Monica Ene Ogah is a Nigerian singer, the 2011 winner of the fourth edition of MTN Project Fame West Africa. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, the Benue-born singer opens up on her experience with Project Fame and other memorable moments
Tell us about your experience as a Project Fame alumnus
As expected, life for me was no longer the same after Project Fame. A lot changed. I mean suddenly; everything around me needed my attention at the same time. I started getting calls from people I didn’t even know. I literally couldn’t drink water and drop the cup in peace without being reminded of my new status and the need to keep up with expectations. The changes were all too sudden and could have been overwhelming had I not quickly adjusted. Thanks to the caring support of the people I had around me at the time.
How did this experience influence your life and career?
In the simplest terms, I would say the Project Fame experience was a bakery. I went in raw and unprepared but came out baked and equipped to take on frontiers. Project Fame gave me the much needed platform to sell the brand called me, and to glitter among the stars.
What are some of the memorable moments in your life and your career?
One of the most memorable days in my life was the day I was announced winner of the MTN Project Fame. Looking back also, I would say that being nominated for the 2014 Headies as best female vocalist was another remarkable period in my life and career in music. The nomination was an indicator that I was headed for the top. It was really reassuring.
What was the first job you ever did?
My first major job was on the birthing of my album with Altima Studio.
What lessons did you learn from the Project Fame experience?
The experience was great and I learnt so much. I learnt courage, patience, hard-work and commitment. There I understood that these are all the pillars of lasting, meaningful success.
Who or what inspired you to go into music?
My mum. As a girl, I used to accompany her to choir rehearsals. It was always a thrill sitting by and watching her sing and conduct the choir. My biggest dream at the time was to be a choir leader when I grow up.
Tell us about other current or future projects you are working on
I must say that I have being extra busy lately. I am currently working on my debut gospel album which will be out by the end of this year.
What are some of the challenges you have experienced in your career so far, and how have you been able to overcome them?
Acceptance is key to whatever you are selling. Same applies to music. You need extra push to sail through in the male-dominated industry like ours. As a lady, your talent and gift don’t really count as much when it comes to becoming and staying relevant in our entertainment clime. To get to the top and sustain your spot, you have to have a huge dose of drive, focus, resilience and positive energy.
How do you relax when you are not working?
I am an indoor person. I mostly play soccer PS4 with friends. Other times, I go play football with my area guys.
Who are some of the people you look up to?
I learn every day, and from almost everybody of worth. God is, however, my single, biggest guide and hope. He’s the only one who’s always got my back, and has never, and will assuredly never fail me, because He neither sleeps nor slumbers.
What advice do have for the young ones who aspire to be like you?
My advice to young people who would like to be like me is that they should take time to know and accept themselves. They must also be willing to move from failings to feats. This can only be possible if you sacrifice a lot today for a better tomorrow.
One other important thing to do is that you must never compare yourself to anyone else. We all have different pathways to our different destinies. It is also very important to feed your strength, starve your weakness, and by all means, don’t compromise on your faith, values and principles.
Where do you hope to be in the next five years?
I hope to have touched and impacted millions of lives across the world through my music.
Tell us three fascinating things about you
The first is that rice is the only food I know. I enjoy eating any form of rice. It’s like an addiction.
Secondly, I am scared of the police. I literally palpitate whenever I see a policeman approach me. The third fascinating thing about me is that I prefer playing Ludo to having a bath.
Apart from music, what are some of the things you share in common with your mom?
My mom is an OAP. She’s the most loving, caring, funny, hospitable and outspoken person ever! There’s never a dull moment with mom. She goes from being a stranger to like being an old-time school bestie, the moment you meet her. I honestly don’t know how she does it but it’s one of the many things I admire about her.
We have a lot in common actually. Physically, I have my mom’s complexion and height too. Aside from that, we also sound alike. Then we enjoy taking care of other people. I don’t know if I inherited that from her or I was forced into taking care of other people. But I think it goes way back to when I was very much younger.
I am actually the last child of my parents and being a girl-child comes with extra icing on the cake. Everyone treats you specially; especially my mom. I grew up with my brothers and they had so many friends who were always around the house. My mom always made sure there was something for everyone to eat, no matter how late they stayed out. I remember crying so many nights when my mom would come to my room at night to wake me up just to warm food for my brothers and their friends. Trust me, it was totally frustrating at the time but I eventually got used to it and started doing it on my own. I got to love taking care of everyone around me, all thanks to my mom. Did I also mention that I’ll be featuring her on one of the songs on my album? Yes, that shows you how close we are.
If you could change something in the industry with a magic wand, what would it be?
The Nigerian entertainment industry has come a long way and I’d say it’s getting better by the day, especially the music industry. A lot of Nigerian artistes are actually taking over the centre stage on the international platform and making us proud. However, over the years there’s been a number of issues that seem to impede the desired growth of the creative industry. Issues like piracy, copyright and lack of government involvement in terms of funding and industry policy formulation etc. So, if I had a magic wand, it will be used to definitely formulate good policies that project and project the creative industry so that every artiste’s intellectual property is properly harnessed and managed.
What should your fans expect this year?
A lot actually. I’m on a new phase of my musical career. Let’s just say that I’ve taken time to rediscover myself and purpose, hence the rebranding. Right now, I’m working on a couple of projects with some people. I’m looking to have a concert in Benue State later this year and I’m also looking to do my album launch within the year too. It’s a big and busy year!
How would you assess the performance of women in the sector?
So far, so good! But definitely a work in progress.
What is your profession’s greatest challenge today?
For me, I would say that my profession’s greatest challenge today is staying original. You know originality breeds uniqueness and I think that is what creative industry should be all about. But in Nigeria, it’s very hard to penetrate the industry and game acceptance of you are not doing trend like everyone else is doing.
So if you’re not patient enough to keep working and improving on yourself, you might end up joining the bandwagon thereby losing that which makes you standout.
Did you ever feel like quitting at any point?
Everyone gets to that point in their lives where they feel like quitting. I mean, Nigeria music industry is a lot to deal with, believe me. And when you think about some of the challenges you face, in terms of giving all your best to make music and promoting it ultimately to gain acceptance, but at the end of the day it’s never enough. So, yes, I’ve definitely been there but then considering how far I’ve come, I just knew I couldn’t quit and that is why I am here today.
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