“I have never hidden the identity of my daughter’s father” – Singer, Omawumi reveals

by Wilfred Okiche “You start jor, I no get time” Omawumi yells at me as she takes a break in between rehearsals with her No Time Band. She offers to hold my recorder and speaks English that could make the queen jealous. But she remains Omawumi, raised in Warri and reverts to her comedic pidgin English when she wants to stress a point. She says she does not have time but we manage to talk about a lot. Her new album, her baby daddy and her hot-cold relationship with the press. Enjoy excerpts from the conversation. How often do you rehearse like this? I rehearse every Thursday every week except when I am not in town. Sometimes twice a week. I get on the average 6 gigs every month so I have to be ready. So music is serious business now? Yes, it is. When you were prepping your band, I heard you say something about listening to Asa’s band because they almost always have it all together. Is she an artiste that influences you? Of course, but the thing is it is not just Asa. I am an avid listener of good music and Asa’s repertoire is always a pleasure to listen to. When you hear Femi Kuti’s band, Hugh Masakela’s band, Angelique Kidjo, Salif Keita, you understand immediately that these are people who concentrate on the music as well as the vocals so everything goes together. Is this your band or a group you rehearse with? This is my band, I don’t understand what type of kpakaraka question you asked. Omawumi and the No Time band. We have been together since 2009. Lets talk about your current album ‘Lasso of Truth’, what has the reception been like critically and commercially. Honestly. We thank God. Commercially it has been doing very well. Critically too. Of course you happen upon questions like what was she thinking for some songs but for my music, there are some primary things involved. The first is that I try to pass a message across. The message is generally of good will, vital issues and human relations. I try to make sure that when you listen, you don’t concentrate too much on the vocal ability or my physical attributes. I want the focus to be on the music, every other thing comes incidentally. Do you have figures for the album’s commercial reception? I do not but I can categorically tell you that the marketer did a first run of 500,000 copies and it is very near finished now. The first week we did more than a 100,000 copies in sales. The YNaija review concluded that the album sounds a lot like your first album. Was this deliberate? I don’t know how it sounds like my first album. I would agree with the review in the sense that with regards to the different genres that I touched in my first album, I did again in my second. The difference between my first and second albums is that the latter is more driven, has more direction and more maturity in it. My first album is good but the second is different and good. Not better? I don’t know. Do you have any favourite songs on the album? No, all my songs are my favourites. On the album version of your hit single ‘Bottom belle’, we heard your daughter’s voice. How old is she now? She turned 2 some months back. Is she a singer like mama? I don’t know, she is just a happy child. I mean she sings but I am not about to point at this and say at 2 years old she is a singer or a lawyer or anything. What is the relationship like, does she know she is Omawumi’s baby? Yes. I sing it, people sing it to her all the time so she knows she is Omawumi’s baby. If you are asking if she knows that her mother is an artiste, I don’t know if a 2 year old child will be able to comprehend all of that. Of course she sees me on TV and says “Ah! That’s mama”. She hears my voice and says that’s mama but I don’t know how much a 2 year old can comprehend. Does she know that mama is a superstar? First off, I don’t think I am a superstar. When you were 2 did you know Michael Jackson as a superstar or did you just like his music? I probably just liked his music. Then what kind of question are you asking me? Do you deliberately take a long time before putting out a new album? How did I take long? ‘Wonder woman’ was released 2009 November and we launched it February 2 nd 2010. Now ‘Lasso of truth’ followed 3 years later. Now I know that there are many other artistes Wizkid, 2face who have done so too. The standard life span of an album in Nigeria is 2 years. We as artistes need to take our time to make good music for you. The most important thing is that the music remains fresh, consistent and enjoyable. On ‘Lasso of truth’, all of the songs could stand on their own as bonafide hit singles… Really? I think you know this already. The question is do you sit down and consciously make radio friendly singles all the time? Sometimes my songs come to me, sometimes I go to them. Either way, we do the songs. I am a happy go lucky person but I am also a God-fearing somebody. So all of that reflects in my music and that is how I just put it in. Your album release concert was a sort of game changer in that in recent times, only the males have been throwing lavish album release concerts. What did you hope to get by doing so? That is the fantastic part, I am always a pioneer. That is the satisfaction in the work that I do. if there is a secret I will let you know today, it is that success is in the mind. There is a person out there who used to go hungry all the time but is now drinking garri 3 times a day. To him that is success because he did not have food before. Now how I view success is not of being at the very top but of making use of the opportunities God has created for me to be a pioneer. You seem to have a beautiful relationship with your mother and your song, ‘The best you can be’ is largely about that connection. Tell us about this relationship. Me and my mum we are good. She is my best friend, my closest friend and I am blessed to have family around me who genuinely care. The song is also about your own ties with your daughter. What kind of relationship do you imagine having with her? At the end of the day I believe that while I am a parent, first of all I am somebody whom God has appointed to take care of the children he has brought into this world. So my responsibility as a parent is to do all that I can in accordance to God’s word to make sure that my child becomes a good child with moral values, someone who respects societal laws and becomes an upright being. Let us talk about the question you will never live down. Do you think that one day you will be ready to reveal the father of your baby? I don’t hide it, I have never hid it but I don’t feel it is something I owe to the general public to stand in the microphone and announce because e no concern anybody . I put my music out there and that is what concerns everybody. But I also understand that these are the things that come with being in the public glare. However, I musn’t conform because you think it is what I should do. This person is an individual. He respects his daughter, loves her and is a part of his daughter’s day to day life. The media people make it seem like it is the public that is interested in the gist but I don’t think it is true. From the start of my career, I have tried to make people understand that I am an artiste. I don’t go to my banker and ask them to tell me if their daughter is pregnant. As long as I am not shoving my personal life in your face, I believe everyone should respect my privacy. But if you must pry, at least have the simple decency to get the correct information when you do that. Not holding brief for anyone but sometimes these journalists are forced to report half-truths because you are not forthcoming with the information they seek. That is no excuse. If the information isn’t there, you look for it, isn’t that what journalists do? The Bible says all liars shall partake of the lake of fire. I know I have told some lies but the kind of pregnant lies that these media people tell some times oh my God! If I were to get a self-contained apartment, they would get a duplex in hell. I tire.