Winner of the season 1 edition of Destiny Child Gospel Talent Hunt, Israel Funsho’s journey into limelight may have just begun but he’s an enigma whose grass to grace life experience will certainly touch, inspire and change lives! A millionaire now, with a brand new car, Israel’s foray into fame started last year when he auditioned for the reality TV show in Abuja, not picked, he went on to Benin where he was eventually picked. In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, the young man opens up on his struggles, pains, and eventual victory
YOU emerged winner of Destiny Child Gospel Music Reality Show. How did you get to know about it in the first place?
I got to know about the reality TV show via the media. It was also announced in church. I just felt I had to go for it. It was that platform that I’ve been waiting for.
Tell us about the journey that brought you here?
When I went to Yar’Adua Center for the auditions, that’s the Abuja region, I wasn’t picked actually but I was one of the first fifteen. Someone told me at the beginning of this year that God said that this is my year of reward. People call me a church boy, like I don’t know anything more than church and that’s why I was poor and so on. But last year, there was a specific word for me; that 2013 is your year of reward for service.
And I was expectant. I was waiting. What would it be? So when Destiny Child Gospel Talent Hunt came up, I was like wow! First time ever, gospel Talent Hunt! This had to be it. That was why when I went for the audition in Abuja and I wasn’t picked, I felt I had to go again.
So I went to Benin for the auditioning. I told the producer that if they hadn’t picked me at Benin, I would have followed them to Lagos. But of course, they picked me in Benin and that was how we started. Twenty four of us came into the house. We had another auditioning. They were going to pick sixteen. When it was my turn, they had picked fifteen already and five of us were left. These guys to me were good, sweet guys, tight guys. They needed just one more person. Eventually I was called upon and was told that I made it to the house. I almost broke down the KOGA gate that day. That was just it.
What made you stand out? Personal quality…
Worship…I’m a worshipper. I enjoy worshipping. I can worship for 24hours. Give me something else to do, I will do it, yes, well but it won’t be as good as worship. That expresses my passion, my love for God. And the reason for this is because of the story of my life.
My mother had issues with my father. It’s a long story…
She made an attempt like 11 times, herself and my grandmother to abort the pregnancy. When I say attempt, I mean every option you can think of to abort a pregnancy. She just didn’t want it to come. But here I am. What else would I say is the reason for my living? If you find me doing secular music, won’t you tell me that guy, you’re crazy. There is a God that kept me. That’s just the reason.
Can you recall what it was like those years without a father?
I was actually giving birth to in Kano. In 1991 we came to Ilorin. I and my mum relocated to Ilorin. My mother did a lot of things. I remember when we came to Ilorin, her first job was, you will buy bread from the bakery and then you will bring it to her to go sell it for you.
That was what my mum was doing. I was about ten, eleven years then. That was able to train me in primary school. Secondary school, myself, I did one or two things. But very striking about me was people liked to come around me. They just want to love me, to be good to me. While in secondary school, I realized that I could sing. I sing people here me and want to give me something. Sometimes, I run back home to show my mum and give her some.
Now, when I finished my secondary school, it was harder. I was a science student, was because I eventually finished as commercial student. I studied Business Administration. Immediately, I was out of secondary school, I got admission to Kwara State Polytechnic to study Electrical Electronics Engineering. I was in my ND 2, when it was hard to get money, withdrew from school. I went to LAOTECH, I wrote the pre-degree exam for the same course. I passed but it was hard to pay when the admission was out. So I lost that again before eventually, I decided to go and study Business Administration. I got an admission into Osun State Polytechnic to study Business Administration. Of course, being my State, at least one or two people were able to come through for me so that was it. In school I get bikes from people to ride, do deliveries, whatever change I get, I put them together. I sold all sort of things, recharges card, anything I could lay my hands on. With that I was able to finish my ND in 2006. And that was it. I couldn’t go on struggling…. So I decided to face music and of course, gospel music. I left Ilorin, came to Abuja.
When I got to Abuja I was in The Redeemed Christian Church of God, The Zion Nations, to be precise. I was sleeping in that church. I was there for 8 month. I wake up before everyone comes in morning for morning prayers and I’m the last to remain in church. Later, I left when it was not just working. I had someone who called me to come to Akure, still church music thing. I went there. That was where I met Femi Ashana, my only threat back at the boot camp, for the very first time. We became friends. We were singing together and all. I spent 8months there as well. I didn’t have a place of mine own; I was just squatting. He will take me to a friend’s place, where I will sleep for like two, three days, leave, and then go to someone else’s place. I got tired of that like 8months again.
But God so good, January 2010, someone called me and told me to come to Abuja to direct the music in their church. They were ready to pay N20,000. And I thought it was a good start. That was how I started having little savings. That was the Redeemed Christian Church of God. It was a new parish. The pastor there pastor Kunle Shoyele, I knew him when I was in Abuja the first time. He didn’t get to give me an accommodation. I was sleeping in Hebrew Hotel, in the same hall of the church with my stuff. Now, things well so bad for me, I really wanted to safe enough to get a place for myself, at least, a place to put my head. In between all that, I met my wife and things began to change. I came more serious because I had a woman.
How old were you then?
I was 27 when I met my wife. That was three years ago. That made me a little bit more serious with my savings and all. It went on and on like that. I got a better job at TREM Vision House, to direct music as well. The pay was better and that was it. I got married in that church and that was before Destiny Child came up.
How were you able to convince your wife to marry you?
I pray a lot. When I met her, about six months after I met her, I told her “I know you are going to be my wife but I don’t want to talk about it now”. I just said that jokingly. So we became friends. We did that for like six months before I eventually went all out to let her know my intensions.
I remember I proposed to her with a five hundred naira ring from the Mallam. I put it in an envelope and she cried. I thought women cry when you propose to them because the ring is so beautiful, environment so cozy and all. Up till now I still sometimes wonder why she was crying. She accepted to marry me. She said yes! And that was it.
You met your father for the first time at the grand finale of the show?
The first time I saw him was on screen. When I saw that face, I felt like, oh my God! So this is this man. Immediately, I felt like not seeing him again. I went back to my producer Mrs. U-Cheena and was like, I’ve seen him but I don’t want him to come on stage, don’t bring him on stage, not now, he’s never being there. My mum has never appeared with me on Kwara TV, let alone AIT, that everybody is watching…
So why didn’t you invite your mum?
I couldn’t afford it. If you noticed, my wife wasn’t around as well. I wished for anything more than my wife to have being around on that particular day. Even though I wasn’t sure I was going to win, it would have being nice to have her around.
How did he get to reach you in the first place?
My aunty saw me on Facebook. She was looking for her brother’s children because the man is a very good footballer, not on pitch, you get (Laughs). He has a lot of us around. We are now like 28. So I heard. So my aunty just took it upon herself to search for us.
She saw me on Facebook, my phone number was there and she called me. She was in Abuja. We met; talked and we became very close. That was January last year. On Tuesday, New Year day, I called her to tell wish her Happy New Year. She told me she was in Lagos with her husband and children. I thought, oh great! And I told her to please just come to KOGA on Wednesday with her families. Next thing, she was like my dad will come too. I pulsed for few seconds and I said, “Okay no problem”. “Let him come”. And that was it.
I expected to see a lot of outpouring of emotions on that day but it wasn’t so. Why?
My producer said some things to me when I told her that I didn’t want him to come up on stage. She told me about her own story and the fact that Destiny Child is all about the gospel. What is the basis of gospel? Love, forgiveness and all so she said we had had to show the very reason why Destiny Child is here. I had no reason to start feeling whatever way again saying him. Besides, I forgave him a long time ago.
