Singer, Onyeka Onwenu, tells Adeola Balogun and ’Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about her career and life
You performed in Abuja recently during the Centenary celebrations…
Oh yes. It was just a theme song for the Centenary celebrations. I was in the studio recording. I have a ministry that encourages young people in music to dedicate their artistry to God. I realised that many of them do not have money to go to the studio to record. It is very expensive to record these days. We had an audition, made our selection and took a few of them to the studio and we wrote three beautiful songs for the project. We want to use the proceeds from the sale of the CD for Pastor Bimbo Odukoya Foundation. So towards the end of that production, I got a call concerning this celebration. They asked me if I could write a theme song for the celebration and if they found it acceptable, they would use it. I panicked at first. I just finished a recording and I had poured out all that was in me in that project.
So how did you do it eventually?
The Lord reminded me that I was not the one that writes the song. The day I begin to think I write my songs, then I am finished. I have no idea how to write a song. So I approached my producer, Wole Oni. Somehow, we seem to have a synergy creatively. I told him I was coming back to the studio the following day. I booked studio time and I came back home and prayed all night. I got back to the studio and I begged God to give me a song that would not be forgotten. We all know the challenges that we have in this country. You cannot come out and start singing that Nigeria is a land of milk and honey. People will look at us somehow. We needed lyrics that people would identify with and that will move and convince them. We needed lyrics that would re-inspire the spirit of patriotism in them.
How did you feel during the performance, when the president and even the past presidents stood up to sing the song just as you asked them to?
They weren’t standing for Onyeka Onwenu, they were standing for Nigeria. I told them if they loved Nigeria, they should be on their feet. They stood. These men may have had their disagreements but there is something no one should doubt and that is their love for this country. At first, I didn’t know whether they would stand or not. But I knew they won’t stand for me but for Nigeria.
How come you included other artistes in the song?
I initially did the song with Ayo, the current Project Fame winner. It sounded beautiful. I took it to Abuja and the idea of more artistes to be a part of the song was suggested. Obviously not every artiste in Nigeria was going to be on the song. We have great artistes. But I asked God to bring together the people He would want us to use who would bring something special and who would not ask for so much money. Those that I spoke to and who believe me came on board. We had the people who should be on the album and every voice was wonderful.
Critics might ask why it is always Onyeka Onwenu that is called upon for a government project like this…
Do they always call me? I have done quite a few. But I think it is so because of the songs that I have recorded. They are songs that speak to our inner Nigeria. Despite everything, we remain optimistic. I have always recorded songs on Nigeria. But I also believe that other artistes are called upon.
Don’t you think it is because you are a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party?
I am a staunch member of PDP and I don’t have apologies for that. I have been there from the beginning. But somebody said there is something between me and Nigeria that is so tied together. The person even called me Mrs. Nigeria. Maybe it is true.
How does it feel to be friends with the President?
Hey! Friends with the President? Me? I am too small! No! I will not use that word. I am just his supporter. I pray for him and I pray for every Nigerian leader. The Bible tells me that it is the right thing to do. If Nigeria goes down, everybody goes down. I pray for the governors and everybody on top. He is not my friend please. I am a small person biko. I wish for him to succeed. I am a great admirer of the first lady too. She is a great woman.
The music industry exploded with the current young generation…
(cuts in) No. We kept it going. At a time, it fell flat on the face, especially during the economic crisis in the 80s. The record companies folded up and left Nigeria. Some of us began to finance our own recordings. We didn’t make money but we kept going. We would work in some other areas. I am a business woman. I would make money and I would pump it into my music career. Some of us fought for copyrights. We made sacrifices that these younger ones are now enjoying. They should pay homage.
Most of your contemporaries left the shores of Nigeria, why didn’t you?
I was away from Nigeria for nine or 10 years before I came back, and I had had enough of it. I decided that whatever was needed to be done here, I would be part of it. This is where I make my contribution. There is something peculiar about Nigeria. I want to be part of those who have made Nigeria a better place.
