I NEVER DREW INSPIRATION FROM JIMI SHOLANKE. MICHAEL FASHINA a.k.a (Erujeje)

A Chat with MICHAEL FASHINA a.k.a (Erujeje) after his return from USA Music tour!

Pastor Michael Fashina (a.k.a ERUJEJE) was far away in USA with the full blast of the message of God through his artistic character of an ancient thrift and apt old man, CW team had a chat with him over the phone to let us in on what God is doing with this new wave of worship, on arrival back he granted us a telephone interview;

Q;         Who is Mr Fashina Michael and who is Erujeje

Michael Fashina;         I am but just a man who simply love to impact into lives of other people directly or indirectly, I love affecting people around me positively to the glory of God. Soul wining is one thing that get me going beyond normal. I love to let people know how much God is in need of their lives; I visit anyone with knowable address anywhere with the love of God and persistently follow-up on them with the goal of getting them established in Christ Jesus.My second face in Character in the Old man from imuaro, in Ogun state which was actually a character in a play. Today it has metamorphosed to Erujeje.

Q;                             Why now Erujeje, your most profound second character?

Michael Fashina;         Like I said earlier, it was a concept; A kind of character in a play. The character was Otunba, a high chief in Imuaro, in Ogun state. In the play a missionary visited a local community with the message of salvation, while he was been faced with persecutions from the King and people of the land, God has touched the heart of one of the prominent member of the monarch the Otuna. The missionary died but the high chief became the messenger of God within that community. The Otunba carried on where the missionary left off, with such a great passion that he became a messenger with a message. That was where it all started. l drew the inspiration from the life and story of the great legendary missionary to Africa David Livingstone. The project though was a huge financial loss at the end, but it was the off-shot of the character ERUJEJE, and I believe Otunba of Imu-aro (the character) is doing fine with the spreading of God’s message everywhere now.

Q;                             Yes o! (laugh). Some of us thought you drew inspiration from JIMI SHOLANKE’S character, how come now music if you were into drama arts earlier.

Michael Fashina;         Let’s clear this. It was never Jimi Sholanke, nor Music from the beginning. I was all out for God like I said earlier for soul wining and that is what ‘am still involved with todate. I had my background in Microbiology from University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun state. During my undergraduate days I was merely concerned with the work of salvation through evangelism. God worked with us so much that, during one of our programmes, I was ministering in front of a two-story building yet people inside the rooms of the building were falling under the intensity of the anointing of God through the message. So great was the move of God then that we formed a DINNER FELLOWSHIP. Cultist willing gave their lives to God, herbalist within the community yielded to God, it was awesome those days on campus, but the twist to the whole of the assignment came in 1997.

Q;                             What is it about 1997?

Michael Fashina;         Yes, like Abraham was called out of his people, I heard God called me out to go to Ibadan. It was there I had to join the Church Choir of The Redeemed Christian Church of God – Jesus Embassy - while I also enrolled to study Music Technology in The Polytechnic Ibadan with an option in Performing Art. My days in the polytechnic was tough, so much that I could barely get gari (cassava flakes) to drink. For fund reason I could not go to RCCG – Jesus Embassy again, my survival was greatly threatened by poverty, yet my love for music has gone into my sub-consciousness. I saw clearly in a trance where I was conducting a large choir group, a mass choir! I was already creating characters, building up visions for Chorography, Pantomime, Ensembles and Chorale group. I started looking for assistance, but nothing came forth but He who called me never left me, but as a man I was so worried so much that I was almost going to start night club performances to survive. God was faithful; l went back to RCCG – Jesus Embassy with promise of the then pastor-in-charge (Pastor NiranFaf’owora) to assist with funding my transport fare and other little bills. I met Herbert KunleAjayi, Emerald and others who assisted in my first work.

Q;                             But you could have been a musician like every one, why folklore style, like anold man coming on stage to talk to children, a kind of tales by moonlights?

Michael Fashina;         Well, I wanted something different, something that will get to the people, a bridge between Afro-Americans and Core Americans. Something for all, young and old, so I adopted the play I mentioned earlier, that first project wasnot anything near success until God gave me opportunity to minister in RCCG First Born Province 2 headquarters ACME - Lagos through bro TunjiAdegun (then Prov., music director), the slot was not even ours we were ask to come and stand-by for another group i.e (if Landlords group did not show-up we would be allowed to sing) vice-versa, we came in all the way from Ibadan to stand by, but as God would have it,that night was it, they did not show up, we ministered, that day and our ministry has since that night changed. Invitations for ministrations came from everywhere, we were later invited by Pastor E A Adeboye to feature at HolyGhost Congress, Pastor Paul Adefarasin of House on the Rock, Gov.,Bola Ahmed Tinubu has permanently put us on the annual Lagos State thank-giving service, God has been so good.

Q;                             You stormed America, can you let us in on the event and should we be expecting anything new, say a new work?

Michael Fashina;         We were in Chicago, North Carolina Atlanta, Baltimore, Tucson, Arizona and New York to continue the good work of leading people to worship God. No new work yet but soon we will be coming up with the video of one of our track

s soon.

Q;                             Do you think worship of God can be a life style or it is just when we come together in churches or other location that we can worship?

Michael Fashina;         My take on this is simple, Worship must first be within, then outward expression, when we come into the open, it should be the extension of what we were doing or what was happening in the secret. Attitude during worship should show concentration. For us to attain the expected standard especially our attitudes during this session in our meetings, we should start the re-orientations from the pulpit, and we should stop majoring-in-minor during our worship services and meetings. Its all about what we do in the secret, David’s heart was constantly in search of God’s presence even in difficult times.

Q;                             What was the role of the Church in your talent discovery and development?

Michael Fashina;         I can only see the church of God at large as a platform to relay the message of God to the people of God, but the discovery and developmental days was quite without much assistance from the Church, my concept was strange and new I was rejected even by my own people, was denied ministration at some major national event before, but glory to God the whole of that has changed, the church can now see that while it may seems as though am making jest on stage, God do move through comedies, since we have a God that laughs according to Psl 2., we now know we could laugh and still be blessed, this is another part of Erujeje that makes this character different.

Q;                             Are you married?

Michael Fashina;         Yes o! I traveled far to Calabar to pick my one and only beloved Morrin Ephrame Adam Fashina, we are blessed with two children, a boy and a girl.

Q;                             What contribution do you have that will enhance the ability of the people to worship God more even within their communities?

Michael Fashina;         We continue to teach, minister and bring more people to the knowledge of God. In addition we are working on bringing African Magic to workout an event, another cable company also indicated their wiliness to come down to Nigeria, all this will contribute to the worship of God as people can connect to event and be part of worship from their homes.

Q;                             What one statement would you say to the Church and upcoming talents (Worship Leaders)?

Michael Fashina;         I would like to say first to the Church, enough of mediocrity Psl 33:3 says play skillfully, Church should encourage skill and good standards, quality is next to God in ministry, good administrative patterns should be adopted and encouraged across board. To my fellow music ministers strive for excellence, acquired it through prayers, training and dedication, I must also say here perspiration is KEY, when my first ever demo was stolen, I was almost going to run insane on the street of Ibadan until someone came to call attention to the fact that the demo came from within me, if then why not go back into yourself and bring it out back again, hun! Tough though the later became the best, SUCCESS THEY SAY IS 1% INSPIRATION 99% PESPIRATION. Thank you.   
  Source:  Emmanuel Olowode