The fact that Onyeka Onwenu’s name has endured throughout Nigerian music history is not just rhetoric. During her performing days, she performed fairly well in the male-dominated Nigerian music scene of the 1980s. Through the use of folklore and traditional musical instruments, particularly the “Ekwe,” which assisted in conveying the eastern music culture, she elevated Nigerian traditional music to a new era with her catchy tunes.
As her name suggests, “The Elegant Stallion” has been a cynosure of all eyes and has distinguished herself as a formidable force in African music history by displaying style, beauty, class, and elegance with ease at several social events.
It is impossible to undervalue her unparalleled creative ability. In addition to her career in music, she also had periods of time spent in acting and public service.
She previously served as the chair of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture. During the presidency of President Goodluck Jonathan, she was also named Executive Director of the National Center for Women Development.
Her performance in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s critically acclaimed film “Half of a Yellow Sun” will never be quickly forgotten. In addition, she has appeared in supporting parts in a number of other films, including To Love an Angel, Government House, Chain Reaction, Conspiracy, and Different World.
Onyeka is a musician who has promoted our culture through her music and its everlasting teachings.
Her duet with King Sunny Ade, “Wait for Me,” has endured to this day and will always be remembered as a song with a profound lyrical message that was composed to assist the government of the time in controlling the population explosion with various family planning initiatives while also fighting hard against its outburst.
In spite of poverty, widowhood, rape, neglect, hatred, humiliation, abandonment, etc., her song “African woman” immensely aided in showcasing the inherent beauty of African women, giving them a sense of dignity and belonging.
Her timeless masterpiece, Sodom and Gomorrah, is a biblical account of the well-known tale of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, which God destroyed because of its high degree of immorality and carelessness.
Iyogogo, One Love, Dancing in the Sun, Choices, and other timeless songs are in her repertoire.
Today, one is compelled to compare the music of those days to what is accessible now and then conclude that it is a wild goose hunt, heightening one’s comparison. Her songs, which are often aired by various broadcasting stations, focus on many of the events in our society. In the late age, music served as a potent medium for instruction and communication. It is undeniable that certain members of the current age are making every effort to keep up with these traditions, but many of them will probably be removed from the shelves in a few years.
Onyeka Onwenu is deserving of all the praise she receives from everyone she has impacted worldwide. Many women of various ages and ethnicities have found inspiration in you, Mama Onyeka Onwenu. May your grace continue to shine like the bright star you are.
