The UK organisation Gospel Music Industry Alliance, GMIA, Executive Board has appointed a new Chief Executive, Anu Omideyi as it begins its fifth year of operation serving its professional and amateur performers and specialist personnel on the music scene.
Anu Omideyi, an experienced barrister, choir director, singer songwriter, and musician stepped into the role earlier this year, but has since spent the time observing and working alongside noted British Gospel Music pioneer and former BBC specialist music producer Juliet Fletcher, who co-founded the organisation and held the post since the organisation was launched on the 26th October 2011, the day which marked the centenary of “The World’s Greatest Gospel Singer” Mahalia Jacksons’s birth.
“I was very pleased when Anu accepted our invitation to join the Board last year”, states Fletcher. “She was making waves on the scene with her leadership of the award-winning all female The Reapers Choir who came to the fore during the 2014 BBC Gospel Choir of the Year competition and have since performed in venues including the Royal Albert Hall to 10 Downing Street for the former Prime Minister. In numerous conversations with her it became clear that she had a lot to offer in terms of outlook and experience as well as incredible drive and passion. The Board’s view was unanimous and had my wholehearted support”.
In 2012 the GMIA became the first organisation representing the genre to become an affiliate member of the Association of Independent Musicians. In the following year (2013) the GMIA assisted in the launch of the Official Christian and Gospel Charts supervised by Official Charts Company, thereby supporting this segment of the independent music sector to adjust to new opportunities and to the potential of chart success.
Going forward the GMIA has strategic plans to establish a national Gospel Music touring circuit across the UK. The new Chief Executive has made this the top priority to start her tenure and has begun work, along with a newly constituted executive board, to progress this exciting venture. In an open letter to the UK Gospel Music industry and all interested parties, she also promises to place education and cohesion as key goals in this new phase of the GMIA’s existence.
Anu Omideyi states, “It’s an incredible honour to serve the GMIA and gospel music industry in this way. I am fully determined to bring to bear my experience from the numerous leadership roles I’ve had alongside my undying love for gospel music at all levels and in all its forms, to continue to build and support the industry”.
GMIA is run by a voluntary Executive Board comprising of six experienced and knowledgeable members of the Gospel Music community namely, Juliet Fletcher, Anu Omideyi, Viv Broughton, Charles Koranteng, Lavinia Goddard and Kevin Tomlin.
With the new Chief Executive in place Juliet Fletcher will take on her new role as Chair of the GMIA Executive Board.
Full contact details for GMIA are: Email: info@gmia.org.uk; Telephone: 020 3086 8348