Wasn’t your mother skeptical when you decided to take up music as a career?
There was only one condition in my family and that was to get good education. She had always supported my musical career. But some of her relatives and my father’s relatives weren’t in support. They couldn’t imagine the daughter of Hon. D.K. Onwenu going into music. Actually, Cheif Emeka Anyaoku – my mother’s cousin – went to my mum and he was livid. He went to my mum and screamed, ‘how could you do this?’ But one day, he met me in South Africa, during Nelson Mandela’s inauguration. All the African Heads of State wanted to see me. That was when he apologised publicly and said that I have shown him that I didn’t make a mistake in my chosen career. He said he was proud of me. But he wasn’t the only one. But they have all taken back what they said. Each time they see me, they tell me how proud of me they are.
How did music start?
It started right from the time I was abroad. I moved to New York and I was working at the United Nations. But I also used to perform at night clubs. It was while I visited my cousin in Chicago, his wife was related to Sunny Okosuns and Sunny called the house one day. I had heard about him. I told him I wanted to do music and he said I should come back to Nigeria. I did a demo and I sent it to him. When I came back to Nigeria, he produced my first album.
So it was music that brought you back to Nigeria…
No. what brought me back was a challenge thrown at me by a mentor. He had come to the United Nations where I was working. We were at a gathering where we were discussing Nigeria. I was very critical about Nigeria. He told me I could say all I wanted to say because I was sitting pretty and comfortable in America. I was supposed to be posted to Namibia but I said no. I thought of what my mentor said, that I had to come back home. I came back and picked up a job at NTA as a youth corp member and I made a mark.
Music is not the only thing you are into…
Music is my passion. I am not just a singer, I do other things. I am a writer and I am a TV presenter. There is nowhere you will put me and I won’t be able to hold my own. It is all part of the education. If I had to rely on music alone, maybe I would have starved. I did other things. That is my training.
At what point did you start acting?
I wasn’t interested in acting. I wasn’t the actress in the family. But I didn’t know I had it in me to make a profession out of it. It was Zik Zulu who came to me in 1996 or thereabout and told me about one script. I told him not to even think of getting me involved. He said it was a story that had to do with a baby that was picked from the dustbin. He knew that would get me. So I agreed to do it. The movie was called ‘Nightmare’. Then they started bothering my life with so many movies. ‘Conspiracy’, ‘Not my Will’ and so many others. I had to stop eventually. I realised it was taking a lot out of me. For a long time, I wasn’t doing any movie but a script came and I couldn’t say no. That was ‘Half of the Yellow Sun’. The film is not out yet but watch out for it.
The novel is about the civil war. Were you part of it?
I was right in the thick of it. The experience was traumatic. I saw children die. I saw old people die. I watched soldiers being sewn up without any form of anesthesia. It is not something Nigeria should go through again. It was terrible.
Why did you go into politics?
Why shouldn’t I? Anyway, I was following my father’s footsteps. I am my father’s daughter. My father died two weeks before he could be sworn in as the Minister of Education. His best friend was Mbonu Ojike. He died at the young age of 40 in a car accident.
We learnt you were close to him?
I was extremely close to him. He was unabashedly fond of me. I was the light of his world. He took me everywhere. I remember everything about him.
Didn’t your mother kick against such closeness?
She hated me. I was her mate. She was my co-wife. We got to laugh about it eventually. But my father’s love for me was just too much. He dared not hear me cry. We were soulmates.
Couldn’t he have over- pampered you?
He actually did. If he had lived, I am not sure of how I would have turned out. I got everything and anything I wanted. My immediate elder sister hated me. She never got over the closeness. I have no idea why he loved me that much. I wasn’t even the last born. I used to get an awful lot of money as a kid. When the Queen of England came to visit Nigeria, I was there. Anybody who knew my father knew about me.
Was it just because of your father that you went into politics?
