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00:00Welcome to Guardian Talks. I am Timmy Tayo Olumofir. Today we sit with a remarkable voice in the gospel music and also philanthropy in the person of Dr. Reni Adebayo Ige, fondly called Mama Reni. Let's dive right into it with our Father Adele.
00:16All right, ladies and gentlemen, we are seated with Dr. Reni Adebayo Ige, fondly called Mama Reni. How are you doing? First of all, let's calm the nerves.
00:40I'm wonderful. Thank you. And yourself?
00:43I'm good. I'm great. Thanks for asking. So beginning with, right, how did music found you or how did you find music?
00:53That's interesting.
00:53Or maybe music found you first or you found music.
00:58I would say music found me because I really wasn't, I wasn't going around searching.
01:03But anyway, my aunt, my partner aunt, when I was age seven, put me in the church choir, the Angitan Church Choir.
01:12And her reason for putting me there was just that, okay, after school, I know she would be at choir practice.
01:18She wouldn't be going around the neighborhood playing, you know.
01:21And little did she know, she was setting me up for my destiny.
01:27And that's why I started to sing in the church choir.
01:29And I continued to sing.
01:31Even when I was in college, I was part of the Chapel of Light in the university.
01:36I went to the University of Eloran Choir and so on and so forth.
01:40And hey, the rest is history.
01:42Interesting.
01:45What role did your upbringing play in shaping your sound?
01:49In shaping your sound.
01:51Yes.
01:51I said, what role did your upbringing play in shaping your sound?
01:56In other words, in shaping me, right?
01:58Exactly.
01:59Yes.
01:59Your kind of music genre.
02:03You know, I was an orphan as a child.
02:05And so, and the youngest of my siblings and the only girl.
02:09And being in the church choir quite early in life, from age seven, I was already an orphan.
02:17It got me closer to God.
02:20I didn't really know much of God, but I just knew church and I knew that I could talk to him, you know, on my own.
02:29Because I was only always home by myself with my aunt, my mom.
02:32And so, it played the role of having a closer relationship with God, knowing that I can tell him anything.
02:40And that has impacted even my adulthood up until now.
02:44There is nothing I cannot tell God.
02:46I just conversed with him like I'm talking to you.
02:49And so, my background as a little girl who had no big sister to confide in or my brothers were already away from home, it drew me closer to God in an uncommon way.
03:01In my own young way, simple-minded way, you know, no protocol, no special language of talking to God.
03:09Just be myself before God.
03:11And that day impacts the way I sing my song, because that's really the story of my life.
03:18All of my song tells who I am.
03:20And so, yeah.
03:22Okay.
03:23Now, beyond the stage, who is Mama Reni?
03:27President, Reni Ministries.
03:30Oh, wow.
03:30Mama Reni.
03:33Interesting.
03:34Mama Reni is a child of God first, a daughter of Zion.
03:38I call myself Anyoke Jesu.
03:41You know, chosen.
03:42Oh, tell us.
03:43What's Anyoke Jesu?
03:45I mean, you're running.
03:46I don't have that deep knowledge.
03:50You know, when I turned 50, the Lord gave me that name.
03:54Anyoke is chosen for love.
03:56Something like that.
03:57Care in the linguistics of Yoruba is to pamper, to love, to cherish, you know.
04:04Like me care and blah, blah, blah.
04:06But anyway, and so Mama Reni is, Mama Reni came because I had a ministry for the children
04:12many years ago, every Christmas.
04:14We gathered them.
04:16We gave, they showcased their talents.
04:18And so the children would not call me auntie.
04:20They would call me by my first date.
04:22They said, Mama Reni.
04:23And they just talk.
04:24But again, I now realize that Mama Reni is really ordained of God because I eventually
04:31became a pastor's wife.
04:33And I never thought of that.
04:35And so Mama Reni became a name that's well suited for me in my role as a wife, as a mother
04:41to many, my children who are orphaned, you know, my ministry to the orphans and how I am a
04:48mother to them and so on and so forth and the church members.
04:51And so I am Mama Reni.
04:54I'm a wife, a mother, a grandmother.
04:58I'm a minister of the word, whether it's songs or speaking it or praying it, however you want
05:03to look at it.
05:04I'm an educator and I'm a philanthropist.
05:06Educator because I work, I teach.
05:09Philanthropist because I have an NGO that caters to orphans in Africa, some orphans.
05:16And that's educational scholarship because education, by the grace of God, brought me
05:20out, you know.
05:21So this is Mama Reni.
05:23Right.
05:24Okay.
05:24So would you like to share your secret sauce with us when it comes to writing of songs,
05:29your own personal songs?
05:34No secret.
05:36However, I didn't read music.
05:39I learned by hearing.
05:42Yes, I did say that I grew up in the choir, but would you believe, well, not playing an
05:47instrument is out of my own carelessness anyway.
05:50Let's never go there.
05:51Right.
05:52In the simplicity of it, I believe it's really God's gifting.
05:57I read the scriptures and from there a tune comes to my mind.
06:02And that's how it is.
06:04I just record it.
