By nature, Mama Deborah Adebola Fasoyin is a very quiet and easy-going woman of God. She is deeply religious and you can’t get to hear about her, except when it comes to her work. She is a gospel singer and leader of the CAC Good Women Choir, Ibadan, the Ibadan-based group became popular in the late 70s, 80s, and 90s across the South West.
But on account of the activities of the CAC Good Women Choir, Mama became well known in 1979, when her group released the instant hit song titled: ‘OdunNloSopin O Baba Mimo’
Their marketer sold out and the song enjoyed massive airplay till now, as the song gets played every December since 1979 when the album came out, practically all radio stations across the South West and all the music stores and shops play the music to herald December.
Interestingly, that wasn’t their 1st, 2nd or 3rd, but the 5th release n to date, the choir has released 25 albums.
Mama Fasoyin is still very much alive and kicking, looking like a sweet 16. Though she is 84, she doesn’t like to be described as an old woman. “I am not an old woman”, she always insist.
“I am a young girl. She was born on 1st March 1940.
Mama’s life has been a life of music. She was only 10 when she started to sing. She is a native of Oyo.
When in 1976, the Good Women Association at its convention decided to float women choir to thrill at their church events they were about 130 women (all married). It was in 1977 they began releasing records and they stopped in 1995. Then after 10 years, the choir released the OdunNloSopin O VCD. They were only 10 in the VCD released in 1995. Out of the original number, there are only 4 women remaining and of the 4, only 2 are active.
Mama Fasoyin started her big project, the Ember Covering in December 1st 2018 and on 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 10th. It was 15 minutes of intense prayer. It holds on Facebook and Instagram. After the programme, she headed for Jerusalem.
Born on the 1st of March 1940 in Oyo town to the family of Mr&MrsAfolabi. She is the last of 6 children and the only girl. She had her primary school n elementary school in Oyo after which she went to Orita-Mefa Baptist Girls Modern School, Ibadan. She got married in 1961 to Elder OlusolaFasoyin.
She worked with Kingsway Stores (a division of UAC) from 1960 to 1987 before she resigned her appointment as a Manager in June 1987. She had been a music-loving chorister as a youth at the St Micheal’s Anglican Church, Oyo, her native town, before her marriage to an elder in the Christ Apostolic Church caused a denominational shift.
However, it was her participation in the recording of an album by Pastor Kayode Abiara’s C.A.C Oke-Imole, Agbeni, Ibadan, that exposed her as a singer and chanter of promise.
With 25 albums released between 1976 and 1995, Mrs D.A. Fasoyin became famous and respected as the arrowhead of the enormously talented C.A.C. Good Women Choir in Ibadan, Oyo State. While the choir’s musical ministrations, especially the two hits, OdunNloSopin (volume 5) released in 1979 and Odun Yi Atura (volume 7) in 1980, cut across the entire country and beyond.
Unconfirmed statistics indicate that both albums are the biggest selling gospel music albums ever in Nigeria, with many thousands being sold each time they are reprinted, especially towards the end and beginning of the year respectively.
In terms of awards, the Good Women Choir on the one hand has won many awards, while the leader, Deborah, on the other hand, has numerous local and international awards to her name.
Her awards include: Crystal Award, Wise Women Awards (U.K) in the Naomi category 2013, YOMAFA, PMAN’s award of the Most Evergreen song ‘OdunNloSopin’ amongst others.
She is a member of Gospel Musicians Association of Nigeria (GOMAN).