IBI DAVE SET TO MAKE GOSPEL REGGAE HISTORY IN GOMBE

IBI DAVE SET TO MAKE GOSPEL REGGAE HISTORY IN GOMBE

By Jennifer Nwosu 

In Gombe, Ibi Dave Is Turning Gospel Reggae Into a Live Musical Archive

There is something quietly radical about making music outside Nigeria’s familiar cultural capitals.

On October 11, Gombe will become the setting for a significant moment in Nigeria’s Gospel Reggae scene as acclaimed musician, producer and songwriter Ibrahim David Gajere, better known as Ibi Dave, takes the stage for a live recording concert endorsed by the Rydeem of Light International Gospel Reggae Festival.

The evening is designed as more than a concert. Ibi Dave is expected to perform and record 10 new songs before a live audience, bringing together Gospel musicians, creative professionals and industry leaders for an experience that places performance, spirituality and musical heritage at its' centre.

For Gombe, a state whose creative identity continues to evolve beyond the conventional Nigerian entertainment map, the event carries its' own cultural resonance.

Ibi Dave was born in Filiya, Shongom Local Government Area of Gombe State. His relationship with music began in the church choir during childhood, eventually becoming a career that has taken him across Nigeria and to audiences in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Today, he is the leader of No Pranks Music Band International, as well as a songwriter, producer and festival curator. His career has been built around a distinctive intersection of Gospel, reggae and live musicianship, while his work in festival production has given him another role: creating spaces where musicians can meet, experiment and grow.

The Festival Director of the Rydeem of Light International Gospel Reggae Festival,  Odoh Diego Okenyodo, describes the October concert as an important addition to the country’s Gospel Reggae story.

According to him, Ibi Dave represents an artist whose music demonstrates that Gospel expression can be spiritually grounded without sacrificing musical sophistication or cultural relevance.

The live recording, he said, represents more than the documentation of 10 new songs. It is an opportunity to preserve and expand a musical tradition while placing Northern Nigeria firmly within the wider conversation around Gospel Reggae.

That commitment to musical community is already evident in Ibi Dave’s history with the Filiya Music Festival, which he pioneered and has convened for 18 years. The annual gathering brings musicians to Filiya to perform, collaborate and provide a platform for emerging talent.

It is a model that mirrors the philosophy behind the Rydeem of Light International Gospel Reggae Festival, which has increasingly positioned itself as a meeting point for music, faith, culture and creative exchange.

For Mama Lucee, Convener of the Rydeem of Light International Gospel Reggae Festival, Ibi Dave’s artistry and spiritual depth make the project particularly compelling.

She is encouraging Gospel music lovers, musicians, churches, creative professionals, sponsors and potential partners to rally around the concert, arguing that Gombe has the talent and cultural energy to produce work capable of travelling far beyond its immediate geography.

That international dimension is already part of Ibi Dave’s story. His career has taken him on several tours to the United Kingdom and elsewhere, reinforcing the idea that Nigerian Gospel Reggae does not have to originate from Lagos, Abuja or other established entertainment centres to command a global audience.

His discography reflects more than two decades of musical evolution.

His albums include YabeshI (1999), The Good Shepherd (2005), No Pranks (2008), No Prank Videos (2011) and Lion in Zion (2014), alongside singles, covers and audio-visual projects.

His collaborations have further broadened that musical vocabulary. Among them are Let It Be featuring Solomon Lange, Better Days featuring Jeremiah Gyang and Tonight featuring Jah Device. He has also collaborated with Mama Lucee on the forthcoming Kristofarian album, Rebuilding the Reggae Temple.

Recognition has followed the work. Ibi Dave was named Africa Reggae Artist of the Year at the 2024 CLIMA Awards Africa and has received Exousia Awards for Best Collaboration and Best Reggae Song, among other honours celebrating his contribution to Gospel music.

Yet perhaps one of the more intriguing chapters of his career is still being written.

On October 11, the stage in Gombe will become a recording studio, concert venue and meeting point for a community that has spent years nurturing Gospel Reggae as both a spiritual language and a cultural form.

The Rydeem of Light International Gospel Reggae Festival, founded by the Gospel Reggae Team Initiative in 2021, shares that larger ambition. The festival has taken its programme to cities including Abuja, Kaduna and Kano, with Lagos and Jos also on its expanding map.

Its 10th edition is scheduled for November 21, 2026, at the Cinema Hall of the Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture.

But before that celebration arrives, Gombe will have its own spotlight.

And if the October recording achieves what its organisers envision, the result will not simply be another Gospel album. It will be a sonic snapshot of an artist, a community and a Northern Nigerian creative scene refusing to remain at the margins of the country’s cultural conversation.

Ibrahim David Gajere, popularly known as Ibi Dave, is a Gospel Reggae artiste, songwriter, music producer and leader of No Pranks Music Band International. Born in Filiya, Gombe State, he began singing in the church choir as a child and has built a career spanning recording, live performance, international tours and festival production. He is also a certified accountant.

The Rydeem of Light International Gospel Reggae Festival is a Gospel Reggae platform dedicated to music, creative excellence, positive values, cultural expression and talent development. Founded by the Gospel Reggae Team Initiative in 2021, the festival has held editions in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano and is expanding to other Nigerian cities.

10th Edition: November 21, 2026

Venue: Cinema Hall, Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture

Media and Partnership Enquiries

Rydeem of Light International Gospel Reggae Festival

Email: rydeemoflight@gmail.com

Phone: +234 809 144 3322