“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 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.
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