Path to Greatness Series: Oladipo Sisters

“Oladunni is a singer, songwriter, pianist and gospel recording artist, recognized as one of Boston’s rising stars for her extraordinary musical accomplishments..” “Olayeni…the soprano of the Oladipo Sisters, Olayeni began singing actively at age 5.  …an aspiring song writer, she co-wrote the song "Obey your God" featured on the Oladipo Sisters debut album I came upon the Oladipo Sisters by chance; fate I might say.  I listened to their songs and was curious to learn how they started their journey and honed their craft.  The Oladipo sisters were fortunate to identify their talents and passion and build on it from an early age.  These sisters have appeared on BET’s Dr. Bobby Jones Gospel Show, performed the national anthem numerous times at the Massachusetts State House and Boston Red Sox games and appeared on various TV and radio shows.    I was privileged to speak with Oladunni and Olayeni.  Both young ladies exuded a maturity beyond their years which I admired.  They are grounded and focused, a much-needed breath of fresh air.  They have motivated me to keep on with my journey.  When you read about their journey, you will also be inspired to continue on your path of greatness, whatever that is as long as you shine through and gain fulfillment from it.  Read about their journey and be inspired.    Tell us about the Oladipo sisters

The Oladipo Sisters are five gifted siblings based in Canton, Massachusetts, led by Oladunni (15) and Olayeni (13).  We sing gospel and inspirational songs. We released an original contemporary gospel album in 2011 called “The Mighty One” followed by an original patriotic single in 2012 called “A Song for America”. We have also recorded a number of cover songs. Our older sisters – Olamide (23) and Olaitan (21) - who are not part of the singing group, are  the principal songwriters for all our music.  They sometimes provide backup vocals for any original project.  Olajuwon (aka Lady Jubi) who is eight years old and the youngest, started singing when she was eighteen months old. She recorded the intro for the album on the song titled “Obey our God.” Her voice is also the first to be heard on single “A Song for America.” Jubi is a passionate piano student and hopes to be a future pianist.   
At WSHC International Gospel Concert 2011 Photo credit Chris Aduama What made you interested in singing and when did you start?

We grew up around music, in fact, we all entered the world with classical music playing in our mum’s delivery room. Our parents are music lovers and we are exposed to all different genres of music growing up from R & B, Pop, Gospel, and Inspirational music. Oladipo Sisters started singing together five years ago, but Oladunni started off as a solo artist at the age of 8 and still maintains an active solo career separate from our duo.    Tell us about your journey

We have been very blessed so far and so thankful for all the opportunities that have come our way. In the beginning..  Ladies - Oladunni and Olayeni (L-R)   Oladunni
 Oladunni – I am so blessed to have started my professional music career at age 8 with the world renowned Boston Pops Orchestra here in Boston under the direction of Maestro Keith Lockhart. I have performed with the orchestra over a dozen times over the years including at the nationally televised July 4th Concert. I sing the National Anthem for the Boston Celtics (basketball team here in Boston) and the Boston Red Sox (baseball team here in Boston). I also perform at many galas, private functions, and fundraisers. Olayeni Oladipo Sisters – We started performing together five years ago and have been going strong ever since. We were so blessed to be invited by the Boston Pops to play our original music at Symphony Hall Boston. We sang pieces of our original work under the direction of Maestro Charles Floyd and Maestro Keith Lockhart. In addition to that, we have been featured in many local news publication and featured twice in the prestigious Boston Globe. We have also appeared at some of the local TV stations and radio stations including NPR here in Boston.


What have you learned along the way?

We learned a lot along the way and we are still learning. We know that we are blessed to be in this position, and are thankful to God for this incredible opportunity to spread the message of love, hope, and peace through our music. We are so proud when we get feedback from fans about how our music has touched their lives. We take nothing for granted, and work very hard together. We have also learned the importance of giving back, and we proudly support two hospitals here in Boston by appearing for free at their events. Along with that, we also support a number of Foundations and make
free appearances there too.

What do you want to tell people – young and old - about going after what they want?The most important message we want people to know young or old is that nothing is impossible, yes there will be hard times, sometimes you just want to lie in bed and not do anything, but with hard work and perseverance, you will always accomplish any goal you set for yourself.   With Maestro Lockhart
 What or who inspire you?

We are very inspired by our parents who have sacrificed a lot for us five girls to be the best we can be. They are very present and support us 100%. We are thankful that education is their main priority for us, and sometimes we might be at a performance and still be doing homework in the Green room. Our two older sisters are also very special to us, they are the smartest sisters ever, incredible role models and we look up to them for mentoring and direction. They are American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) writers, and co-wrote all the songs in our album. We admire Mary Mary, the Gospel duo, and have done covers of a number of their songs. We also admire Beyonce and Jazmine Sullivan, we appreciate black women who are empowering other women and making it in the business. We also love Tye Tribbett and Mali Music, and how they have modernized gospel music.

What has been the most challenging aspects of what you do?

We both play active sports in school, right now it is basketball season for both of us, and we have grueling practice sessions and games. We also host our own Radio show on Roots Radio (www.rootsradiolove.com) called Oladipo Sister’s Playlist, we debuted this show in July 2013 and it airs every Saturday at 5pm with a repeat broadcast on Sunday at 4pm. The challenging part is finding the right balance between our school work and our radio show, we have to put a lot of time in planning the show every week, selecting songs for the playlist, but we already learned how to be organized and have adapted well to our busy lifestyle.

  You are celebrities who have met celebrities! Tell us who you were most
excited to meet?We have not really met many celebrities yet….they probably don’t stop by Boston often but we were excited to meet Dr. Dre, Actress Nia Long, Richard T Jones, Dr. Bobby Jones of BET Gospel and Jada Pinkett Smith. Our older sister has met way more than us, she was part of an Ensemble that sang for Lionel Richie and John Legend, she’s also met Shakira, Venus Williams, Blair Underwood, President George W Bush, Philicia Rashad of Cosby show, Cecily Tyson, Chef Marcus Samuelsson and many more.    Performing at BET's Bobby Jones Gospel Show   With Dr. Bobby Jones    Oladunni and Olayeni with Jada Pinkett-Smith    With jazz saxophonist Elan Trotman

with gospel recording artist Deon Kipping
What should we be expecting from you in the future?

We are excited to be going back to the studio in February 2014 to record a brand new single written by our second sister, Olaitan. We will also be doing a cover of Tye Tribbett song called, “What Can I Do”. We hope to continue doing well, work hard and we are thankful for all those that have supported us so far.
Doing their thing in the studio
What advise will you give particularly young people who are yet to identify their passion?Be open to different types of experiences.  For those who have and don’t know next steps - always have the right mindset and don’t allow negative people in.
 These are two sisters to look out for.Watch out world! (And might I also add girl power! I am so, so proud)  To learn more about the Oladipo Sister visit their website – www.oladiposisters.com face book page:  https://www.facebook.com/oladiposisters Radio show - www.rootsradiolove.com (airs every Saturday at 5pm with a repeat broadcast on Sunday at 4pm).