Who is Josiah Jesse?

Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti Fela's grand-father was Nigeria's first Gospel Musician He was the first Christian in the Ransome-Kuti family. His parents were traditional religion worshippers but they apprenticed him to the missioners who came to Abeokuta from Badagry where they had earlier settled having arrived the West Coast from England. The history of the Ransome-Kuti family started from him. It is not certain how he got the name Ransome, but it could be suggested that he adopted the name of the white missioners he stayed with. While Kuti is a Yoruba word, Ransome is certainly not a Nigerian name. Staying with the white men, he was also one of the early people in Abeokuta to convert to Christianity. He probably saw it all when the first Church in Nigeria, St Peter Anglican Church was built in Ake, Abeokuta and he was the Church organist. He distinguished himself from the early pack of Christians with his gift of music. As an organist, he was said to be a great composer. Great was his musical dexterity that so many local traditional religious worshippers turned to Christ. For that, he was a marked man in the society. But unknown to him, he was creating a record, both in heaven and on earth. On this terrestrial divide, and in what became Nigeria in 1914, he became her first gospel musician and the first Nigerian to write Church hymns. Many of these hymns are being used in so many Yoruba speaking Anglican CChurches today. Not only this, his children, like Israel Ransome-Kuti, Fela's Father was also a great song writer. The popular Egba anthem, Abeokuta Ilu Egba, was composed by him. Another folk song, Ise Agbe, Ise Ile wa, was also composed by Israel. The muse also bit Israel's Children. Some Songs by JJ Ransome Kuti Eje komo ko wa o Eje k'omode ko wa (2x) Jojolo... Omo kekere jojolo awon lore eledumare E je komode ko wa. *** This song was confirmed by Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti