‘My music has matured’

DURING a press chat held recently in Lagos to unveil her debut show, Omawumi in concert: The Lasso Of Truth, powerful vocalist Omawumi Megbele was confident she would be able to pull through. At a time when most female singers grumble over the male dominance in the Nigerian music industry, the Delta State native and single mother of one, decided to take a bold to stage her first live concert. Though other notable acts such as Elegant Stallion Onyeka Onwenu, Wizkid, Tuface, Tiwa Savage and others were on the billed, the show was conceived to have Omawunmi as the centre of attraction, with the others playing supporting role.

Held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Oma as she’s fondly called by friends and admires, held guests spellbound as she thrilled the audience in a live performance. A powerful vocalist with energetic stagecraft, it was cheers all the way as the first runner up in the West Africa Idol TV showed her true colours. All through the gig, Omawunmi was in full control, keeping close eye contact with her band. Though supported other guest artistes, who actually added colours to the concert, Oma left no one in doubt of her rating as one of the leading female acts in Nigeria.

Organized by Flytime Entertainment, the gig saw Omawumi performed her new song, What a bang bang with 2Face Idibia, then did Warn Yourself with Wizkid, before delivering her hit track, Bottom Belle, alongside the composer of the song. She also did Bob Marley‘s No Woman No Cry with her known industry friends: Tiwa Savage, Seyi Shay and Waje. Dressed in pink outfits, the ladies got a resounding applause for doing justice to the song originally done by the reggae great. Self-styled Egeripapa 1 of Bayelsa Timaya, Mercy Chinwo and Onyeka Onwenu also performed at the well-attended event.

“This concert is a way of showing who I am; as a mother, an entertainer, my character as a funny person, the serious side of me, and my experiences (personal and otherwise). So, basically, that’s what the album is all about. All I’m trying to do is to make people understand that I pass messages through my music; everybody can relate with my music. This is what the concert is all about and that’s what I’m about for this particular period of my life,” she said.

Meanwhile, plans have reached advanced stage for the release of Omawumi’s second album, The Lasso Of truth. The work, which is a true reflection of the Nigerian society, presents Oma as a conscious musician.

“I’ve been working and now I am ready. My album will be out soon and before you ask what the title means, my last album was titled Wonder Woman, and in a story about her, she has a lasso with which she whips and forces victims to tell the truth; that is what I am about as an artiste and it reflects in my songs too. It will be a 12-track album,” she revealed.

To the artiste, the present situation in the country calls for conscious music from the musicians that would sensitize the society and set agenda for the government.

“When you listen to my songs such as If you ask me, you will be like, ‘yes, what this girl is saying is the truth.’ If you hear me say, ‘When breeze blow, fowl nyash go open,’ you will just know that it’s a true statement. If my activism were for commercial reasons, I wouldn’t think towards the conscious music. I feel that as a musician, your only vocation is to make sure that what you are saying out of your mouth, even if you are saying ten rubbishes, say one good thing so that when you are no more, people would remember you for that. Look at the people I emulate, people like Hugh Masekela, Onyeka Onwenu, Mariam Makeba, Majek Fashek… yes, I don’t know about now, but then, he was an activist.”

As for her success story in the industry, Omawunmi sees it as a divine grace.

“My case is different; it’s the hand of God. I got more gigs when I did If You Ask me, than when I did Bottom Belle. There are ways of selling your music; even if you are selling conscious music, if you put it inside gbam gbam dim dim music, before people know what you are saying, you had drawn their attention.”

From her days in the West Africa Idol house, Omawumi has always been seen as the younger Onyeka Onwenu, especially after she rendered Onwenu’s Ekwe.

“It was like watching a younger Onyeka sing,” she quipped. “I emulate her character and personality; for her to be able to be so graceful up till this time and for her music to still be on demand as a woman, that’s a line worthy to be toed. If you listen to my music, I try as much as possible to make the kind of music that even people that were here before me, would nod and say, ‘nice one.”

From her tone and choice of music, you wonder if Omawumi is as a feminist?

“Feminist is too strong a word. I feel that everybody should have something that they are passionate about. I’m passionate about the plight of my fellow women and children. I don’t know if that qualifies me as a feminist.”

