With music a proven border-crossing phenomenon, musicians are the world’s ambassadors, setting the stage for sonic and social mutual respect, collaborations, and partnerships. One such story is that of the song “Way Maker” and the artist who created it, Nigerian vocalist and songwriter Sinach. The song, originally made popular in the United States by Leeland, has crisscrossed the globe repeatedly, becoming a Christian worship music standard for many cultures. Our guests discuss how a song reaches such ubiquity and what it takes to steward a song that loves to wander into hearts and voices anywhere and everywhere.
The conversation (recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studios) begins with a song by Nigerian musician King Sunny Adé, one of Charlie’s West African musical influences. In turn, Sinach reveals some of her American music influences. Throughout the episode, Charlie weaves the story of border-crossing and neighbor-love as a way of being, revealing the musical and spiritual interplay between people, the places they call home, and Jesus—the “Way Maker” of the Christian faith. Integrity Music executives, vice president Mark Nicholas and director of A&R Gilbert Nanlohy, figure in prominently, including a discussion of Gilbert’s Indonesian musical heritage and Mark’s perspective on the community partnership focus of Integrity Music’s global mission.
The episode wraps with Charlie checking off an item on his bucket list—sitting down to his Fender Rhodes electric piano for an impromptu jam on one of Sinach’s new songs, “Victory Is My Name.” Nashville meets Nigeria, indeed!
In closing, this is a reminder that our show theme, “Sound of the Room,” performed by Charlie and bassist John Patitucci, is now available in its full-length version everywhere music is streamed. Here are two options for you: Apple Music and Spotify.
“Music and Meaning” is a production of Christianity Today
Executive Produced by Erik Petrik and Matt Stevens
Produced and Written by Charlie Peacock and Mike Cosper
Associate Produced by McKenzie Hill
Edited by Leslie Thompson
Original Music by Charlie Peacock
Mixed by Mark Owens
Show theme, “Sound of the Room,” composed by Charlie Peacock, featuring bassist John Patitucci
Sinach’s music used by permission, courtesy of Integrity Music
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