Yesterday provided a very devastating moment for me as I witnessed a tragic event that will forever be etched in my memory. I was present at the event where the iconic song star, Onyeka Onwenu, performed a couple of her songs ending up with her famous song, 'One Love Keep Us Together'. It was a beautiful performance, but little did we know it would be her final bow. Just about a few minutes after her performance, she sat down and drank some water and immediately collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital.
I followed her to the hospital. I watched in pain as the doctors and medical staff fought tirelessly and battled to save her life , doing everything possible to bring her back to life but eventually came out with the sad news that she was gone. Despite their valiant efforts, she sadly passed away after over two hours of intense struggle. My heart goes out to her children and family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time. May we find the strength and courage to bear this irreparable loss.
Onwenu was a national treasure, a shining star who inspired generations with her music, activism, and strong dedication to the arts. Her passing is a tremendous loss for the entire nation, and she will be deeply missed.
I want to thank everyone who together with us accompanied her to the hospital yesterday. Special thanks to Mr. and Mrs John Momoh, Mr and Mrs Okonkwo, and Mr Okpara, who were with her during her last moments. Governor Alex Otti joined us also and Mr. Femi Ajayi who equally returned to the hospital this morning when we had to finalized everything about her passing. May her soul rest in peace and may her legacy continue to inspire and unite us all.
My condolences to her family, the entertainment industry, and the nation at large. May we find solace in the memories we shared with her and the impact she had on our lives. -PO
naptu2: You see, he wasn't only a great musician and singer (as you can tell from Mother and Child), he was also a great producer.
She worked at the NTA in the early 1980s and she approached him to produce her album and he did. I think it was recorded in London, but I can't remember for sure.
naptu2: The moment I fell in love with Onyeka Onwenu.
I had the Everly Brothers version of this song (I believe that's the original) and I absolutely loved it. So, for anyone to make a cover version of the song that is as good as the original. . .that person must be really special.
So the NTA showed a competition that was staged in the UK (c1981) and an unknown Nigerian performed this song. I was blown away. In fact, I think I prefer the tempo and beat of Onyeka's version. That was Onyeka's first hit.
Unfortunately her version is not online (God bless Classic FM for playing it once in a while). Here's the Everly Brothers' version.
The Everly Brothers - Walk Right Back.
naptu2: There was a video clip that caught my attention in 1981 or 1982. It was of an incredibly beautiful young Nigerian woman in the UK. I think she had just won some kind of award and then she gave a performance. She sang the Everly Brothers' song, "Walk Right Back". It was beautiful. That video was shown many times on NTA 2 Channel 5 in 1982/1983. I have been looking for that video on YouTube since 2008.
I already loved the Everly Brothers and it was some feat for someone to perform that song and for me to like it without comparing it to the original. We had the Everly Brothers' album and it was one of my favourites. The album sleeve was very colourful. It was made up of little cartoon strips that represented each song on the album. I loved every song on that album. I loved "Bird Dog" because there was someone that I knew that was named Charlie and we used that song to tease him. (Now I'm tempted to do and Everly Brothers sweep).
Anyway, that was the first video of Onyeka Onwenu that I ever saw. I still haven't been able to find her version of "Walk Right Back" on the internet, but this song (below) was from the same album. (You can clearly hear Sunny Okosun's influence in the horns).
This was the first song by Onyeka Onwenu that I ever heard. I wish I could find the exact video that was on heavy rotation on NTA2 Channel 5 in 1982.
We had the original album that contained this song. That album is one of my favourite albums. It had hit after hit after hit and the album sleeve was filled with cartoons. I absolutely loved that original version by the Everly Brothers, so I thought that it would be difficult for anybody to cover the song in a way that I would like it. Onyeka Onwenu succeeded. I also love this version.
The original video from 1982 showed Onyeka performing this song at an event in the UK. She was very pretty.
naptu2: There was a video clip that caught my attention in 1981 or 1982. It was of an incredibly beautiful young Nigerian woman in the UK. I think she had just won some kind of award and then she gave a performance. She sang the Everly Brothers' song, "Walk Right Back". It was beautiful. That video was shown many times on NTA 2 Channel 5 in 1982/1983. I have been looking for that video on YouTube since 2008.
I already loved the Everly Brothers and it was some feat for someone to perform that song and for me to like it without comparing it to the original. We had the Everly Brothers' album and it was one of my favourites. The album sleeve was very colourful. It was made up of little cartoon strips that represented each song on the album. I loved every song on that album. I loved "Bird Dog" because there was someone that I knew that was named Charlie and we used that song to tease him. (Now I'm tempted to do and Everly Brothers sweep).
Anyway, that was the first video of Onyeka Onwenu that I ever saw. I still haven't been able to find her version of "Walk Right Back" on the internet, but this song (below) was from the same album. (You can clearly hear Sunny Okosun's influence in the horns).
