Gospel songs are a kind of motivational Christian music that has become a major part of Nigerian music. In the 1960s the Evangelical Church of West Africa Choir was popular, and in the early 1970s Bola Aare, Ebenezer Obey and later, Panam Percy Paul, Onyeka Onwenu, Tope Alabi, and Kefee were notable. Also, in the early 1970s and 80s Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa's choir, The Christian Redeemed Voices were known for their gospel sound. Idahosa would purchase instruments for the choir. A number of gospel artists have released notable albums such as TY Bello and Samsong among others. In 2012, el Mafrex got nominated for the 2012 MOBO Awards. Origin of Nigerian gospel songs The act of singing gospel songs is a practice that was brought into Nigeria about late 15th century, by Portuguese Catholic who had arrived Benin city at this time for missionary work. These songs were mostly rendered then during Church worship service. They took the form of monophonic liturgy like the Gregorian chant - these are songs without polyphony and not written (rendered in parts) but having only one line of melody. By mid-19th century, missionary activities (which had diminished earlier) had revived in Nigeria. This time around, it was championed by the Church Missionary Society (CMS), which is owned and funded by the Church of England (Anglican Communion). At this time, the activities of CMS centered mostly around South-west, Nigeria. The CMS introduced a different genre of Church music that involved congregational singing of hymns led by a choir. Incidentally (and not surprising), the first known Nigerian to have recorded gospel songs was a product of the Anglican Communion’s CMS. He is the late Reverend Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti. Reverend Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti Revd. Ransome-Kuti was a Christian music minister from Ogun State, Nigeria. He got his influence and inspiration from the Anglican Church songs. He was baptized in the Anglican communion in 1859 at age four. He grew through the ranks in the Anglican Communion to become an established Minister of God; and in 1922 was ordained Canon of the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos. In 1879 Ransome-Kuti took up a job as music teacher in CMS Girls college, Lagos, where he taught music for eight whole years. In the 1890s, as the Organist of St. Peter’s Church, Abeokuta, he began to compile the Anglican Communion hymns in Yoruba, and to compose other songs in