Sambo Wariebi: Turning Years of Waiting Into Songs of Gratitude
By Jonah Fubara, YENAGOA –Â After two unsuccessful attempts to produce his music, the Yenagoa-based gospel singer has returned to the studio with a three-track album inspired by faith, divine timing and a heart full of thanksgiving.
For gospel singer Sambo Bernard Wariebi, popularly known as De-Praiz Machine, the journey to releasing his latest album, Gratitude, is more than a story about music. It is a personal account of perseverance, disappointment, renewed inspiration and an enduring belief that God’s time is the best.
Released on October 2, 2026, the album features three songs: Solid Rock, Nanaowei Brakemi and Praise Medley. According to Wariebi, each track carries a special message intended to bless lives, strengthen faith and inspire people to praise and worship God.
Based in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the singer sees the project as more than a collection of songs. For him, it represents a renewed commitment to gospel music and an opportunity to share his faith through the musical gift he believes God has given him.
But the journey to Gratitude was not straightforward. Before the album became a reality, Wariebi had made two unsuccessful attempts to establish his music career, experiences that left him discouraged but did not completely extinguish his desire to share his message through music.
A Journey Rooted in Faith
Born on October 2, 1980, into the Sambo family of Agbere Community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Wariebi’s Christian journey began early in life.
He gave his life to Christ in 1991 at Assemblies of God Church, Urgorode, Sapele, Delta State. The following year, he joined the church choir, beginning a musical and ministerial journey that has continued for decades.
His early involvement in church music helped nurture his passion for worship and praise. Over the years, he developed experience in choir administration and praise leading, earning him the popular identity, De-Praiz Machine.
His educational journey also took him to Niger Delta University, where he gained admission in 2000 as a pioneer student of the Department of Sociology.
It was during his university years that one of his earliest attempts to establish himself as a recording gospel artiste took shape. His first project featured a song titled Who Am I?, a question that would later resonate with the humility and gratitude reflected in his latest musical undertaking.
Despite his long-standing involvement in church music, however, translating his passion into a successful recording career proved challenging.
A Journey That Began With Disappointment
Looking back at his earlier musical experiences, Wariebi recalls that his last attempt before the recent album project was in 2002.
The setbacks that followed made it difficult for him to return to the studio. According to the singer, people who had offered to support his earlier efforts eventually frustrated the process, with his master recordings reportedly damaged.
The experience could easily have marked the end of his musical aspirations. Instead, Wariebi chose to interpret the disappointment differently.
“I would not call it a failed attempt, but I would call it God’s time,” he says.
For him, the setbacks were not necessarily evidence that his dream had failed. Rather, they were part of a journey whose outcome he had learned to leave in God’s hands.
He draws inspiration from the biblical principle that unless the Lord builds a house, the builders labour in vain. This belief helped him maintain his faith even when the desired breakthrough did not come.
His story is a reminder that a delayed dream does not always have to be abandoned. Sometimes, the challenge is to find the strength to keep believing until another opportunity presents itself.
The Divine Inspiration Behind Gratitude
The turning point came a few weeks before the album’s release when Wariebi was invited to minister as a guest at a church service organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Province 1, in Bayelsa State.
The church is associated with the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, who serves as a pastor.
Wariebi said the experience became a defining moment in his return to the music scene.
After ministering on stage and stepping down, he recalled receiving what he described as a spiritual prompting to return to the studio.
The instruction, as he understood it, was clear: he should resume recording and name the project Gratitude.
“I was elated. That was how I started,” he recalls.
Unlike his previous attempts, which ended in disappointment, this new beginning came with a clear sense of purpose. He was no longer simply trying to make music; he wanted to express his appreciation to God through a project that reflected his personal experiences.
The title Gratitude therefore became more than a name for an album. It became the central message of a story shaped by waiting, faith and renewed hope.
A Birthday That Became a Reason to Give Thanks
The album’s release date carries a special significance for Wariebi. Born on October 2, 1980, he released Gratitude on October 2, 2026, making the project a birthday release.
According to the singer, the spiritual prompting to return to the studio coincided with his birthday, and he felt led to use the date as part of the project.
For Wariebi, the connection between his birthday and the album reinforced the message behind the songs.
He believes there is much to be thankful for, even when life has not unfolded according to personal expectations. The gift of life, the ability to see and the opportunity to continue pursuing his purpose are among the blessings he says he has come to appreciate more deeply.
“So why won’t I thank God?” he asks, reflecting on the blessings he has experienced.
The question captures the spirit of the project. Rather than concentrating on the opportunities he lost or the years he spent away from the studio, Wariebi has chosen to focus on what he believes he has received.
His gratitude is rooted not in a claim that everything has gone according to plan, but in the conviction that life itself remains a gift.
Three Songs, One Message
The Gratitude album comprises Solid Rock, Nanaowei Brakemi and Praise Medley.
Wariebi describes the songs as an expression of his passion for gospel music and his desire to glorify God through music.
He hopes the tracks will encourage listeners in their Christian faith, inspire heartfelt worship and provide reasons to praise God despite life’s challenges.
For the singer, the project is also a ministry. He sees music as a means of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and reaching people with messages of hope and faith.
His appeal to listeners extends beyond listening to the songs. He has encouraged supporters to stream, download, share and promote the tracks on social media to help the music reach a wider audience.
He also expressed appreciation to those who have prayed for him, supported his journey and encouraged him throughout his years of musical pursuit.
The appeal reflects his understanding that building a gospel music ministry requires not only the commitment of the artiste but also the encouragement and participation of a supportive community.
Although the album contains only three tracks, its significance for Wariebi extends beyond the number of songs. It marks the return of an artiste whose desire to record music survived years of discouragement.
Lessons From the Waiting Years
Wariebi’s experience offers a perspective on dealing with setbacks in creative pursuits.
For many aspiring musicians, the absence of financial support, the disappointment of failed projects and the difficulty of finding reliable collaborators can become reasons to give up.
Wariebi experienced some of these challenges firsthand. His earlier efforts did not produce the results he had hoped for, and the reported damage to his master recordings made the experience particularly discouraging.
Yet, the singer says he continued to believe.
His decision to describe the experiences as matters of timing rather than outright failure reveals the perspective through which he now views his journey.
It does not erase the disappointment of the past. Instead, it allows him to acknowledge those experiences without allowing them to define the rest of his life.
His return to the studio demonstrates that creative ambitions can survive long periods of inactivity. A dream may be delayed by circumstances, but the desire to pursue it can remain alive.
For Wariebi, faith has been central to that process. He believes the time was not right for his earlier attempts, and he has approached his latest opportunity with a renewed sense of purpose.
The release of Gratitude is therefore both a musical milestone and a personal statement about resilience.
A New Chapter for De-Praiz Machine
Beyond music, Wariebi is a husband and father who balances family responsibilities with his professional career and Christian ministry. His personal and professional experiences have contributed to a life that brings together faith, service, leadership and music.
With the release of Gratitude, he has reopened a chapter that had remained unfinished for years.
His journey from the unsuccessful attempts of the past to the renewed inspiration that led to the three-track album illustrates the value of patience and the importance of remaining open to new opportunities.
For him, the achievement is not merely about returning to the studio after a long absence. It is about bringing a long-held aspiration to fruition and using the experience to express his faith.
The years of waiting, the disappointment of his earlier attempts and the renewed inspiration he says he received have all contributed to the meaning he attaches to the album.
Wariebi may have returned to the studio after a long break, but he has not returned empty-handed. He has come with three songs and a message shaped by experience: Solid Rock, Nanaowei Brakemi and Praise Medley are his latest expressions of a faith that has endured the test of time.
As he begins this new chapter of his musical journey, Gratitude stands as his testimony that a delayed dream can still find expression.
For Sambo Wariebi, the message is simple: there is always a reason to give thanks.
