MY ARTIST OF THE DAY:EVANGELIST BOLA ARE

As minister like Pastor Shirley Caesar is to Black Gospel music abroad, so is Mama Evangelist Bola Are is in Nigeria and beyond. Evangelist (Dr.) Bola Are as she is called who hails from formal Ondo State  was born in Erio-Ekiti in Ekiti State to Elder T.A. and Chief (Mrs.) D.O. Babayomi. “I was born with music and everyone in my family knew I was going to be a singer and evangelist” as she said. It was said that her birth and career had been prophesied by Apostle Babalola.

Mama Bola Are has said that her mission in life is to praise God, using the Yoruba culture and language as carrier of message. The music diva was among the few artistes who pioneered the gospel genre in Nigeria. Mama started singing with her band, the spiritual Singers, in Ibadan on 26th July, 1973 at Agbokojo area of Ibadan.

She got to know the late Baba Archbishop Benson Idahosa through her album and whenever he saw me, he called her “My lady of songs.” She was introduced me to Oral  Roberts, Kenneth Hagins and Billy Graham By late Baba Archbishop Benson Idahosa. She sang at his revival in 1985 at the Olubadan Stadium and a man who had been mad for 12 years regained his sanity. Miraculous are common under her ministration. She once served as the President of Gospel Musicians Association of Nigeria (GOMAN) for over five years.