Good conversations with Mr. Parker is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after. What else is fascinating about him? HISSS MUSICCC(am literally screaming🤣 ). Oh Yes! Mr. Parker’s songs are breathtaking. They have a good beat and you can dance to it(talking from experience) but most importantly are the lyrics of the songs. The words of his songs carry weight.
Don’t worry Mr. Parker is not a ninety something-year-old man. On the contrary, he is a twenty-something year old based in the Gambia that is making “grandpapa” moves for God. Through his music, Patrick Daniel Parker has impacted so many youths and made a big difference in the gamgospel music industry. Curious to know more about him? let’s dive right into this interview with him
It’s so nice to have you here Mr. Parker, please tell us more about yourself?
“Hi, my name is Patrick Daniel Parker, born and raised in the Gambia by Sierra Leonean parents and I am the elder brother of two siblings. I am currently studying media, communication, and journalism. I am a cinematographer and a gospel artist.”
What’s the background story of your musical journey?
“From an early age, I developed this interest in music, and as I grew the passion for it increased. I would listen to different songs from different artists and perform their songs in front of the class. This continued until 2016 when I started writing my own songs. My first song was a gospel song but the production wasn’t really nice so I never released the song. I later went into secular music with the stage name wizpato and the group was called EPIC. We wrote 10 songs but could only record 5. Somewhere in 2017/2018 some of my friends(Andy spike, Sammy boy, and Tunde) and I joined the BIC(Brothers in christ) an old group that was being revived. The four of us later rebranded the group and gave it a new name. We named it AFTERSHOCK and we dropped a couple of tracks. That was when the transition from secular to gospel began. In 2019 I left the group to pursue a solo career as a gospel artist. I was led by the Holy Spirit and I started Danny Parker – a gospel minister. On November 9(my birthday), I dropped my first solo single I DO and in June 2020 I dropped my first EP with 7 tracks.”
How was the transition from secular music to gospel music?
“The transition didn’t come just like that. It was something that was in my heart for a very long time. When God calls you to do something, the desire is always there. He keeps ringing it in your heart. Although I was doing secular, the desire to sing for God was burning in my heart. Gospel music isn’t something I just love doing, it’s a calling. I have received prophesies about it and it feels good doing something that pleases God. The fact that I can express myself without thinking if am doing the right thing or not is such a peaceful feeling. It’s a blissful feeling knowing that my songs can bring someone close to God.”
There was a point in my music career where I had to choose. It was either gospel or secular but not both.
Danny Parker
How many songs have you written so far and which is your personal favorite?
“Excluding features, I have seven songs. All of them are my favorite lol but “I need you” is one song that is really dear to me. I wrote that song when I was going through challenges. It’s a reminder that we can do nothing without God.”
Danny Parker’s songs are available on all social media platforms. You can CLICK HERE
Most of my songs are stories from my personal experiences with God and this coupled with the love of God and the Holy Spirit is my biggest inspiration.
Danny
You recently released a new song which is a collaboration with Crusade MC. whats the story behind the song and how did the collaboration came about?
“Most mornings when I wake up in the morning I get so overwhelmed with a lot of stuff- alot of things to get done and I end up not praying. I see myself doing other things first before even praying. I realized that the first person to talk in the morning should be God. Without life, I won’t be able to do all the stuff that calls for my attention. So this song is about giving God the glory due to him. This COVID period was also really crazy. A lot of people lost their lives but amidst all the happenings, God kept you and me. That’s something to be grateful for and He deserves all the glory.
Crusade MC is an artist based in America. He commented on my song I DO on youtube and we started chatting on Facebook. Meanwhile, I already had the lyrics for PAPA and Kelbeats produced the sound. During the process, my spirit led me to put him on the song. I prayed about it and told him and he agreed. We started working on a collaboration. It was a lot of work but thank God it came out successfully.”
Listen to PAPA on audiomack HERE
What genre can people expect from you and how do you describe your sounds?
“I do a lot of Afros but I’m open to other genres and my sound is pretty much layback and cool.”
Who are your producers?
“I don’t have one specific producer but I have worked with Jlive music, Andy official, Gstar records and, Kelbeats. I DO was shot by my friends and I did the editing and PAPA was shot by Francis lans.”
Hearing people sing my song is an amazing feeling and those moments always standout for me.
Danny
What are the challenges you face as a young gospel artist in the Gambia?
“In a country that is fully populated with Muslims, being a youth, and trying to live the Christ-life is a big challenge. You not doing what they do makes you look like an outcast. Imagine singing Jesus Jesus and trying to get them to listen or even penetrate into the mainstream and get some sponsor deal, it’s really difficult. It takes the Grace of God to press on. Another challenge we face as gospel artists in the Gambia is financial difficulties. Recording a song is very expensive and we are not making money from the songs we are releasing.”
What are your musical plans?
“I just want to keep on releasing more songs and eventually become a household name in The Gambia. The plan is to keep going higher and not stopping.”
Any Words of encouragement for an inspiring gospel artist?
“Don’t feel left out! When you start doing gospel you will see a lot of opportunities from the other side that looks attractive. However, stick to what you believe in and keep doing gospel music, it will pay off. I tell myself daily that even if I don’t make it big here on earth, I know that there’s a place for me in heaven and I will win a soul for Christ before leaving this earth. keeping pushing, keep serving you will get there.”
Who do you want to send shout outs to?
- Big thanks to my family for always supporting me. Thank you for believing In me and for pushing me to do more.
- Shoutout to my manager Chiedu Williams, thank you for all you do.
- To all my friends and my fans, thank you for your love and support. Keep sharing, keep streaming– let’s take gamgospel to the world.”
You can access Mr parkers songs on all social media platform. Connect with him on the following platforms:
- IG@dannyparker_
- Facebook@Dannyparkertyj
- Twitter@dannyparkertyj
- Youtube@DannyParker
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Amen, thanks for growing with me
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Wow!! more strength, finance and wisdom to keep up with the good work
@mickeygblog great piece, more wisdom and skills.
Amen
Thank you sir for always reading and commenting.