‘My Long Walk to Fame’

Uwale Essence Okoro

— Uwale Essence Okoro, who entered the Nigerian music industry 10 years ago as a teenage back-up singer but is today, after two albums and strings of soundtracks for movies, dramas and sitcoms, a household name
By Osamudiamen Ogbonmwan
You recently released an album after a long while.
My second album was released recently. The first one entitled Truely Essence was released in 2004, while this one which I titled Essential went into the market in May (2010).
Why are the titles of your albums wrapped around your name?
I just like to play with words, I am always like that and it's fun.
Don’t you think the gap between the two albums is much? Why did it take that long?
I have been working since 2007, actually trying to get things right and as well pay attention to the needs of my fans. The fact that one has what it takes to sound nice or put an album together doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work. In 2007, I did a single called Good Boy – the one I shot in Ghana with an old woman dancing - which was me actually. I have been working but I really believe in God’s time. Some people would have done it differently, but I was willing to sit back, watch and learn. I took sound advice from good people and thank God, today you can see the result.
What is the basic difference between your current album and the first, especially against the backdrop of the advice you talk about?
Basically, I am older and wiser. The musical terrain has changed definitely. Music has evolved and one must evolve with it if he/she wants to remain relevant. Many things are happening. We have new people, new sounds, new producers, et cetera. In 2004 when I released the first work, there was nothing like facebook. Today, we have various social network services bringing the world closer as we get to know new things.
You excelled years back when you did more of soulful recordings, but it seems you have delved into other genres. Is it part of the change?
I listen to my fans.. One can’t just stick to a genre of music nowadays. Soulful songs are songs that make you think or help you get over some issues, but when you are happy what do you do? Essence’s soulful CD’s would not be required then. So why not have happy, danceable songs on the CD also? Really, that was why I decided to get some upbeat songs on the album. My fans kept telling me: ‘Essence, we want to dance, we want something we can play in the club’. Thank God, the acceptance has been remarkable. I won’t say the album success was created by me, no, all hands has been on deck and it has been awesome. The album, I must say has had a lot of acceptance and everybody loves the videos.
This is about your 10th year in the industry, meaning it took 10 years for you to make a hit record. How would you describe the years so far?
It was a learning period for me and now when I look back, I thank God that I didn’t get an instant success in the industry. I think if I had had it like that, it would have gone like that. Sometimes when people achieve instant fame, they can’t handle it. It is good to learn on the job so that any mistake made would be documented and corrected. I have been on the ground making mistakes and thankfully going unnoticed and learning from them. Music is so self- absorbing it can make one build a particular character. I have learnt on the job, its not all about you as an individual. If you say you have talent, you can as well stay in your shower and sing to yourself, but if no one believes in you and is ready to put money on you and introduce you to people, then what are you? Thank God, I have been able to walk my way into the hearts of people as they believe in me.
Would you say your close relationship with Kenny St. Brown was the learning process?
My relationship with her was God-sent. I always say that I pray that her kids will find someone who will love and help them selflessly as she helps me. KSB came into my life when I didn’t even know what I wanted to do. I was thinking that I was going to be an Optician even though I studied Theatre Arts. It is awesome when somebody notices something you didn’t know you have. For 10 good years, she kept telling Nigerians to “listen to this girl.” How do you quantify that in monetary terms? How much can you even pay a promoter to do that for you? But she kept doing it for me from her heart all those years. I was a teenager basically when I came to her and grew up in her arms. She moulded me, you know, dress sense, the way I talked and helped me in avoiding a lot of pit- falls. So I thank God for her. God bless her.
You are regarded as a very good sound track musician. How do you get these deals?
Well, I have done a few, Super Story, This Life, Secret and Scandals, Dominos, Reloaded and others. It started with Super Story. I got the deal through a friend and when we did the song, it just blew. From then on, a lot of people came. Mostly, they give me the words but if they don’t make sense to me, I don’t do it. I turned down a lot but a couple came through. I wrote Secret and Scandals, OJB productions called me to do Dominos. For Reloaded, I was called by Desmond Elliot and Emem Isong and was given a free hand to do a song for their movie, Reloaded. They were really happy about it. The song is even in my album.
You said you don’t do soulful kind of music any longer. What do you do now?
I do R’ n ‘B, Soul and Hip hop soul. They are mixed.
Not too long ago you were involved in a scandal where reports indicated that you were going out with Paul 'Play' Dairo. Although you denied it at the time, where did you think such reports come from and why?
It was just a figment of some people’s over-active imagination. It was childish. Are people saying I shouldn’t say hello to a colleague? We are Africans and love making friends. When I was growing up, my neighbour could discipline me if I did anything wrong before even my parents got home. Where did our African values go? Are they saying now we can’t relate with people without someone bringing something dirty into it? I think that story was cooked by someone who was just being happy with himself or maybe his deadline was nearly up, so he decided to write it.
How did you feel when the story was everywhere?
Being underground for years had made me develop a thick skin to such. If it were early in my career I would have been upset. Back then whenever people criticised my songs, I always felt so sad and bad. But now, I understand that not everyone can like you and some people just become defensive when they don’t understand something until you take out time to explain. I didn’t feel bad, it’s just that my family members have not developed a thick skin to such reports, so it affects them more.