Godswill Oyor – Ogo/Hallelujah Ft. Daniel Ojo

The first word comes from Igbo and Yoruba and points to glory. The second is the Hebrew call to praise the Lord, now sung in almost every language on earth. Placing them side by side links a local tongue to a global one, and that is a very Nigerian habit. Many of our churches switch between mother tongue and English in the same song without anybody noticing.

That slash in the middle of the title does a lot of work. It suggests the two ideas flow into each other, with glory leading into praise or praise answering glory. It is the shape of many call and response choruses, where one line is offered and the congregation answers back with the other.

I will not describe the music, since I cannot confirm it, but closing the album with a joined title like this feels right. It reads like the last song of a long service, when everyone is on their feet and the leader is in no hurry to finish. When a friend sends you Ogo/Hallelujah at the end of a hard week, the message is clear without explanation.

Anyone who ends their day counting blessings will see themselves in the idea. It suits Sunday evenings, year end services and any gathering where gratitude is loud.

Download MP3