The Elegant Stallion, Onyeka Onwenu, even at over 60, is still very intact. Graying gracefully and bouncing beautifully, the respected musician, politician and businesswoman attended to YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, AZUH ARINZE, at The Unity Centre, in Ikeja GRA, Lagos. This was before her new appointment as DG, National Centre For Women Development. Shedding more light on some pertinent issues concerning her person and career, the Arondizuogu, Imo State born mother of two insisted that she’s soft, and not a tough woman like most people portray her. Enjoy the rest of the story…
What makes a good musician?
It’s very difficult to tell. You might think that it’s the one that has the most sonorous voice; the most glamorous, the best dressed; the most beautiful… There’s something that is intangible in all of that. And essentially, it’s the anointing of the Lord. But you can have somebody who is ugly, not so good looking, and when they sing, something happens.
What are the ingredients needed to succeed as a musician?
You have the talent. That’s a given. You have the anointing. But you also have to be hard working as well and you have to have integrity. When somebody engages your services for a show and you take money and you don’t get to the venue on time and when you are called you are nowhere to be found, then something is wrong. Next time when they say you are coming, nobody believes. So, that integrity of I’ve been paid to do this work, I’ve committed to do this work, I must do it and give it my best shot. That’s very important. And when you get there, it doesn’t matter who’s in that hall, you are just giving your best.
What is the costliest mistake that most musicians make?
It’s not having integrity. Words spread around and you are finished. Because they don’t take you seriously any more. They can’t rely on you. That’s the costliest mistake.
Why do most musicians find it difficult to come out with hit albums successively?
Any statement that I’m making here, I don’t want to generalize too much. I can only speak of my own situation and I think for me, it’s the realization that I am not the one writing the songs. When you realize that you are not the one doing it, when you don’t have to worry about having to come up with the hits; that all you need to do is to make yourself available as a vessel of honour; that settles it. How I write my songs is that when I go into the studio, there’s a kind of prayer that I pray. A very dangerous prayer. And I basically challenge God to say that this is not about me, it’s about You. So, You’ve got to give me the songs and I’m making myself available to receive. Give me the grace. When I pray this prayer, I download. It’s basically what I do. That’s how I recorded The Legend and any producer that worked with me on that CD will tell you exactly what happened in the studio.
As one of the longest reigning musicians on the scene, what is the best way to go about being there for long and again, where do most upcoming artistes get it wrong in terms of longevity?
It applies to everything and anything you do in life, really. When you realize that there’s a higher programme, there’s a higher purpose; it’s not just for you to look at me, I’m this, I’m that, but you are using whatever talent God has given you to glorify Him, to make people happy, to bring peace, unity, to talk about issues that are relevant, that are meaningful. Songs that are edifying. That you leave the place better than how you found it. That’s what makes you go on and on and be able to reinvent yourself over and over again. When they think you are finished in this direction, God takes you in another direction because it’s all for His purpose. And He’s using you for the furtherance of that purpose.
Why do most people look down on female musicians? It’s always been either they say they are prostitutes, loose and so on?
It’s because it’s the way the society has always seen women. A woman that is out in the open dancing and singing and you are visible, automatically, you must be of loose morals and we have to fight that. Many of us who came into the profession with good education, Master’s, PhDs, and continue to give works that are good and we are committed to what we do, we don’t wanna know what you think really, because we know where we are going. We are very focused, and so after some time, people had to begin to see what we were doing and that it was worthy of emulation, it was worthy of commendation and so the tag of prostitutes began to go away. But every now and then you still find people who don’t quite take you seriously, even in the Christian kingdom. When you come out to minister, they say is she really born again? Why won’t she be born again? I was doing a show in a church and a fellow minister who had been an established gospel singer just came out and said, can you imagine what God is doing these days? He’s even calling people like Onyeka Onwenu and some people laughed with him hahahaha…It got to my turn to sing and I said my brother, it’s true. But you know, I am the worst and the worst and the worst of sinners. But it is for people like me that Jesus came and that’s the truth. He who is well has no need of a physician. I need Him (voice rising), and I will continue to need Him. Jesus came for people like me. I don’t know about you, so you may not need Him. You may be perfect, but me, I acknowledge that I am not and I beg Him for His grace, because it’s only by grace. And I think at that point, he realized what he had said and he felt so bad and he came to me and I said don’t worry about it. It’s okay! And it really is. I don’t care what you think, what I care about is what God thinks of me and what I think of myself.
