Entertainment
Onyeka Onwenu: A Nigerian Icon In Music, Film, Activism
Early Life, Education
Onyeka Onwenu was born on May 31, 1952, in Arondizuogu, Imo State, Nigeria.
She is the daughter of D.K. Onwenu, a respected Nigerian educator and politician.
Onyeka pursued her higher education in the United States, studying International Relations and Communication at Wellesley College and later earning a Master’s degree in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research in New York.
Music Career
Onyeka’s musical journey began in 1981 with her debut album “For the Love of You.”
She quickly became a prominent figure in Nigeria’s music scene, known for her ability to blend traditional African sounds with contemporary music.
Some of her well-loved songs include “One Love,” “Iyogogo,” and “You and I”.
Advocacy, Activism
Onyeka is not just a musician but also a passionate activist. She has been vocal about women’s rights and social justice. In 2000, she made headlines by staging a one-woman protest and hunger strike against the Nigerian Television Authority for not paying royalties on her song. This act of defiance earned her great respect from fellow artists.
Acting Career
In addition to her musical achievements, Onyeka was also a successful actress.
She appeared in several Nollywood films, including notable titles like “Half of a Yellow Sun” and “Lionheart.” Her roles in these films have further solidified her status as a versatile entertainer.
Political Career
Onyeka’s dedication to public service saw her appointed as the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development in 2013.
In this role, she continued to advocate for women’s rights and development across Nigeria.
Business Ventures
Beyond entertainment and activism, Onyeka is also a businesswoman. She owns the Unity Event Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, which serves as a popular venue for various events.
Family Life
Onyeka is a proud mother of two sons, Tijani and Abraham. Her marriage to a Yoruba Muslim highlights her commitment to promoting inter-ethnic harmony in Nigeria.
She often spoke about the importance of embracing cultural diversity.
Literary Contributions
Onyeka has also shared her life story through her memoir, “My Father’s Daughter.”
In this book, she reveals many untold stories about her life, career, and the significant influence her father had on her.
Writing the memoir was an emotional journey for Onyeka, filled with both happy and painful memories.
Challenges in the Industry
Throughout her career, Onyeka has faced numerous challenges, including gender discrimination and the technical limitations of music production in Nigeria.
Despite these obstacles, she has remained a powerful and influential figure in the industry.
Cultural Impact
Onyeka’s work has had a lasting impact on Nigerian culture. She emphasizes the importance of self-worth and integrity, especially for women. She encourages women to define their achievements and purpose independently of societal expectations.
Onyeka Onwenu’s contributions to music, film, and social activism make her a true icon in Nigerian history. Her story is one of resilience, talent, and unwavering dedication to her beliefs and her country.
Street-hop sensation Portable has opened up about his wish for a music collaboration with Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy, revealing he would have preferred a feature over the N20 million cash gift recently sent to him by the Afrofusion star.
The singer, known for his eccentric personality and social media outbursts, disclosed during an Instagram live session that Burna Boy’s generous gesture came after his participation in a celebrity boxing match against fellow entertainer, Speed Darlington.
Despite expressing gratitude for the financial boost, Portable shared his disappointment about the silence that has followed from Burna Boy’s end.
READ ALSO: Portable Remanded In Kwara Prison For Failing To Meet Bail Terms
“Shout out to Burna Boy. Some people want to wash my brain with advice, but this man gingered my brain with the N20 million,” he said.
However, the singer made it clear that money wasn’t all he was hoping for. Portable revealed that communication between them has been non-existent, even after several attempts to reach out.
“The person who gave me N20 million has never replied to me on Instagram; I don’t have his number, and he doesn’t pick up my calls,” he lamented.
He went further to call out Burna Boy for not following him on social media despite the generous gift.
“Burna Boy, you gave me N20 million, but you didn’t reply to me. Give me a feature. Why are you stingy about replying to messages? He isn’t following me on Instagram but he gave me money.
