December 14, 2014.”

Since then we have had it every year and this year’s edition will be the fifth one. Talking about the family project, “God made a way and we still successfully and miraculously executed the project. He is a faithful God and always makes provision for the vision He gives. This is the fifth edition.”

What inspired ‘In God’s Presence’, the theme of this year’s concert?
She breathes: “Every year, since inception, I always receive a theme and I have noticed a pattern where, I experience the theme for that year, even before the concert.”

The Holy Spirit Himself revealed the 2018 theme In God’s Presence  to her “and this has been my experience throughout the year. The bible says in Psalms 16 verse 11, Thou wilt show me the path of life, in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Since 2014, she has been organising this concert, which is in its fifth edition.

She says, “during one of my quite moments one day, working on my assignment, having been exposed to looking out for where God is working and joining Him, the Holy Spirit told me to organise a worship concert and sing the songs He had given me during my time alone with Him.”

What inspired ‘In God’s Presence’, the theme of this year’s concert?
Every year since inception, she has always received a theme. “I have noticed a pattern where, I experience the theme for that year, even before the concert. The Holy Spirit Himself this 2018 theme ‘In God’s Presence’ and this has been my experience throughout the year. The bible says in Psalms 16 verse 11, Thou wilt show me the path of life, in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

This year, there were six gospel artistes including herself. They are, Folabi Nuel, Ighiwiyisi Jacobs, Olumide Iyun, Assatta AllWell-Brown and Ife Worships. All of us are ready to minister to God’s people in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The concert, which held yesterday, is free. And you wonder why?
“I haven’t been led to have a gate fee for this concert first and foremost, which I’m happy about because it will give more people especially the young generation an opportunity to worship God without the restriction of an access fee. It is free so that no one that needs God’s touch through that forum will be deprived of such opportunity should there be lack of funds to buy a ticket.

What has been the challenge of organising the concert?” she breathes.
She is not bothered giving free concert and so does not consider it a challenge.

Oyeneyin reveals, “there has been no challenge, because I personally believe there are no limits in life except those we allow. So, when I face a difficult patch during the planning process, I see it as an avenue for God to show His awesomeness.”
From rehearsals to funding, direction and execution and so on, she stresses, “I rest on the scripture that says, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

What does the success story look like?
She expresses surprises, and heaves, “to me, a success story means whatever I’m doing here on earth conforms to the blueprint of heaven. It is not to please anyone or make people accept me; it must all align with God’s original intention. That to me, is success.”

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