Minister Esther Igbekele Biography, Life History

Esther Igbekele is a well known female gospel musician who sings in Yoruba. Her genre of music is said to fall in the gospel pop category largely resembling music of the likes of Yinka Ayefele and Tope Alabi.

Life History
Esther Igbekele is a native of Ifon, Ose local government of Ondo state. She was born in Lagos at Orile Iganmu to the family of Pastor and Mrs. Isaac Oluwafemi Igbekele. She has four other siblings all boys. As at the time of her birth her father was a choirmaster at Christ Apostolic Church Oke Anu and a tailor by profession while her mother was a food seller.



Esther had her primary school education at Central Primary school, Orile Iganmu. Her secondary school education was sponsored by Apostle J.A Bankole when he discovered her talent at a crusade held at Orile Iganmu. He was a pastor and also a gospel singer who had a band of his own. She moved to Iju-Ishaga Agege to stay with the Bankole family there she had her secondary school education; she attended Lagos African Church Grammar School Ifako Ijaye.


Music is reportedly in Esther’s blood; as her father and his siblings were singers and her grandfather was a talented drummer acknowledged even by the king of their town.  From a young age Esther always went along with her father for choir rehearsals because of her love for music. At the age of five she is said to have started leading the junior choir of her church and graduated to the senior choir at the age of seven because of her unique talents for music. While at the Bankole residence Esther became one of the band members and began developing her talent.

Esther Igbekele’s Music Career

She reportedly learnt on the job as she is not known to have had any professional music training. She joined quite a number of bands before finally beginning her professional music career in 1996. She was first a member of the band owned by Apostle Bankole called Ilu Ayo Gospel Singer. Esther began associating with other gospel bands and singers to learn the tricks of music composition and writing.

She was a member of quite a number of gospel bands, she worked with Ayewa Int. Gospel Singer for five years, was with Imole Ayo Gospel Singer for about four years and Evangelist Kingsley Ogunde for two years. She has released about 12 albums which have been nicely received by the public. Currently her net worth is about $250,000. Esther Igbekele was once nominated for the Mega awards and won in a rather competitive category. She views Bola Are and Onyeka Onwenu as role models.

Marriage Life

Not much is known about Igbekele Esther’s home or marriage. She however has two known children the last of which she had in September 2013. She was said to have earlier been married to a popular Alhaji in Lagos whose name is not known to the public. Their marriage from all indications crashed some time ago and both parties have supposedly moved on. She describes this marriage as a mistake made in her youth which almost put an end to her music career.

She is presently married to a man whom she describes as her God ordained man. His identity however is also not really known to the public.

Esther Igbekele’s Net Worth
Esther Igbekele has an estimated net worth of $150,000 dollars,