06:05I remember many years ago, my husband was the first one to buy me a recorder to just
06:11record years before you could use your cell phone to record, you know, a cassette thing.
06:18I just record into it.
06:19But anyway, it's the scripture.
06:21As I read the scripture and it impacts me and speaks to me by the spirit of the living
06:25God, it will just become a song.
06:28Sometimes it may not be, there may not be a tune about it.
06:31Excuse me.
06:32It may just be the words that touches me and tells my story.
06:38And I know it can bless somebody out there.
06:39I note it down.
06:40And I said, Lord, give me a song about this.
06:43And I say that quietly.
06:44I like to just sit quietly, usually on my bed, you know, my propped up by my pillow and just
06:51being quiet in his presence.
06:52It's not always on my knees.
06:54No, just in a relaxed mode with my God.
06:57And then a tune comes, I record it and God has blessed me with wonderful people to walk
07:07with.
07:08And then we look at it and I make sure I stay with the original because it's the word.
07:12And that's why my slogan is the word revealed in songs.
07:16The running music, yeah, it's the secret is the word.
07:19I, I, even though I, I, I write poem, I teach poem, but I don't write my songs in a poetic
07:26way for it to rhyme and to do this.
07:29No, it's just the simplicity of God's word in that.
07:32Okay.
07:33Let's, let's dive into Dominion, your latest single, right?
07:39I mean, after 25 years of recording, what sets Dominion apart from all the songs you've
07:44released in the time back?
07:46Oh my gosh.
07:49I am excited to talk about Dominion.
07:52Oh, I am pulsating to hear.
07:57You know, it's interesting.
08:00It's so new to believers.
08:02Last year in our church, it was, it was our year of Dominion.
08:06And interestingly, a very dear friend and sister in church, I was already, God had told me
08:12to write a song on the joy of the Lord and I have the song.
08:15But then she came up to me and said, I think God wants you to write about Dominion.
08:18I'm like, okay.
08:20You know, sometimes it's not always all the time that he speaks directly to us.
08:24He uses other people.
08:25He uses my husband a lot to talk to me in matters of destiny.
08:28But anyway, and so I started to pray about it, to think about it.
08:32And Dominion now came with the help of my producer.
08:37I awarded it.
08:38And with the help of my producer, we had it perfectly in place.
08:40And it's really, really exciting.
08:43So every other song is on the side.
08:45Dominion is like a piss setter right now because it's teaching us.
08:49It's reminding us of who we are as believers.
08:52You see, we live in a world where if we let the enemy, he will lie to us.
08:56He will tell you, you're green or you're blue.
08:59But whatever he says is a lie.
09:00We live in a world where it's all about fancy stuff.
09:04And if we're not careful, we will forget our roots.
09:09Hmm.
09:10Not just taking dominion spiritually over the process of darkness, but taking dominion over your life.
09:19Can you still hear me?
09:20Yeah, loud and clear.
09:22Amen.
09:24Taking dominion over your life.
09:25And so it kind of overarches like an umbrella principle for believers.
09:32For example, we are called to take dominion over our giftings and talents.
09:38In other words, being good steward of what God has given to us, to bring him glory and to bless us.
09:43We are called to take dominion over our time, how we spend our time.
09:47The Bible says, redeeming the time for the days are evil.
09:49We're called to take dominion over our flesh, our body.
09:52Because the Bible says, sin will not rule over me because I'm not under the law, I'm under grace.
09:57And so dominion is everywhere.
09:58As leaders, we are called to take dominion to be servant leaders, to serve God and serve others.
10:04And so I wanted the message of dominion to go to believers first so they know who they are in the Lord.
10:10Taking authority over habits, over laziness, over, you know, lifestyle, over poverty.
10:16Because there are things we really can do by faith in God, trusting God.
10:21And then for unbelievers to know, hey, you are welcome to this lifestyle too.
10:25It's a call that God has made to every human being.
10:28Because when he created us, he said, take dominion.
10:32Be a steward over every other thing I have created.
10:35And so that's what makes dominion, you know.
10:37And then it sounds really good, you know, stylish kind of thing, good moves.
10:41I was going to actually ask her, what message do you want?
10:47Or what message are you hoping, rather, that dominion lives in the hearts of the listeners?
10:54And I think you're already tilting towards there.
10:57Maybe you can just add a few words, then we move to the next line of questions.
11:02And so I want my listeners, I want my fans to know that they are called to dominate.
11:09Dominate, dominate in righteousness.
11:11I like to put that in because, you see, dominating, again, could be negative, could not be negativity.
11:17But we are called, our mindset, to know that we are called to lead, to dominate, to take charge of our lives.
11:27He's given us authority over the process of darkness.
11:30He's given us gift and talent.
11:32He says the gift of a man will make room for them.
11:34Just know in every area of your lives, whoever you are, wherever you are,
11:39geographically, it does not matter.
11:40You're called in your thinking to take charge, especially in the thinking aspect.
11:45And then when we conquer our minds, we will begin to flow in the physical.
11:49And all of this has to be in faith in the word of God.
11:54Right.
11:54Trust in the God that we serve.
