Soltune’s scat singing opens his recent Afro pop gospel bop, “Holy Ghost” with a rousing pitch that disarms the average listener’s skepticism. “I been trying so hard to do everything my way, until me gave it all up to you/ I lost me vibe, but na you wey help me find it,” his pop-esque cadence tears through giddy Afrobeats percussion, setting the tone for the gospel praise jam. While most gospel praise bops follow a particular sonic template, Soltune, born Solomon Soltune Odiana, stands out with a fusion-fueled soundscape that combines hiplife, highlife and Afro pop.

Singing mostly in Nigerian Pidgin and English, Soltune weaves easily digestible lyrics that come alive in the airy tonal structure that gives the record its pulse. “Heavenly father, e be you wey be my captain,” he sings, with a warm tenor that connects easily with the highlife undercurrent in the song. Sonically, “Holy Ghost” borrows from secular music traditions, especially the highlife of Duncan Mighty and the Banku flows of Mr Eazi, which Soltune reframes within the thematic discipline of gospel praise.

Generally, the song rings off as a celebratory anthem, revelling in God’s consistent graces towards man. Soltune’s arrangement in the song, especially with the hollowed call-and-response chorus texture the lyrics with sonic emphasis. For a polyphonic rhythm, Soltune’s delivery mostly floats atop the tropical highlife guitars and Afrobeats percussion without distorting the overall tonal clarity of each instrument. The entire composition feels cohesive, culturally soaked and charismatic, commanding both shoch and replay value.

Soltune’s Southern Nigerian heritage has long since a backdrop to his music, as is evident in his other recent bop, “Yawa Don Pass”, which melds Port Harcourt slangs like ‘Abobi’ into a gospel music framework that elevates his artistry with originality and relatability. Other lyrics like “Dem dey ask who be my source o/ Na Baba God, no be Palm Pay,” are proof of his witty lyricism encoded in common Nigerian lingo.

One highlight of Soltune’s work is in the sheer intensity in his vocals. The records are laced with vulnerability, emotive singing techniques like melismas, and his fluid slow burn-raspy cadence that paces the record into a cohesive feel. Flowing from his earlier records including his “Walking In The Light”, “It Is Working” and “Jesus My Love”, Soltune establishes his artistry as a dancefloor delight, typecasting his melodies with high octane energy, catchy lyricism and pop-esque groove.

The record closes its curtains with a descending melodic section that soaks the listener with catharsis. It’s a wholesome and inspirational spin, best tailored as a mood stabilizer, and it shows Soltune’s growing prowess in today’s era of fusion-driven musicality, especially within the African Christian gospel scene. Soltune’s knack for blurring the lines between mainstream secular music traditions and gospel music continues to spotlight him as a muse for progressive sonic expansions in Nigerian music. “Holy Ghost” thrives off Soltune’s ingenuity, but it finds its overall strength in the emotional duality or catharsis that the record evokes. A breezy, feel-good listen, apt for early morning spins or congregational ministries, “Holy Ghost” is a noteworthy addition to the library of Afro-fusion gospel records in circulation. It sits at 8/10.

Born Solomon Soltune Odiana, Soltune is an award winning gospel musician, community development strategist and convener of the Heaven’s Breed outreach program which focuses on evangelism, community development and employment accelerator programs. He began singing and playing the Conga from the tender age of 4 in the children department at his childhood church.

He recorded and released his debut, an Afro RnB gospel single titled ‘Beautiful’, in 2010, which gained positive critical acclaim.

Across his career, he has collaborated with many known and notable gospel artistes including Frank Edwards, Marizu, Nolly, YoYo Michael, SMEK, and Protek Illashevah. With three albums under his belt, he has honed his signature sound blending Kizomba, Dancehall, and Highlife, toasting to his alluring versatility.

With a heart dedicated to community development, in 2020, he organized over 20 soul winning outreaches across Lagos, distributing food, bibles and other relief materials to indigent suburbs throughout the whole year. He remains one of the most charismatic voices in contemporary African gospeldom.