by Wilfred Okiche
“You start jor, I no get time” Omawumi yells at me as she takes a
break in between rehearsals with her No Time Band. She offers to hold my
recorder and speaks English that could make the queen jealous. But she
remains Omawumi, raised in Warri and reverts to her comedic pidgin
English when she wants to stress a point.
She says she does not have time but we manage to talk about a lot.
Her new album, her baby daddy and her hot-cold relationship with the
press.
Enjoy excerpts from the conversation.
How often do you rehearse like this?
I rehearse every Thursday every week except when I am not in town.
Sometimes twice a week. I get on the average 6 gigs every month so I
have to be ready.
So music is serious business now?
Yes, it is.
When you were prepping your band, I heard you say something about
listening to Asa’s band because they almost always have it all together.
Is she an artiste that influences you?
Of course, but the thing is it is not just Asa. I am an avid listener
of good music and Asa’s repertoire is always a pleasure to listen to.
When you hear Femi Kuti’s band, Hugh Masakela’s band, Angelique Kidjo,
Salif Keita, you understand immediately that these are people who
concentrate on the music as well as the vocals so everything goes
together.
Is this your band or a group you rehearse with?
This is my band, I don’t understand what type of
kpakaraka question you asked. Omawumi and the No Time band. We have been together since 2009.
Lets talk about your current album ‘Lasso of Truth’, what has the reception been like critically and commercially. Honestly.
We thank God. Commercially it has been doing very well. Critically
too. Of course you happen upon questions like what was she thinking for
some songs but for my music, there are some primary things involved. The
first is that I try to pass a message across. The message is generally
of good will, vital issues and human relations. I try to make sure that
when you listen, you don’t concentrate too much on the vocal ability or
my physical attributes. I want the focus to be on the music, every other
thing comes incidentally.
Do you have figures for the album’s commercial reception?
I do not but I can categorically tell you that the marketer did a
first run of 500,000 copies and it is very near finished now. The first
week we did more than a 100,000 copies in sales.
The YNaija review concluded that the album sounds a lot like your first album. Was this deliberate?
I don’t know how it sounds like my first album. I would agree with
the review in the sense that with regards to the different genres that I
touched in my first album, I did again in my second. The difference
between my first and second albums is that the latter is more driven,
has more direction and more maturity in it. My first album is good but
the second is different and good.
Not better?
I don’t know.
Do you have any favourite songs on the album?
No, all my songs are my favourites.
On the album version of your hit single ‘Bottom belle’, we heard your daughter’s voice. How old is she now?
She turned 2 some months back.
Is she a singer like mama?
I don’t know, she is just a happy child. I mean she sings but I am
not about to point at this and say at 2 years old she is a singer or a
lawyer or anything.
What is the relationship like, does she know she is Omawumi’s baby?
Yes. I sing it, people sing it to her all the time so she knows she
is Omawumi’s baby. If you are asking if she knows that her mother is an
artiste, I don’t know if a 2 year old child will be able to comprehend
all of that. Of course she sees me on TV and says “Ah! That’s mama”. She
hears my voice and says that’s mama but I don’t know how much a 2 year
old can comprehend.
Does she know that mama is a superstar?
First off, I don’t think I am a superstar. When you were 2 did you
know Michael Jackson as a superstar or did you just like his music?
I probably just liked his music.
Then what kind of question are you asking me?
Do you deliberately take a long time before putting out a new album?
How did I take long? ‘Wonder woman’ was released 2009 November and we launched it February 2
nd
2010. Now ‘Lasso of truth’ followed 3 years later. Now I know that
there are many other artistes Wizkid, 2face who have done so too. The
standard life span of an album in Nigeria is 2 years. We as artistes
need to take our time to make good music for you. The most important
thing is that the music remains fresh, consistent and enjoyable.
On ‘Lasso of truth’, all of the songs could stand on their own as bonafide hit singles…
Really?
I think you know this already. The question is do you sit down and consciously make radio friendly singles all the time?
Sometimes my songs come to me, sometimes I go to them. Either way, we
do the songs. I am a happy go lucky person but I am also a God-fearing
somebody. So all of that reflects in my music and that is how I just put
it in.
Your album release concert was a sort of game changer in that in
recent times, only the males have been throwing lavish album release
concerts. What did you hope to get by doing so?
That is the fantastic part, I am always a pioneer. That is the
satisfaction in the work that I do. if there is a secret I will let you
know today, it is that success is in the mind. There is a person out
there who used to go hungry all the time but is now drinking garri 3
times a day. To him that is success because he did not have food before.
Now how I view success is not of being at the very top but of making
use of the opportunities God has created for me to be a pioneer.
You seem to have a beautiful relationship with your mother and
your song, ‘The best you can be’ is largely about that connection. Tell
us about this relationship.
Me and my mum we are good. She is my best friend, my closest friend
and I am blessed to have family around me who genuinely care.
The song is also about your own ties with your daughter. What kind of relationship do you imagine having with her?
At the end of the day I believe that while I am a parent, first of
all I am somebody whom God has appointed to take care of the children he
has brought into this world. So my responsibility as a parent is to do
all that I can in accordance to God’s word to make sure that my child
becomes a good child with moral values, someone who respects societal
laws and becomes an upright being.
Let us talk about the question you will never live down. Do you
think that one day you will be ready to reveal the father of your baby?
I don’t hide it, I have never hid it but I don’t feel it is something
I owe to the general public to stand in the microphone and announce
because
e no concern anybody. I put my music out there and that
is what concerns everybody. But I also understand that these are the
things that come with being in the public glare. However, I musn’t
conform because you think it is what I should do. This person is an
individual. He respects his daughter, loves her and is a part of his
daughter’s day to day life. The media people make it seem like it is the
public that is interested in the gist but I don’t think it is true.
From the start of my career, I have tried to make people understand that
I am an artiste. I don’t go to my banker and ask them to tell me if
their daughter is pregnant. As long as I am not shoving my personal life
in your face, I believe everyone should respect my privacy. But if you
must pry, at least have the simple decency to get the correct
information when you do that.
Not holding brief for anyone but sometimes these journalists are
forced to report half-truths
because you are not forthcoming with the
information they seek.
That is no excuse. If the information isn’t there, you look for it,
isn’t that what journalists do? The Bible says all liars shall partake
of the lake of fire. I know I have told some lies but the kind of
pregnant lies that these media people tell some times oh my God! If I
were to get a self-contained apartment, they would get a duplex in hell.
I tire.