People say Onyeka Onwenu is controversial and that she’s a tough woman, she doesn’t take nonsense, why do you think they have that perception of you?
I am not at all a tough woman, and I wish I were a tough woman (laughing). Lailai! I’m too soft. Azuh, you know I’m too soft. They’ve got it all wrong, but you come to a point and people want to step all over you and you basically have a good dose of self respect. If that’s what being tough is all about, then yeah! I am. I just respect myself. I will not put myself in a situation where you will insult me and jump all over me. I will not! And if you insist on not giving me the respect that is due to me, I will let you know that it’s not acceptable.
What do you like most about being a musician?
That you can bring happiness to people, that you can come into a place and people are feeling gloomy and by the time you are done, they are praising God. You’ve lifted up their spirits.
What don’t you like about being a musician?
It’s just the kind of attitude that you’ve talked about and not being taken seriously, because I’m a serious human being and besides that, I know where I’m going and I have a sense of purpose. I don’t like that at all and I think it’s very discouraging. But hopefully, with all that’s happening, I’m glad more female musicians are coming into the fold and they are doing so well and they are so talented and many parents are even allowing their young girls to become entertainers and become singers because they can point out Onyeka Onwenu and say look at what she has done with her life. I’m very happy about that. So, it’s a situation that I know will continue to change for the better.
Which of your songs don’t you like?
Ah! There’s not one single song. There are some obscure songs that I just love and I don’t know why people haven’t gone crazy over those songs…
Like which one?
Take Falling in Love for example. Oh, that’s a master hit. You take Nsonso or Kosi. There are so many.
Which of your songs gives you the greatest joy and happiness?
I can’t say that. They are so many, they are so many. When we are performing Nsonso, I am not there. Really, really! And I think Nsonso more than any other song does that for me. I’m somewhere else. It’s like an out-of-body experience for me.
A lot of people look up to you as their role model, who are the people that you look up to?
Don’t put me into trouble because there are so many (laughing) of them and if I don’t mention all of them, it won’t be nice. You know the normal answer is Jesus. Yes, we have that. But there are people I admire. They are not necessarily in the music industry. They are all over. I admire them for their talent and their integrity. They are just too many. I don’t want to go into mentioning names because I will be leaving out some of them.
What is the greatest thing that God has done for you?
My children. Haba! My boys (Ibrahim and Tijani)…My boys!
What is that thing that God has not done for you?
I can’t think of anything that is so important that I’m going oh! God hasn’t done this. Rather I have a whole stretch of my life ahead of me and I know that until I die, I will empty out. So, there’s much more. I just turned 62, yes! But there’s so much more ahead of me and I’m looking forward to every single day of my life because I know that God just renews my life every day. So, there’s not one thing that I’m regretting and saying oh, He hasn’t done this, He hasn’t done that. Whatever it is, I can live without it. Quite honestly. If He hasn’t given it to me, I don’t want it. If He’s not the one to give it to me, I don’t want it. But I know that there is so much in my life that I’m still looking forward to. Certainly my children getting married and giving me grand kids. I can’t wait to carry that first grandchild. Oh, I’m gonna spoil them rotten. And I’m praying that it is a girl. I know I have daughters, but I need more daughters.
You are one of the most successful Nigerian women. How does it feel to be idolised by many?
Whaaoh! It’s humbling actually, because I look at myself and what I know of myself is that I’m not really that much. But when I see God’s hand in my life, I think that’s what people see, and then I give Him all the glory. Because Onyeka Onwenu as Onyeka Onwenu is a very boring, ordinary person. But when I stand up on that stage or I’m doing things (demonstrates as if singing), I’m a totally different person.
NB: First published March 2014