Rosemary Tony-Ayoko is one of the emerging voices in the gospel music industry. In this online interview, she explained how God called her, challenges, inspiration among others.

Family background

My name is Rosemary (Rosemary Tony-Ayoko), the last child of 5 children born to Pastor & Mrs. Joseph Osim. I am from Abia state and a graduate of Economics from Benson Idahosa University , I also hold a masters degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Lagos. I am happily married and blessed with two handsome boys.

How long have you been singing

I started singing at the age of 6 and by the time my parents changed church, I then joined the children’s choir of Glory Christian Ministries and presently still in the church choir.

Why did you choose gospel music

Rosemary Tony-Ayoko

I sincerely didn’t want to go into music, I had always seen myself as a career woman, but on the 9th of April, 2004, I had an amazing encounter with God and He spoke to me concerning the music ministry, He was very specific that He has called me into the worship ministry. I still didn’t take this encounter seriously until 13th June, 2013, I was seriously ill and was admitted in hospital, on the day I was discharged from hospital, I passed on and had an out of body experience but God brought me back to life. I will call that experience “Life transforming Experience “. I knew God gave me a second chance to live in order to fulfil His work. After that experience and some other encounters I had with God, the only thing that mattered and still matters to me is my major reason for being alive and that is to serve God through the worship ministry and ever since that out of body experience, the Holy Spirit has been so real to me. It is His words spoken to me that has kept me on track.

Who inspires you as an artiste.

My greatest inspiration- THE HOLY SPIRIT. I have realised that all I have done so far has been by His help.

How many producers have you worked with

I have just worked with the amazing and multi-talented RotimiKeys (Rotimi Akinfenwa). That guy is filled with the Holy Spirit and knows how I like songs interpreted. It’s been a blessing working with him. I agree there are other amazing producers, my spirit connects with his and that is why I have not tried any other producer for now. If someday I get instructions from the Holy Spirit to try someone else, definitely but right now, I am so blessed working with RotimiKeys

How do u feel about your song getting massive airplay in USA, Canada and UK.

The acceptance, feedbacks and reviews have been so overwhelming and encouraging. All I can say is that when God calls a man, HE announces him. It’s HIS work, I will do my bit by paying attention to the leading and instructions of the HOLY SPIRIT and allow HIM do the rest. It’s HIS praise and HE alone deserves the glory.

What should we expect from you this year

Well I just released a new single titled “YOU” and also working on the video of my second song Nara Ekele (receive my thanks). I want to take each step as the Holy Spirit leads me and I know when the time comes, He will give instructions as to what the next move should be. The bible says ” Those that are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God, I want to go at His pace.

What inspired your new single

Hmmmm that’s a very very very long story but let me try and summarise it. It’s been 12years since God told me about the music ministry but kept running away, giving him conditions if I had to do it and then finally it got to a point God got really impatient with me and was done waiting for me.

A few people had just been handpicked for salary increase and I happened to be one of them, I got excited about the extra box then I thought to myself ” let me just work till the end of the year and then quit”. At this point, I literally heard God tell me ” See yourself “, He was done waiting for me, quit that job now”. He seized my peace, I wasn’t myself, I was almost going crazy, I even feared I had high blood pressure because I was so depressed and was always thinking, I was not taking care of myself anymore because it looked like there was nothing to live for but for each time I had any opportunity to sing while alone or in church, I found fulfilment doing it. It was then I knew God was really serious about this. I had just received my first salary increase at the end of May, 2015, on the 4th of June, I could not take the pressure anymore, I begged my husband to please let me quit. The moment he gave me the go ahead to drop my letter, I felt a burden leave me, I became as light as a feather, oh my God I felt like a bird that had just been set free from a cage. I spoke to my boss and few days later dropped my resignation letter.

