Samba Queen, Stella Ada Monye, who recently celebrated her musical career,
which has spanned 30 years, is not looking at retiring yet. She told Tolulope Okunlola and Adeniyi Adunola on a project dear to
her heart, the Women Help Initiative Nigeria (WHIN), which will be launched
with a curtain-raiser concert as a legacy of her work as an entertainer and a
social crusader
What is the proposed WHIN
Concert all about?
The Women Help Initiative Nigeria
(WHIN) Concert was supposed to take place this weekend but has been put on hold
for obvious reasons. I think the project was grossly misunderstood and the
objective totally mixed up. Some folks think it’s a moneymaking venture while
others think it’s just about coming to dance to Sunny Ade's beat. It is far
more than that.
When in January some people came
together and decided to celebrate my 30 years in the entertainment industry, it
sounded strange to some people that my career had spanned that long and I have
contributed enormously to boost Nigeria's image outside the shores of this
country.
While other artistes were
enjoying fame, money and recording, I was seriously engaged in representing
Nigeria outside the country. I must say though that I am grateful to God for
choosing me amongst many to do this job. I will have loved to drop albums every
six months as a good songwriter and producer but God gave me another
responsibility.
However, I have the support of
most of my colleagues for the WHIN concert. I made it clear from the beginning
that the WHIN project was more important to me and will be part of the
activities lined up to celebrate my three decades on stage. The Three Decades
on Stage celebration took place at Bespoke Centre, Lekki-Ajah, Lagos, with the
who is who in society and the industry in attendance.
How is WHIN different from
all the musical show previously staged in the country?
WHIN is a process and a dream
with the main objective being to have a WHIN Centre that will cater mainly for
women and serious issues plaguing the womenfolk in society. The main reason of
hosting the WHIN concert is to sensitize the public and drum up support from
the larger society.
I was going to bring people
together, tell them about this project through my single, but I had challenges,
which led me to instead, host a first-rate music concert that has never been
held before in Nigeria. I want those who have already been invited to hold-on,
I am re-strategizing to bring out the very best of me. I intend to use the
platform to showcase real stage players, who can hold an audience spellbound
with their music and stagecraft.
Don’t forget that I also have the
Indian International Dance Group coming to add colour to the occasion. I have
no regrets holding back the show, it is for the best after 30 years on stage.
At this period in my career, anything I touch should be world-class and with my
experience in event planning, I should be able to beat my chest and say ‘Yes, I
did it.’
What is the motivation
behind this initiative?
Like I said previously, I am
going to have a WHIN Centre that will outlive me, because it’s not about me, it
is about the positive influence it’s going to have on the society at large. We
came up with this idea because of some very grueling experience I have had, am
going to share a few of them with you.
As a child growing up in my era,
everywhere you turn, a baby is being dumped in a canal. It was so rampant that
we looked forward to discovering a new baby dumped on the refuse heap.
Everyday, we would check the canal and refuse site on our way to school. To us
then, it was exciting, even though sad.
I remember people raining curses
and abuses on the mothers of those abandoned children, but these did little to
stop the despicable act. Looking back now, I ask myself why? Why was it so
rampant? I had a child as a teenager and I don’t think I will have had the guts
to throw the little infant inside the canal despite all the aggression I
suffered in the hands of my dad, who wanted the best for me.
Not because a child is not a
blessing from God, but because he believed everything has its own time. So,
when such mistakes are made, you are made to live with guilt.
Secondly, while working as a
social service official at an Apapa faith-based NGO, I was standing near the
wall one afternoon when I sighted a child, who was already dead, being carried
away by water. He had a cloth wrapped round him.
The office was backing the ocean
and every afternoon, I would take a stroll to the fence overlooking the water
to have a glimpse of the naval boats and other ships. I wept profusely as
memories of all the other incidents in my childhood raced through my mind.
When I decided to stop working as
a social service worker after seven active years of volunteering with an NGO, I
was in my penthouse studio when my attention was called to another child that
was dumped at the entrance to the building.
I rushed downstairs and saw this
gorgeous-looking girl in a basket, under the scorching sun. The first thing
that came to my mind was to take the child to the Little Saints Orphanage, but
we later found out through an eyewitness the teenage girl that dumped the
child.
We investigated and found out she
lived in the neighborhood. We eventually resettled her, counseled and assisted
her to the best of our ability.
Lastly, I was in the studio one
night when I started to hear noises. I came out to check what was wrong only to
see four young boys between ages 20 and 25 raping a girl. Apparently, they have
been raping the girl. So, at 4am, she told them she was going to ease herself
and tried to escape.
The boys ran and caught up with
her and an argument ensued. It was from the argument that I discovered they
have been raping her for several hours. As event unfolds, there are many other
things I will tell you about WHIN.
Are you using
this to revive your musical career?
They are two different things, my
musical career is my musical career and I am about to release a single titled Together.
What is
happening to Stella Monye outside the WHIN concert?
Shortly
before my three decades on stage celebration, I was shuttling between Paris and
some Asian countries to perfect plans on a perfume line that I wanted to launch
called Stella. As you are aware, I
was into Samba wears, at the same
time I was in the studio recording an album, which I have been working on for
the past four years since I stopped being a social service worker.
What
should your fans expect from your new album?
When I
started out, I was going to do a gospel album because I started singing in
church and it was awesome, I could see the hand of God in all I was doing.
Everything on this album is gospel; there is also a very danceable song
preaching unity in the album. I am collaborating with a popular Fuji artiste on that. It is a song I am
also looking forward to.
Are you
satisfied with the female artistes in the industry today?
Yes and
no. I still believe we don’t have enough representation of female artistes.
When I was doing the HUK Up Show (Harvest of the Unique Knowledge), a monthly
live show, I realized we have a lot of great female singers in the nite club circuit yet to be harnessed,
who I was parading then on the show.
In these
days of collaboration among artistes, if you were to do one, who amongst the
female artistes would you consider?
I think
right now, we have three female artistes who are on top of their game at the
moment namely Omawunmi, Tiwa Savage and Chidinma. They are all great and I will
like to work with them. I will also like to work with some very talented
artistes of my era, like Salawa Abeni. I think she is gifted.
How have
you coped combining single motherhood with your musical career?
I don’t
even know how to change diapers because my mum was always there until she died.
I never had the opportunity to spend time with a child; I was always on the
move and my mum was there when I needed her most. I must say I was lucky
because my mum is a true representation of a stable African woman and I give
her kudos for that. Unfortunately, my own life didn’t turn out like that, due
to occupational hazards.
What
advice do you have for upcoming female arts?
They
should be consistent, focused, strong and must be true to their calling and
talent, without deviating. They must have the talent because that is what will
pull you through to get back up during the low moments. You will be liked and
disliked for what you do in equal measure. You can’t help the criticisms coming
in torrents, but you must enjoy the good moments while it last. Most
importantly, you must build on your self-confidence because you will need it
along the way.