“He is my helper but he should feature me instead because the N20 million can finish in a day. If I collaborate with the person who gave me N20 million, I will go viral,” he added.
The pursuit of passion would see Nigerian music superstar, David Adeleke, famous as Davido investing heavily in the movie industry.
He divulged part of his plans in a recent interview with content creator, Darryl.
According to the award-winning singer, his academic background in business marketing had always positioned him for a career in the broader entertainment sector.
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He said, “I studied business marketing, so I would have still been in the entertainment space if I wasn’t singing but probably, more of behind the scenes.”
Davido revealed that he was making concrete moves into the African film industry, with plans to invest in several film projects before the year runs out.
It was gathered that he was working closely with his longtime music video director, Dammy Twitch, on a number of creative ideas.
“I am investing in a couple of films this year. Shout-out to my director, Dammy Twitch. We have some ideas, series coming. The film space right now in Africa is going bankruptcy. So, we are definitely going to tap into that,” he declared.
In addition to producing, the singer revealed that he is also interested in acting.
According to him, he has been demonstrating his acting skills in some of his music videos.
“I can also act. I can act for real. I act in my music videos. I acted in music videos like ‘Jowo’, ‘Nwa Baby’,” he noted.
Biztellers reports that Davido on Friday released his highly anticipated fifth studio album, titled ‘5ive’.
In the lead-up to the album’s release, the award-winning singer had dropped several singles, including ‘Be There Still’ and ‘Funds’, which features rappers Odumodublvck and Chike.
He also unveiled ‘Awuke’, a collaboration with YG Marley.
The new album is a 17-tracker, boasting an impressive lineup of guest appearances from international and local artistes.
Some of the featured acts include Chris Brown, Omah Lay, Victony, Victoria Monett, Becky G, and Shensea.
‘5ive’ comes two years after the release of last studio album ‘Timeless’, which debuted at number one on Billboard’s World Albums Chart.
Nigerian Fuji singer, Alhaji Taye Adebisi, popularly known as Taye Currency, has shared the painful story of how he lost N10 million in a failed investment scheme linked to Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).
Speaking emotionally during a stage performance in a video that has since gone viral, the Fuji star revealed he was introduced to the scheme by trusted associates who had already profited from the platform.
Currency recalled how the individuals, including members of his inner circle, encouraged him to commit funds after they claimed to have earned significant returns.
READ MORE: EFCC Busts Ponzi Scheme Academy, Arrests 133 Suspects In Abuja
“On April 1, Sodiq came to my house and said Lateef, the brand manager, had collected some money and also introduced Alaba and Small London had also collected their money, and Brother Muca,” he recounted.
The musician further explained how each of them pooled money into the scheme, mentioning that: “Alaba used N1.2 million he stole from the stage to invest in CBEX. Brother Muca also put in his work fee of N500,000. Sodiq used the money he was saving in the band, N850,000. Lateef invested N1.4 million.”
Motivated by the apparent success stories around him, Taye Currency said he withdrew his insurance savings and joined the scheme, only to lose the entire amount.
“Lateef said he used N200k to collect N600k, and I got motivated. I withdrew the money I had saved with insurance, see my life in the open. I invested N10m in CBEX on April 1, but everything vanished,” he said.
Expressing his anger and disappointment, the singer did not hold back in blaming those who introduced him to CBEX. In his words: “If they die well, they won’t rest well, because I was on my own before you took me to CBEX.”
Taye Currency’s experience highlights the growing number of victims affected by the collapse of CBEX, which has been at the centre of controversy in recent weeks after investors reported persistent withdrawal failures and the sudden disappearance of their funds.
Reports estimate that over N1.3 trillion may have been lost to the platform, which lured thousands of Nigerians with promises of high returns on digital investments.
Reacting to the outcry, Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a public warning stating that CBEX is not licensed to operate as a digital assets exchange in the country and advised Nigerians to avoid engaging with the platform.
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