The Music Director of Celestial Church of Christ (CCC)Worldwide, Baba Oluwole Adetiran has passed on. GISTMASTER gathered Adetiran died on Friday 6 May 2022 after protracted illness that includes prostrate cancer,hypertension and diabetes.
According to profile of Adetiran, he was born about 75 years ago. He is credited as the music legend that composed the national anthem of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 1984. He studied Music at the University of Nigeria. He later became the head of music department,The Polytechnic Ibadan.
Baba Adetiran’s contribution to music development in Celestial Church is widely noted. He was the leader of the CCC Central Choir. The likes of Sola Allyson were said to have passed through his tutelage.
Read more about him below
OLUWOLE OLADEJO ADETIRAN
When you talk of music,the name Wole Adetiran is on top. When you talk of veterans in music technology, Oluwole Adetiran is on the A-list,both within and outside the shore of Nigeria.
Assistant Venerable Superior Evangelist Oluwole Adetiran JP, MPIC was born on 8th September about 74yrs ago in Igbajo, to the family of Adetiran of Obaloja Compound, Igbajo,now Osun State.
By the time he was born, his father, Pa Olagunju Adetiran just returned from the Gold Coast (Ghana) as a cocoa merchant. Having traversed the length of the Gold Coast then, he settled down in his home town as a cocoa famer. His mother, Madam Dorcas Owojori was a seamstress and a cloth seller.
She was a senior member of the choir in the church and the leader of a cultural group. She eventually became the first deaconess of the Baptist Church, Igbajo, Osun State.
Oluwole Adetiran started his elementary education at the Baptist Day School, Igbajo,Osun State before moving to Ibadan,Oyo State where he became a street musician and also joined the church choir at First Baptist Church, Idi – Ikan,Ibadan. He learnt the art of playing guitar from a Gold Coast returnee, Mr Dapo Taiwo and became a reffered guitarist amongst his mates in 1963; and a Cathederal-Organist in 1965.
His musical talent showed him off at the Baptist Teacher Training College where he was appointed as the Social Prefect and the Choir Director.
He trained as a musicologist at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and The University Of Ibadan. He was posted to serve in the mandatory NYSC Scheme at The Polytechnic Ibadan.
While undergoing the compulsory NYSC scheme in 1984 as a Youth Corp member serving at the
Polytechnic Ibadan,he composed the National Youth Service Corp anthem and that is what is still being used till date. In Nigeria,you cannot claim to be a full-fledged graduate who passed through the NYSC without knowing and singing the NYSC Anthem.
He lectured at the Department of Music Technology,The Polytechnic, Ibadan,for about 30yrs. He rose from an Assistant Lecturer to Chief Lecturer (Professor Cadre in the University settings) in 1999.
He established the first department of Music Technology at the Polytechnic Ibadan, which he headed for eleven years. He also became the first Lecturer in Music Technology Department to become a Senior Principal Lecturer in the Music Department of the Polytechnic,Ibadan. He is also the first Lecturer in the Department to become a Dean of Faculty of Eight Departments at the Polytechnic of Ibadan.
Evangelist Oluwole Adetiran later joined the Celestial Church of Christ at Army Barracks Road Parish, Mokola,Ibadan,under the Shepherdship of Late MSE Moses Obasa Adekanmbi,in the early 1970s.
He is the current Music Director of Celestial Church of Christ, worldwide. He is the Founding Rector;CCC Academy Of Music Technology, Lagos,Nigeria. The Celestial Church of Christ Central Choir is an institution that has indeed brought excellent prestige,honour,glory, blessings and grace unto the CCC WW. Through the CCC Central Choir,many stars and glories have been birthed.
Through Evangelist Wole Adetiran in 2010,the Celestial Church of Christ Academy of Music and Music Technology,being the first Monotechnic in Nigeria, was established.
The Academy was born out of necessity and intention of the Rector, Dr. Oluwole Adetiran of having a Music Academy for the Christendom.
The Academy has graduated over 500 students.
Students who graduated from the Academy, also continued in other Universities to study Music in their department. Apart from training student to be Musicologists, the Academy also encourages them to write professional exams in Royal School of Music, London and at the Muson Centre Lagos, Nigeria.
He was Jamb Music-Examiner for about 15yrs;and an official Musicologist for both Oyo State and Federal Governments between 1987 and 1997.
Dr. Oluwole Adetiran put together the Mass-Choir of about 2,500 secondary school Students to perform at the funeral of Baba Awolowo in 1987 at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan,Oyo State. He also used the same size of Mass-Choir to welcome Babangida to Oyo State in 1991 also at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan.
He was invited by President Babangida to train a bigger Mass-Choir of about 3,500 students in Abuja to welcome 24 African Countries Presidents to the opening of BETTER LIFE House in Abuja in 1992. These amidst other state and national responsibilities.
He also took CCC Central Choir to Aso Rock to perform for the President severally.
Dr. Wole Adetiran is a recipient of National Award, from the Federal Government of Nigeria. He’s a Member of the Pastor-in-Council of the Celestial Church of Christ WW and a J.P.
He’s highly respected in the world of Musicology and he has sat as a judge at various musical shows and competitions.
Through Baba Oluwole Adetiran,several music stars in Nigeria and overseas have been discovered, nurtured,trained and promoted. Amongst these are; Baba Rotimi Olaosebikan(cur
rent HOD,Music Tech. Dept., The Polytechnic Ibadan), Olusola Allynson Obaniyi, Samson Adekanmbi (Sammy P), Seyi Solagbade, Chidi Egwuatu, Reuben Adekanmbi and several others.
He is currently coordinating the largest single choir that features at the annual Luli Concert (a Christian worship concert that has taken worship to places, create an inter-faith and non-denominational praise gathering).
Baba Wole Adetiran was part of the Celestial Church of Christ Hymns Technical Review Council from May 26th 2009 to November 2019. This Council’s efforts under the Supervision and Coordination of Most. Superior Evangelist S. O. Banjo resulted into the New Revised Standard Edition of the CCC Hymn Book launched on 25th December 2019 at Imeko, Ogun State.
Whilst wishing Baba,AVSE (Dr.) Oluwole Adetiran more years in the service of God on earth, it is good to get refreshed by singing the NYSC Anthem:
Youths obey the clarion call,
Let us lift our nation’s high,
Under the sun or in the rain,
With dedication and selflessness,
Nigeria is ours, Nigeria we serve.
Celestial Church of Christ members, let us celebrate Baba, Asst. Ven. Superior Evang. (Dr.) Oluwole Oladejo Adetiran.