11:56Take charge.
11:57But, you know, in my culture, they say, oh, I write in my language, which means with your hands, you kind of fix your life.
12:06You direct the path of your life, which is so true.
12:09And that's Dominion.
12:10And you have the mandate of God to take Dominion.
12:13So don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
12:15Take charge.
12:16All right.
12:16So how can your fans here in Nigeria and also in Diaspora get to stream and download Dominion single?
12:25So Dominion is playing right now on Bones Play, Audio Mark in Nigeria.
12:35We have it also globally in Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and every other digital stores that you may think of.
12:44Just put Dominion, Rennie, and then it pops up because there are so many songs on Dominion, but it's right there.
12:50Right.
12:50Okay.
12:51So now let's move away from you being a gospel artist.
12:55Let's move to that other part that people might not really know about, Dr. Rennie, right?
13:02Dr. Rennie, aside from music, how do you touch lives?
13:08Wow.
13:10So, well, it begins from my home.
13:14I'm a wife and a mother.
13:17And so touching my home, my husband, my children, and now I'm a grandmother.
13:21And knowing that I can go to my granddaughter and tell her things and serve her and, you know, all of those things, it starts from that.
13:31And then the church family, my extended family.
13:35And then it goes to what else I do.
13:38For over 20 years, by the mercy of God, I have been an extension of support to some African orphans.
13:49We have in Nigeria, we have in Syria alone, we have in South Africa, and we used to have in Burundi and some other part of East Africa.
13:58What we do is give scholarship, educational scholarship, because what happened is I know when I found myself in the U.S., by the mercy of God, it wasn't like I planned it.
14:07I had no dream to ever live there.
14:09I knew it wasn't just for me, myself, and I.
14:11I knew I was called to support others.
14:14And I knew that education that brought me out can also help bring them out.
14:18And so I do that on the side as a non-profit NGO.
14:23And then I am a teacher.
14:24And because I teach, I'm constantly, now I teach adult students.
14:29I know I'm there to represent God, to serve them, you know.
14:32And so I route them around, not just because it's my means of, you know, earning money or livelihood, but I see it as a calling.
14:44I see teaching as a calling.
14:45I was going to actually ask, I'm sorry to bot in there.
14:48I was going to actually ask about your orphanage home and then tell us the story behind it.
14:54I'm happy you already delved into it.
14:56So you said you started this about 20 years ago, and then you've impacted lives through giving students or children scholarship and all of that.
15:07So how are you taking this to the next level?
15:12I mean, this time around, that people are getting to know Dr. Rennie as a gospel artist and also in philanthropy?
15:21That's a great question.
15:22And that's one of the purpose of this interview, really, by God's grace.
15:27But you do know that some things are meant for certain timing.
15:33But as I take dominio charge of that aspect, the social media is a great platform to let people not have a website that also tells a story.
15:42And then word of mouth as well.
15:45Not only the website for the NGO, but even the singing ministry website has that as well.
15:50Well, what's the name of the orphanage?
15:54It's not really an orphanage.
15:56It's just education scholarship.
15:57Rennie Ministries.
15:59Okay.
16:00So it's part of the services that Rennie Ministries offers.
16:04Yes.
16:05And so, no, Rennie Music is different from Rennie Ministries.
16:08Okay.
16:08Rennie Music is the singing.
16:10Ministries is the one to people to serve humanity, to give back.
16:15Okay.
16:15Yeah.
16:16Yes.
16:16That's what I do.
16:18And there are bigger dreams in the orphan.
16:20Definitely by God's grace, there are bigger dreams.
16:23Right.
16:24That's great.
16:24All right.
16:25Finally, what words of inspiration would you like to leave for your fan as a philanthropy and also a gospel artist?
16:34Keep trusting God.
16:36Don't give up.
16:37I was an orphan.
16:39Nobody would have thought I could come this far.
16:42But God had a plan and purpose for my life.
16:44If he says, I know the thought that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thought of good, not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
16:51And he's not done with me.
16:52I'm just getting started.
16:53Right.
16:53And so I want everyone of you to know, no matter where you are right now, there is a place for you.
16:59God has a plan to be the best of who you are meant to be, to give you joy, to give you peace, and to make you fulfill your purpose.
17:07Trust him.
17:09Have faith in his word and run with the vision he's given you.
17:12He never fails.
17:13He loves you all.
17:15And that's the message of all of my songs.
17:17Interesting.
17:18I mean, you've heard it all from Dr. Rennie Adebayo Ige, a.k.a. Mama Rennie.
17:26I mean, we are glad that you're able to share this part of you with us.
17:31And I hope that people go out there to stream Dominion, your latest single, and be blessed.
17:36Yeah.
17:37Thank you for your time with us here at Guardian TV.
17:40We really appreciate you.
17:42Thank you for having me.
17:43I appreciate you as well.
17:44All right.
17:45Do have a great day.
17:48We do the same.
17:50Bye.
17:50Bye.
17:51That was Mama Rennie on Guardian Talks.
17:54I am Timmy Tayo Olumofir.
17:55Keep watching Guardian Talks and live in Dominion.
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