Udo Ibeleme (Bishop Jr. Music)

As his father often describes the birthing experience, “On March 10th 1993, there was 'nyah nyah nyah' at the Port of Spain General Hospital,” as David and Ijeoma Ibeleme gave birth to a bouncing baby boy whom they named Udochukwu Ugochukwu Chizuruoke Ibeleme I. The name is quite a mouthful and like his name, this baby boy has grown to be a man of many words.

Bishop David Ibeleme has become one of the forefront ministers of the gospel in Trinidad and Tobago, since his migration from Nigeria in 1989. He is arguably one of the soundest teachers of the Word and a dynamic, and well respected man of God and many would expect his son to follow in his footsteps, setting pulpits on fire as he preaches and teaches under the unction of the Holy Spirit, hence he is fondly called Bishop Jr. It is a name he embraces, because it identifies him with the godly legacy that his father has passed unto him. However, he has made it unofficial, and chosen to go with his own name in place of the sobriquet. He says, "I don't want my public figure to be defined by my father, but rather by my own walk with Jesus."

Udo has opted to touch the world around him in a different way. From an early age, his parents observed that he was a musical prodigy and fostering this talent, they helped develop the tool God would later use to plant seeds in the hearts of men and yield a harvest of souls to His Kingdom. His music brims with the gospel truth in a unique and powerful way, and his reverence for the Word of God is evident in all his pieces. It is clear that he no longer hinges on the faith of his father, but he has made personal the things he has been taught. He says that his spiritual "umbilical chord" was cut when he started experiencing what it means to be an overcomer over sin, which was around age 15-16.

With lyrics youths would identify with, you would think that as a young man he would be focused on reaching young people like himself, but this gospel artist identifies his target audience as “Everyone”. The rational behind it: We all need Christ, young or old. He admits that his person might not appeal to all older persons and, interestingly enough, also would not appeal to all youth either. "But it is not about me,” he says, “It’s about Christ and His Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation to ALL who believe.”

Udo laments that gospel artists sometimes forget this and as a result he feels some disappointment in the gospel music industry in Trinidad and Tobago. He says that gospel artists have become just that – artists. “The mic or stage on which one would perform, as a gospel artist, should be approached as one would a pulpit,” he says, “with fear of greater condemnation for misleading the flock or wrongfully dividing the Word. When you represent the Church of Christ, the Word should be your mouth piece rather than what we would call 'conscious' or 'positive' messages.” He explains the effect of this diluting of the Word in Gospel songs saying, “This would make us no different from the world, and therefore edify no one and save just as much.” He sees the need for gospel artists to revisit the definition of who they are in Christ. He says that a gospel artist is supposed to be a product of the Word. Instead of succumbing to peer pressure, which he believes that the gospel industry is experiencing, artists as Christians should stand out. Hence, one word he uses to describe himself is deviant – deviant from the ways of the world. For this, the promising Udo Ibeleme makes no apologies and though his name means peace he will continue to wage war for the gospel truth.

- Malikah Cameron