Petite Nikki Laoye is not doing badly in her sector – inspirational music. One of her latest singles, 1,2,3, has been winning new converts every day, burning the charts and ruling the airwaves. YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine’s GBENGA SHABA discussed with her on Sunday, April 3, 2015 at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos…
Your new single, 1,2,3, is trending. What is it all about?
1,2,3 is my beautiful dance song and of course, it must trend and I’m excited about it because it’s different and I showcased a different side of me that people have never really experienced, because when I dropped the video, some of my people exclaimed that “Nikki, you can dance”. It is a song I did to celebrate the gift of life that God has given me and not that I paid for such gift. Everybody has a reason to thank God every day, even if it’s just for the gift of life alone.
So many people believe the song is meant for the kids. What’s your reaction to this?
It is not for the kids, but I’m happy that children love it and I’m happy and excited about it. Some people even told me that they are using the song now to exercise during their work-out every day and I’m happy about it.
How have you been coping as a wife and a busy singer?
The truth is that it is all about planning. I’m a wife, a businesswoman and an artist. So, all it takes is planning one’s life and structuring anything that you have to do. Let me not lie to you, it is not easy, but you just have to work it out so that the home front will not suffer and the business angle won’t suffer and you have to strike a balance. We just pray for God’s wisdom to make everything work perfectly.
What are some of the major challenges you have been experiencing since you got married?
My husband doesn’t get to see me for some days, but I’m lucky because my husband happens to be part of my management team. So, sometimes, he gets to travel with me; sometimes he doesn’t, because he also works and he needs to attend to his job too. But the truth is, it is all about balancing. The challenge sometimes is that I have to be away for weeks or months. But in all, God has been faithful.
You don’t consider yourself a gospel artist, but most times you have won awards in that category. How does that make you feel?
The truth is just that I’m still working in line with what I want to do. That is, I just want to make music that inspires you and if you make such music; gospel, inspirational and everybody would want to lay claim to it. But I love that I’m making music for everybody. My three major areas that I love to talk about with my music are God, love and life. I want to talk about love. I want to talk about relationships and so many things because we are human beings and we have different aspects about life, the stages of life that we go through and the truth is that music is supposed to be food to the soul and a form of communication. So, you need to make music that fits all these different aspects of life and that is what I’m trying to do with my music and I’m happy. I won the Headies, I won NMVA, I won Crystal Awards, Gospel Awards in the UK, AFRIMA and all. I just thank God that everything spreads out that way.
What is the most beautiful thing that has happened to you?
There are so many things, but I think that the most beautiful thing that has happened to me would be my foundation. Because, I’ve always told God that beyond being an artiste, I want to be someone that impacts lives and that is what I’ve been doing with my foundation called Angel For Lite Foundation. We work with people with disability and displaced persons and refugees within Nigeria. So, that ability to put a smile on someone’s face, someone who cannot help himself and you are able to hold them by their hands and lead them to where food is, helping them to get food and reshape or rebuild their lives, helping them to know how to make bread for themselves is fulfilling and that is actually the thing that makes me happy the most; the most exciting. Anytime we get a project and we are able to complete it, I’m happy. Like right now, we have started the Angel Relief Fund. We are trying to get food and relief items to people that have been displaced from the North and we were able to do the first phase weeks before election. It was so exciting for me. For me to be able to go to camp there and help families, give them food, clothes, talk to them, encourage them was my joy and that is what gives me life every day that I live.
When would you say was your most embarrassing moment?
One major embarrassing moment that I will never forget was the day I was leading a song in the church choir some years ago and I forget my lyrics on stage. It was very, very embarrassing, but I was able to manage the situation.
You are among the few inspirational singers we have in Nigeria. What has been your sustaining power?
God. He is the sustaining power, because everyone knows that officially I’m about 9-10 years now in the industry. Of course, I had a break between 2011 and 2013 when I lost my dad and at that point in time, the world stopped for me and I thought that I couldn’t make it anymore because we were very close in my family and losing my dad was like losing an arm. It took a long time before God could pull me back together, but you know how God does His thing? The very first single that God gave me, Only You, through a friend of mine, Nelson, was the song God used to break a lot of doors for me and my come back song. I won the Headies with it and about nine other awards with it. It has to be God, because between 2013 when I came back and now is just a little over a year and I’ve won nine different awards. Only God can do it. God has been faithful, He has kept me all along and as I’m going, I’m also learning more from Him.
Do you see your stature as an inspiration to do what you are doing?
I can’t really say because I’ve seen a lot of people that see me on the street and say I can’t believe you are this small. I thought you were taller and bigger than this. But for me, I just do the kind of music that I know will make people happy and the one that God has laid in my heart ever since I was a child and had made up my mind to do music. I’ve always been doing music that inspires, motivates and educates.
What do you want from God?
What I want from God? Ha! What do I want from God? Big, big blessings like never before, for me and my family. That we will continually live our lives here on earth in good health, peace, joy and laughter. My father’s name was Isaac. So, laughter would always be our portion every day.