The Emotive Thrill in Aridunnu’s “Spontaneous Worship” Medley

By Emmanuel Daraloye

Aridunnu’s “Spontaneous Worship” takes on the listener with a brief introduction about
the medley. His monologue ends with a prayer, before transitioning into a soulful cry. His
featured guest Nigerian Christian gospel musician, BBO, sears into a soft folk-leaning
verse as they both render the popular Nigerian Christian Worship song, “Oloore Alaanu”.
With bell chants and dramatic drum fills, the song transitions into a hymn, “Okan Mi Yin
Oba Orun” that continues to soar with the melancholia of Nigerian Christian worship. It
drifts into four more songs “Kogbowo Kobobi”,
“ A egbe mi e wa si a”
,
“ Alaye lo ma yin o
oku kole yin o”
, “Melo ni wo ka baba mi”, before closing off a section of the medley. The
medley is broken into three 12-min parts that soar with folk-leaning Yoruba Christian
Worship.

Across the 36-min spin, the duo stand out for their eccentric and neat transitions,
especially as they fluctuate their vocal pitches to indicate the transitions. The entire
medley comprises 40 songs, with each part detailing at least 8-10 songs. Nonetheless,
across the entire spin, the songs easily meander into each other without heavy reliance
on instrumental. Save for the language barrier, which displaces non-Yoruba speakers
from identifying the transitions easily without extra sound or visual cues, the entire
medley rings as an easy listen.

Aridunnu’s “Spontaneous Worship” thrives as a medley, best fit for live-performances,
with the rich balancing of tensions between the instrumental and the vocals. The
instrumental fills ring clear like freudian slips of sorts; helping to stimulate the pacing
and tension that drive live performances.
Within the second section of the medley, Aridunnu continues with other songs such as
“Olorun Etitobi To ooo”
, “Jesu omo Olorun iwo lemi ma ni o”
, “Igbagbo mi duro lori eje ati
ododo jesu”, “Ogo fun oruko oluwa”
, “Ose babami modupe lowo re”, “Olorun babalola”
,
“Sio Olutunu Orun”
, and “Hallelujah lo mu mi goke modupe”. Through the record, the
musicians tend to create an intriguing composition, one where the drummer and pianist
shine, with each of the instruments giving room for each other to shine, enhancing the
overall chord progression.

Overall, the “Spontaneous Worship” medley is rife with impact, unlocking catharsis in
every section. The songs usher in a feeling of serenity, especially in the emphasis
provided on certain salutations to God by both vocalists. Aridunnu, taking the lead,
helms the record with sharp cues, while BBO accompanies on every song. Occasionally,
Aridunnu, also introduces most of the songs, while cueing in BBO by calling his name.
This sort of call-and-response enlivens the imagery for the listener and enriches the
entire performance. The emotiveness of the medley is certainly a strong incentive for
creating high replay value.

Another hallmark of the melody is the high-pitch power from both vocalists, especially
as both rank solidly on the vocal scale. They both carry the record’s energy, allowing
each song to shine within their own distinct singing styles. While all the records are
predominantly Nigerian Christian worship songs, these on the medley spin-off with an
extra depth of vocal texturing that keep them fresh.

Aridunnu’s exploit within the African Christian Gospel music scene continues to shine
with his live-performance fitted records. With medleys like “Spontaneous Worship”
, it is
easy to absorb his signature charismatic performance and become drawn to his
Christian worship artistry.

The medley ends with a few closing hymns including, “Ni gbogbo ona ese”, “Bless the
lord oh my soul”, “Iyin re oni tan lenu mi”, “Leyin jesu ko si enikan o”
, “We give you all the
glory”
, and “You are the Most high”
, crescendoing with a soft cry and bassy piano chords.

With a mastered audio mix that balances the soft nature of the chords and the high pitch
from both singers, the entire medley feels like a warm hug whether consumed via music
players or watched live. “Spontaneous Worship” excels for this very reason, becoming a
pivotal addition to the library of Christian worship songs across Nigeria.