It didn’t end there, like every human I had my questions (why me?), fears (what if I fail and never succeed) , doubts (Rosemary are you sure God called you to do this?) etc. I went back to God and gave some conditions and I said “okay I have accepted to do this but on three conditions

Like Moses in Exo 33:15-16, YOUR PRESENCE must never leave me, yes I have the tendency to stray away from your presence, but please bring me back to the place I belong. I love a particular hyme where d writer wrote “prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love, but here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above”
There isn’t any point doing this and lives are not blessed, as you promised on the 9th April, 2004, please keep your promise and back every ministration up with your presence, but first EMPTY ME OF ME, help me pay THE PRICE, (staying power in HIS presence, let go of distractions and stay with HIM.

Keep me FOCUSED- Heb 12:2 – looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith… I don’t want to be anyone else, but I want to do exactly what You want me to do. Like Peter that took his eyes off Jesus and started sinking, I didn’t want that at all.
After I asked God these three things, the journey to finding and knowing the person of the Holy Spirit in a more deeper level started. And as we both started this journey, for every question, fears and doubts I had, the Holy Spirit gave me comforting and soothing responses to them all. A few days later after my resignation while I was in His presence and sincerely asking to know Him better, born out of a heart that is still learning to die daily to the flesh, and that just wants to LOVE HIM He inspired this song “YOU” -Phil 3:10- That I may know HIM(YOU)… This song I must say is a daily heart cry and personal worship expression to God as I run this race and I am trusting HIM that by HIS grace I will finish strong.

When should we expect an album?

Well I am not in a hurry to get an album out because one of the few things God has taught me is that the ministry HE has called me into is not all about having an album, this is not saying that I will not have one eventually but I am taking it as the HOLY SPIRIT leads me, I take instructions from HIM, if HE says it is this year then so be it and if HE says otherwise I will wait. If it has taken 12years of running away from this call and training from God, then I will wait for Him to lead because I believe God was preparing me for such a time as this, am sure if I had jumped in then, I would have messed up.

How do you blend Family, work and music

I had to quit my job to focus on ministry as mentioned in one of the questions earlier asked. Right now it’s GOD, Family and Ministry. I have asked the HOLY SPIRIT to help me balance it all and He’s been helping me out.

Who sponsors your music

Rosemary Tony-Ayoko

My husband, my crown, my support, I could go on. He has single handedly supported me from day one. I call Him one of God’s choicest sons and I thank God everyday for that man. He is indeed a blessing to me.

How does your husband feel about your musical career?

Super supportive and my number 1 critic too, he tells me when he feels I am doing my own thing…laughs.

Would you let any of kids do music in future?

Oh certainly if it’s God’s will, in fact my second son that is less than 5years is an amazing drummer and we (hubby and I) encourage him, he even has his drum set at home.

What is your view on Nigerian Gospel Acts

God has called everyone for a specific purpose and everyone is doing what God has called them to do. It’s all for the edification of the body of Christ and to reach out to souls that need salvation.

Which Nigerian gospel artiste (s) are you looking forward to working with?

The three amazing ministers of God I look forward to working with are PITA, Mairo Ese and Nathaniel Bassey. I love their ministry and the anointing these men of God carry.

Aside music what else do you do?

Full time stay at home mum, that’s enough work already now…laughs. But I and a friend of mine are working on some other stuff together that you will get to find out later, it’s still cooking…laughs

Gospel artistes often move over to secular music are there chances you might do same?

This race is a personal race and everyone is running according to the vision and conviction they might have gotten and I will not stand to judge anyone. But as for me I have told God that the day I start nursing the idea to deviate from what HE called me to do, then let GOD call me home. I would rather go back to HIM than deviate from what HE specifically called me to do, God was specific on 9th April, 2004 when he spoke to me in a dream about this and I will only be a foolish child to deviate…laughs

Word of advice to upcoming gospel artistes

Find God and love Him with all your heart. All we ever desire in this life is in HIM. Have a personal relationship with the HOLY SPIRIT so that when people hear you, they can attest to the fact that you have been with HIM. The same goes for me too because I am also an upcoming gospel minister…laughs