For the first time ever, the Federal Government of Nigeria unveiled a policy on family planning c1986. They advocated that families should have only 4 children ( journalists reminded President Babangida of this policy in 1989 when Halima was born . Halima is Babangida's fourth child).
There were messages about family planning on popular Nigerian tv shows like Village Headmaster and the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Information produced jingles and adverts about family planning. The first condom adverts (Right Time Condom and Gold Circle Condom) appeared on Nigerian tv screens c1990.
Onyeka Onwenu and King Sunny Ade had produced duets c1988 and they were two of the most popular musicians in Nigeria at that time, so some foreign aid agencies approached them and asked them to record songs about family planing. This resulted in 2 songs - Wait For Me and Choices. There were a lot of stars in the Choices video (Olisa Adibua, etc).
Sunny Ade and Onyeka Onwenu embarked on a tour to promote the album and the message in the songs. They visited schools, hospitals, ministries, etc and of course they appeared on tv shows.
Morning Ride was the most popular breakfast tv show in Nigeria in the late 1980s and early '90s. It was created by Danladi Bako who presented the show from 1988- c1991. It usually previewed the social events that would take place that weekend. For example, contestants in the Miss Intercontinental, Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria and Miss Nigeria beauty pageants, foreign wrestlers taking part in the weekend's wrestling shows, musicians performing at that weekend's concerts, etc would appear on Morning Ride to promote their shows. The latest happenings at the Super Eagles' camp would also be shown (if there was a football match on that day). They also showed the previous weekend's society wedding and the show also served as a forum for state governors to tell their citizens who are resident in Lagos what they are doing back home.
So, Onyeka Onwenu and Sunny Ade appeared on Morning Ride (c1989) to promote the album.
There was an air force officer in the house that morning. Danladi Bako and Sunny Ade were interacting very well and I was enjoying the show when the air force officer exclaimed, "Wow!" The exclamation was so loud that everybody turned to look at him. "I never knew that Sunny Ade could speak english like this", he said. Throughout that interview the guy's face was a picture of shock. He kept exclaiming, "Wow! You mean this is Sunny Ade!"
I couldn't stop laughing.
naptu2: One of two family planning songs that were sponsored by the UN and one of three duets by
King Sunny Ade and Onyeka Onwenu - Wait For Me (1989).
The common denominator here, is the tv show Morning Ride.
1) Woman with Onyeka Onwenu in the second photograph and with Femi Segun in the third photograph.
Pamela Mojekwu was the most famous fitness trainer in Nigeria in the 1980s and early 1990s. She had her own tv show on Lagos Television, an exercise segment on Morning Ride (on NTA2 Channel 5) and columns in Vanguard Newspaper, Lagos Weekend newspaper and many magazines.
She also owned an exercise studio called The Bodyshop. Its headquarters was in Ilupeju, with branches at Surulere and Festac. Stars like Onyeka Onwenu, were regular customers at The Bodyshop.
She had a little daughter that suffered from sickle-cell disease. The daughter used to appear in some of her exercise sessions on Morning Ride, performing exercises for children and sicklers (the daughter was around 7 or 8 years old at that time).
She and her assistant (the karate instructor at The Bodyshop) also appeared in a Vitamalt advert.
She left Morning Ride in the mid-1990s, in order to take care of her daughter (in fact, she practically vanished from the scene).
Pamela Mojekwu moved to the US in the early 2000s, partly in order to get treatment for her daughter. She was involved in a car accident in 2009, in which her (now grown up) daughter died.
The City of Chicago charged her with vehicular homicide. The court found her guilty of vehicular homicide and she was jailed.
I believe that everybody can recognise Onyeka Onwenu (carrying the dumbbells in the second photograph). I don't need to introduce her.
She has appeared on Morning Ride many times. I remember one particular occasion, when she appeared with King Sunny Ade to promote their songs about family planning ( "Choices" and "Wait For Me" ) in 1990. Danladi Bako was interviewing them and they were responding to his questions, when an air force officer sitting near me exclaimed, "Wow!" He was shocked because he didn't know that King Sunny Ade could speak proper English. He kept on exclaiming throughout that segment, "Wow! You don't mean it! This is Sunny!".
Didn’t I read that she died in her sleep somewhere? How did Obi know the circumstances regarding her death? The man na witch? He’s the new Atiku; releasing epistles for any bad situation.
All these born in 1882 Nairalanders with their reports on days long gone.
naptu2: Onyeka Onwenu presenting Contact. This was in 1986 or '87 or '88.
I remember that there were two series of Contact and that a man presented the other series. I can't remember who the man was, but I think it was Patrick Oke. I can remember the backdrop though. It was a view of Marina taken from somewhere around Federal Palace Hotel. The background footage must have been shot from around 6:30 to 7:30 in the evening because we could see the transformation from evening daylight to complete darkness.
Onyeka, Sunny and Danladi - memories.