Bongos Ikwue @ 70: Weep not for me when I die

Bongos Ikwue used to be a known name all over the world for his music, especially for the soundtrack of a popular TV drama series in the 1980s entitled, Cock Crow at Dawn. His other songs include Still Searching, Mariama, Echewune, Amen and many other chart busters that ruled the airwaves in the time past. His last official album was released in 1979, but the living legend, now 70 year-old, is not yet done, as he is set to release a new 45-track album. At his country home in Oturkpo, Benue State, the maestro, who has remained steadfast with his genre of music, African root jazz and contemporary blues, despite the influx of dance hall into the scene, says he is fighting a war against religion in Nigeria because that is the root of the country’s numerous problems.
Neck deep into the hospitality industry and a proud owner of the Double KK Resort, Double KK Luxury and Double KK Annex, Bongos, who still performs to the delight of his admirers who throng his hotels, took time off with this reporter on a bright afternoon before the New Year. For the sake of serenity, we drove to Double KK Luxury in his Ford Escalade, and in his usual humble nature, Bongos treated yours sincerely to some tracks in his new album.
In this interview with The Entertainer, which lasted for about 45 minutes, Bongos talked about his life as a little boy who stammered a lot and would always get into fights he never won. He also shed some light on the state of music in the country and what God means to him. He revealed that he does not go to church because, for him, religion is the main cause of the problems in Nigeria.