After hosting a series of events across the 12 months of 2024, Ghanaian Gospel artists Nana Yaw Ofori-Attah, “Oneman1000” and his Oasis Collective hosted their annual Oasis Gathering, “The Outside,” 2024, over the weekend.
The Oasis Collective is a new-age Christian collective spreading the gospel of Christ and the message of Christianity through the arts. The collective’s biggest asset, aside from their shared vision and commitment, is their ability to create a community where young people can feel connected to their maker. The community had imbued in people the courage to express their love for God through their creativity.
Held at the Mmofra Place in Dzorwulu, Accra, the event hosted diverse activities, great food, drinks, and a spirit-filled atmosphere. The Outside is one of the many events organized by the collective every year.
The creation of an event like Oasis Gathering offers an insight into the innovative nature of Christians to adapt to the times. It also gives them the opportunity to drive away narratives about the gospel scene. They have been able to give a facelift to Christian music and arts there by making it more appealing to a wider range of people even outside the confines of religion.
The event began at noon with a yard sale at the venue as various vendors put items from books, clothes, bags, and other accessories on sale. Anyone who has been to an oasis event would expect nothing short of top-notch organization, event layout, and production, which they produced once again at this year’s event.
This writer would like to appreciate the amazing people they saw and interacted with during the entire day. The interactions and engagements of like-minded people gave first-timers a great experience. The house of the Lord truly holds some beautiful gems.
The exciting parts of the event are how the tenants of the church like prayer and the study of the word, which were observed during “Church in the Woods,” where prayers were offered and Bible studies were done. After church in the woods, the event transitioned to the concert.
The concert involved DJ warm-up sessions, a brass band procession, Jama session, and dance performances before the artists take over. Performances from Nigerian acts Naffymar, Marizu, Dave Da Music Box, and Kofi Karikari led the crowd in praises and worship until Oneman1000 and the Oasis Collective took over to crown everything off. The ministration was spirit-filled and exciting. The band brought their A-game, and the audience sang along to every single song.
Accra’s December lineup may be stacked, but there are very few events that will give you the value for your money and time as much as Oasis Gathering will. From sound, lighting, performances, audience, and ambiance, Oneman1000 and his collective have mastered that art.
While the good book says go to the ant and learn its way, this writer calls on artists, both secular and gospel, to go to the Oasis Collective and learn their ways. Learn how to build a community, how to grow that community, how to put together an event, and how to curate an experience that will amplify you and your beliefs.
All in all, Oasis Gathering 2024 adds up to the layers of building being done by Oneman1000 and the collective. The gathering of young people to pray, worship, and praise in unison through faith will be a catalyst in elevating the gospel industry through ministry and the arts.