•Atorise Reveals The Man Who Gave Him His BIG Break
Many call him Atorise. But his real name is Lanre Teriba. He was recently our guest on our daily City People TV Instagram Chat Live chat during which he narrated the story of how he got his big break in music when he met a Nigerian in a bus of which he was the Conductor in Lagos. It is an interesting story. Read on.
Looking at your music, at what stage are you now, and where are you taking your music to?
If I am not going to lie, I am tired of been a gospel artist, because the world we are living now don’t appreciate. Let me say Nigerians don’t appreciate what we have until we loose it. They embrace foreign music more than our own. While people will not try to be like us, why are we trying to be like them.
Do you want to tell me there is no Coronavirus cure in Nigeria?
We have the cure here but we want to leave it for WHO so that they can take all the glory. They are not trying to be like us why are we trying to be like them. That is why when I look at our leaders, I don’t see senses in what they are doing. But if you talk too much, they may start terrorising you. But one thing I know God will have mercy on us. No matter how we try to manage it the trust must be told.
I have children studying abroad, you need to see how they are taking care of our children abroad. We said there is no employment here, have we ever created one.
There are lots of opportunity we can create here in Nigeria but our leaders won’t do it.
Most of our leaders are self centred. You will see some people embezzling the money meant for others. Some people are just too weaked, I don’t know how they sleep with their wickedness. I don’t fake like I am not Jesus Christ and I can live my life the way I want, but I live responsibly and I leave with the fear of God.
Do you think there still hope for a better tomorrow in Nigeria?
I am a Prophet, I need no one to tell me, I have my personal relationship with God. Nigeria will still be okay but I am afraid it would have gotten deteriorated i.e.
So many things would have gone worse. Nigeria is still going to split, go and write it down. Though I used to say it before that it can be better again but what the spirit of God is saying is that it will still get better through the prayer of the saint.
Looking back at your musical career would you say that you are fulfilled with what you have been able to achieved? To the glory of God I am fulfilled like I said earlier God has been so faithful. There is nothing I want that God has not giving me. He gave me good family and good parents. He gave me good wife and good children, so I am fulfilled. Though I really wish to be a politician. It takes the people that have the fear of to make a change in this country.
I know people that if they get to that post they will do the right thing.
Do you have any regret in life?
Like I said earlier my only regret in life is this country because they are not encouraging us. Most especially the tribe I belong to, Yoruba. Yoruba can use mouth to finish you. We don’t appreciate ourselves. Yoruba is very wicked.
Most especially church people. The most dangerous people in this world are the once that goes to church.
Why?
They will alwys look for your mistakes. They expect you to be born again than Jesus Christ and most of them are not real.
You call yourself a Pastor yet you are collecting tithe from Yahoo Boy, collecthing tithe from Armed Robber and you are even praying for him.
Is that a real Pastor?
I have seen many Pastor criticising my dancing steps. We have lots of hypocricy in the christendom.
What is your message to our viewers?
Let us try always to be ourselves. There is nothing good in living a fake life. Most especially, let us have the fear of God. I don’t live a fake life. I am not privileged to go to school as I wanted. When I couldn’t get any support when I was in Ofa Poly I dropped out, but to the glory of God I’m somebody today.
God sent me a helper that brought me to limelight. I will forever celebrate Chief Tunde Olokodana, he was the first person to discover my talent when he returned from America. I was singing in the bus, conducting, plying from Ilupeju to Oshodi, and he said to me “you have a nice voice”. He gave me his complimentary card and that was it. I thank God for his mercy and grace.
What year did you meet Chief Tunde Ologundana?
I met him in 1998 and we released my first album in 1999. And for the past 21 years I’ve been enjoying God’s grace and divine relevance.