However, after the emergence of Keleke Love singer, Tiwa Savage, rumours strated making the rounds about a possible rivalry between the returnee singer and homegrown Omawunmi. But in reality, both ladies are partners in progress, operating in different worlds.

“Oh no, never,” she said. “There is a song I did with Timaya, I No Fit Be You; we cannot all be the same. You run your own show, I will run my own. As I am going forward, I am only looking forward. If there is Tiwa, Waje, Asa, and all of them, God bless them as we all go forward. I am not looking at anybody; I have my eyes on my own success and that is what matters. If you do something good, I will commend you. I admire Tiwa for what she has done; she came to the industry and within two years she has already become a brand ambassador.”

She continued: “I’m not someone who is moved with titles but I always pray that God continually makes me relevant and bless me with a fan base that will stay true to me and my career. I’m a musician, whether I am the first or the last is not a problem.”

On the inspiration behind her songs, the Delat State native revealed, “I always ask, ‘What’s the Nigerian way of writing music?’ The basic genre of music known to be original Nigerian is highlife and juju, which break into different categories. I could write like that but it’s always a challenge for me because I grew up listening to jazz; my father was a jazz collector and my mum a veteran broadcaster. So, I grew up listening to a different genre of music that wasn’t really Nigerian original music.”

When you listen to her song, Serious Love Wantintin, it sounds more like a Nigerian song with a highlife groove.

“It’s so because I had the opportunity to listen to artistes like Victor Olaiya, Onyeka Onwenu, the late Christy Essien, Njemanze, Louis Armstrong and others. It’s really a challenge writing songs to fit into the Nigerian setting. That’s why if you listen to In The Music, I said, ‘whether nah Kwitto, whether nah jazz, Afro beat…just listen to the music and enjoy it.’ That’s the way it is for me.”

Though known for her vocal ability, Omawumi never hid her interest in acting. And when the opportunity came, she grabbed it.

“I enjoy acting; it’s a second love. So, I started making it known that I wanted roles and whenever anybody came and told me they wanted me to make a cameo appearance in their movies, I’d ask for auditions. The first I had was a movie directed by Fred Amata. It was exciting. The second one was the Return of Jennifa. She (Funke Akindele) told me she wanted me to make a cameo appearance, but I asked for a role and it worked. I did about eight scenes and it was good. Then I started getting scripts most of them I don’t like. I like to act in blockbuster movies because I like to associate myself with big things.”

As for marriage, “matrimony is not something to rush into and I intend to live by that. I will not fall for the pressure of marriage because if I do and in the end something goes wrong, the same people will ask why I didn’t take my time. I don’t think it is a bad thing to take my time to understand the person I intend to get married to. I am not as strong-minded as you seem to believe; I just have a lot of confidence in myself and in the God I serve and the people around me. If I said nothing breaks me, that is lie, but not much can.”

From her current recordings, it is obvious that the Bottom Belle crooner is getting better and better by the day.

“I’m more mature today; I feel my music has become more mature than before. Today, I have the knowledge; as you grow, you tend to drop a lot of things. When you look at my old and new album, you will see the coming down of the body.”

To other female artistes grubbing over the male dominance in the industry, Omawumi has this to say: “I believe that we ladies need to learn how to work hard; artistes that are doing well today are people, who are working hard. The problem with the ladies is that we wait to be called; if you are not called, go for it yourself. Set a goal for yourself and make efforts to achieve them.”

To the younger artistes, she said, “you have to take advantage of every little opportunity; everybody is important and significant, no matter whom they are.

Since sealing a deal as the brand Ambassador for Mortein, Omawunmi has been involved the campaign against malaria, which is currently killing African children on a daily basis. Aside from recording a song for the campaign, the singer was part of the anti-mosquito sensitization tour of Africa.

“It was lovely,” she enthused. “We went to the largest maternity clinic in Kenya; it was huge. The reason I jumped on that campaign is that children from age one to five do not have strong immunity like we the adults have. I believe that we can prevent mosquitoes by simply cleaning up our environment and using nets which are cheap.”