Evelyn Ifueko Osunde is the songstress behind the Adorable Voice Gospel Band,an actress,who marries Edo and English languages to express herself through music. A graduate of Business Administration from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Ondo State. In this interview with Francis Ogbuagu in Benin, she bares her mind on what should be done to create jobs for the teaming Nigerian youths, among others.
Excerpts.
What inspired you to go into the music industry?
I love music,I love songs, and when I was growing up,I do see my late mother sing,but I was not interested then, later I joined the church choir and that was where Madam Vera Adedoyin spotted me. In 2007, I started following her to functions. Initially,I was not interested to become a professional musician,but later fell in love with music.
Where there any objections from your parents?
How many songs have you done?
I have done two albums,I did one when I was in Adekunle Ajasin University, that was in 2010( that is Rukpamen) five songs are in the album. Also,I did mine second album in 2019(Jesu Christ mwen) and there are also five songs there,then in 2020,I did a single which is Oghifuremagbe and in 2022, November,I did Orienrienmwen, which is currently trending now.
Is there any musician,you look up to as a mentor?
I look up to Madam Vero Adedodoyin and Influence Akaba,my very good friend. These musicians are my mentors.
How do you see the music industry in Nigeria?
The music industry in Nigeria is interesting but challenging, Nigeria is not an easy place to play music, because the upcoming ones don’t get any support and we need support. Sometimes,you do a music and you are looking for somebody to support you and at the initial time, they may make promises,but at the end of the day,you won’t get the support. Sometime,you need somebody to promote your songs,but people will look atit with disdain, more so,when it is a Benin song, people look down on it. Other ethnic nationalities patronize songs in their local languages,but the Benins don’t patronize their indigenous songs. We have to promote our culture,our tradition and our language, because that is our root. What some of us do now is a mixture of Benin and English,so that those who don’t understand the Benin language can also understand what the song is saying. The industry is very very demanding,we need encouragement.
With high level unemployment in Nigeria,how do you think government can assist upcoming artists like you?
Tinubu’s government to assist upcoming artists financially by establishing an agency of government that can sponsor upcoming artists,just like the students’ loan scheme, using the same modalities of repayment in the students loan scheme. The reason is that the entertainment industry will creates a lot of jobs for the teaming youths. We need sponsorship , because we don’t have money,and if they(government) invest in the entertainment industry,it will yield jobs for our jobless youths . After doing a song,you will need to publicize it through the media,it cost a lot of money. The media should also assist us in publicity, we need all these supports. There are a lot of songs I have done that are on ground,we need sponsors, these are what we expect from the government of President Bola Tinubu. We hope,he will replicate the student loans scheme in the entertainment industry,not just only music,but the whole entertainment industry,the entertainment industry is big and can engage a lot of jobless youths,if government can explore the opportunities in the industry.
What genre of music do you play?
I do afrobeat in an indigenous way,RB, high life,hip hop and even reggae. It depends on how the inspiration came, you can be doing something and an inspiration will just come.
How do you get your inspiration?
It only God that gives me inspiration, nothing more,but God,a lot of people do drugs to be inspired,but for me, that is very inappropriate, the Holy Spirit is the one that gives me inspiration. Some of my songs came to me in the dreams, sometimes it is when somebody is talking to me,other times it is when people are having conversations. Infact, sometimes it is when I am praying for people, that inspirations come, Oghifuremagbe came when I was praying for my friend in labour room. Some say drugs,but I don’t believe in drugs.