I watched the suffering of my people in Ideato North in Imo State. I would go home and help a few people. But I realized I was limited on the number of people I could help. If I really wanted to help my people, I had to find myself in a position where I could help change the environment. I saw the position of the Local Government Chairman was the most direct and closest to the people. It wasn’t about having a position, it was all about service. But they wouldn’t let me. The LGA is about sharing money. The money would come and people would take their share. Until we change this attitude, development would be haphazard.
Couldn’t it have been because you were unpopular that you were not elected as chairman?
No way! My people wanted me. They couldn’t wait for me to get in. But those who felt the position was their property schemed me out. When you hold primaries in my absence, what would you expect? I predicted that the PDP would lose in that state, and it happened.
Your name is always linked with controversy?
Really?
Yes. An instance was when you camped at the Nigerian Television Authority back then.
They banned me from being seen on air. How could you ban me from being able to feed my children? I will be confrontational if you do so. This is how I make my living. You owed me and instead of paying me, you banned me from being on air. Who gave you the right to ban me? If that is being confrontational, then I am confrontational.
Showbiz comes with scandals, how did you cope with the scandals that surrounded you when you were coming up?
I didn’t have any scandal. But false things were written about me. I ignored some of them but there were some I couldn’t ignore and I went to court and I won my case. Anybody who wrote any falsehood was taken to court. The women had it rough back then. They said I was sleeping with this person and that person. Sometimes I had to read the papers to find out what I was doing because I didn’t have an idea of what I was doing. They had to tell me who I was sleeping with. I couldn’t take it lying low. I have children.
One scandal was your relationship with Sunny Ade
There was no relationship between us. We did a song together. I decided to ignore that story. Sunny was a colleague. This idea came to me. It was for a good cause and we did it. People started saying we were in a relationship.
But it was rumoured you had a baby girl for him…
It was all a rumour. I have two boys. These two boys have one father and they know who their father is. I don’t have to discuss it in the papers. I don’t have to discuss my marital life in the media. I don’t need to tell anybody who the father of my children is. It is nobody’s business. My family members know, my friends know and my close associates know. Don’t malign my reputation.
But we learnt you said recently in a popular TV show that you would wish to get married regardless of what the person is…
Did I say that? Me? I doubt it. It couldn’t have been me. Definitely not me. I don’t know what you are saying. Discussing marriage in the media is a no go area for me. What you are saying doesn’t sound like me at all. I couldn’t have said that.
You fought for collecting society in Nigeria alongside Tony Okoroji. How come two of you are at war?
Even if you were my mother and you did something wrong, I would lovingly tell you. There are things I don’t take. I don’t hate anybody. If you do something that is wrong, I will tell you and I would disassociate myself from it. This is my mind. I made it clear and I will not compromise. I don’t go out to look for people to fight. I am a very down to earth person. But I can never compromise the truth.
Why do you wear low cut?
It is convenient for me. I tried the attachment but he (I don’t want to use the word husband) said no. I get irritated when hair touches my shoulder. There is nothing like getting into the bath and washing your hair. I like women with the long hair and all that but I don’t have the patience to sit under a hair dryer.
Are you satisfied with this myth that surrounds your marital status?
I am very satisfied. I love it.
Can you just tell us if you are married or not?
I will not answer you. Just keep guessing.
Have you really experienced hard times?
I was barely five years when my father died. I was raised by a widow who didn’t have so many people to help her. She worked very hard. I went through the war with hunger and starvation. I lived in a mud house. I went to school in America, yes. It was my sister who was in Harvard that brought us over with her meager salary. We worked in the US and provided for ourselves. Sometimes, we had to do two jobs. I never wanted to stain my father’s name. He had given me so much in life.
Was that why you decided to stick to his name?
Not really. It came to me naturally and I didn’t see any reason …. No, I am not going to talk about it. Look at you. You thought you would get me.
How come your children are not in the eye of the public?
It was a good decision. In their school, the teachers didn’t know I was their mother. If you don’t like my face, you would maltreat my kids. I let them to earn their own name. they will never use my name to gain something.
There is nothing I can’t do. I never had a cook in my house.
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