As a gospel music lover and promoter for the past 17 years, the thought of a gospel song titled “Fragrance to Fire” got me curious about what to expect in terms of lyrical content and production. My initial reaction to the fire in the title gave me the impression that the song would be lyrically loaded with ammunition and an uptempo beat to send fire to the devil. However, I wasn’t sure how the “fragrance” part would play out. Would it be a sweet worship song that would end up in a kind of war song? How would it sound?

Having promoted Dunsin Oyekan’s music for a while since discovering him with anointed worshipful songs like “Na You” ft. Kim Burrell, “If All I Say is Jesus,” “Breathe,” and “We Worship You,” I waited with bated breath to catch the vibe of the full song after seeing teasers online.

The day I finally listened to it, the song was captivating and spirit-lifting. I confess that I kept it on repeat all day and really got drenched in the power of the anointing that the song produced. In Ghana, we say such a song is “oily,” meaning it is so saturated with the power and anointing of God. Can I get a witness? I read someone’s comment describing the song as a “bullet” and couldn’t agree more.

The lyrical composition of the song got me hooked, and all I kept asking was how Minister Dunsin gets his lyrics.

Eventually, I discovered that the lyrics were culled from Revelations 8:1-5 and were strategically released at a time when the world was battling the coronavirus pandemic to give us hope that, as we sought the face of God, we were going to overcome. The lyrics were so loaded with hope, and in my opinion, that was precisely what the world needed amidst all the fear and panic that was taking over our airwaves. For me, this gave conviction that indeed Minister Dunsin Oyekan did not just sing songs but indeed sang Revelations and had the divine inspiration and accurate prophetic timing to release songs.

This portion of the lyrics hit differently, and it having been repeated was awesome:

“The fragrance of my worship

Rose up to the Father

Noises thunderings, earthquakes

Were the response to my worship”

I loved how Minister Dunsin taught the crowd the chorus before jamming it. His opening statement, “Tell your neighbor, give me space,” excited my heart, and I couldn’t wait to stay through till the end to perhaps find out how our worship full of sweet fragrance to the nostrils of the Father could metamorphose eventually into fire.

Goodness me! It was goosebumps all the way with the electrifying intro from the keyboards to the progression alongside the bass guitar and drum pattern and all other instruments joining in to set the song ablaze.

Aside from the contagious joy in the voice of Minister Dunsin, he has a dynamic and energetic range of vocal delivery worth mentioning. His style of lyrical delivery on this piece was spot-on and engaging. I enjoyed his adlibbing, very filled with scripture as a student of the Bible who knows what to say at any given time effortlessly.

The call-and-response part plus the anointed flow of the song could lead anyone listening to blast in tongues and engage the heavens amidst excitement as the song progressed through the bridges and chorus. Trust me, those free-flow moments of the instrumentation and the hooks alongside the claps just get me to jam anytime.

There is absolutely something amazing about this song, it’s prophetic, and the lyrics are not difficult to grasp after the first time of playing, if you ask me. The rich and unique vocal delivery by Minister Dunsin on such a contemporary sound with the free flow of instrumentation and hooks, plus the crowd participation, leaves me wishing the song would never end, perhaps that is why I kept it on repeat all day when I first heard it. It’s almost always on my playlist.

Sitting on the radio and following song requests from many gospel lovers across the globe, plus getting to MC concerts or visit other churches for events, it is obvious that “Fragrance to Fire” has become an anthem never to fade in the world of Gospel. It’s suitable for choir ministrations, prayer meetings or prophetic gatherings, radio shows, et al. I can testify without exaggerating that everyone who hears “Fragrance to Fire” for the first time would certainly want to hear it again without feeling bored.

One of those moments I could use in testifying about the impact of this song is the outburst of joy displayed from the audience when just the intro of the song is played at any event.

In my professional opinion, the quality of the production wasn’t compromised. The live, churchy, and joyous effect is felt when you listen to it. Let me also add that the hope delivered through the Word of God in this song to remind us that we are victors and winners over seemingly negative situations is very well communicated, and it goes without saying that the song keeps fulfilling its purpose for release.

Kudos to the musicians and backup vocalists on this project. You all gave a great expression to this heavenly sound. Indeed it is sanctified and full of revelation. If you haven’t added it to your playlist yet, then…I wonder what you are waiting for. Feel free to tune in to www.kristocentric.com and enjoy it and other great Dunsin Oyekan songs 24/7.

FIFI FOLSON
#The KristoCentricGuy