Not many people know that Chika Chukwu is a woman of many parts. A TV presenter, songstress, PR practitioner and actress, she says that the journey to stardom did not come as a walk in the park. After several attempts, the ‘Jumoke’ character in popular TV sitcom, Fuji House of Commotion, says that she is set to release her debut album. This is also coming on the heels of her appearance in two big screen productions. She talks to OVWE MEDEME about music, movies and other personal issues.
YOU appear to have been absent from the scene. Is it that the roles are no longer coming?
I wasn’t away. Those who do TV realised I stayed on TV because I had a show I was presenting on Superscreen TV, which eventually I started producing by myself. It was called Soul 2 Soul. Then, I was also doing Fuji House of Commotion and doing backup for Eedris Abdulkareem. So I was also on the road a lot. When I went to college in England and then University, I stuck with Fuji House of Commotion. Presently, I am trying to finish my album and get my videos out there. Hopefully by the end of the month, I will put my singles and my videos out. I have also been doing PR on the side. I tend to do my little pots of stuff. Right now, I am working on the premiere of a film called the Dream Walker. It is my little premiere push for now.
A lot of people don’t know you as a musician. How did it start for you?
I actually started out doing soundtracks. After doing that for a while, I started getting movie roles which was quite lucky for me. It just kicked off from there. I did my first individual soundtrack for Jetta Amata for a movie called Tears of a Woman. For his new film, Black November, I also did soundtracks. Going back, there was a time I used to sing with Eedris Abdulkareem. We did songs like Player Meji, Life in Yankee and a host of others. I also sang with the late Sammie Needle and his band. At certain point, I figured that I love music and I had just finished doing Peace Anyiam-Osigwe’s GRA Women, which is a soap opera. I then decided to go ahead and pursue my music career.
What are your influences when it comes to music?
If you read online, people have their own ideas about my music. They tend to think that it is a battle of voices. For instance the song Rocking My Freedom was one I did with a lot of influences. It wasn’t about the voice for me where that song is concerned. It was about just expressing myself, being happy and rocking my freedom. It is a bit of an 80s pop rock. So if you did listen to Cydi Lauper’s Girls Who Want To Have Fun and you liked it, then you would like Rocking My Freedom. My influence for the song Beautiful is Indie Aire. A few years back, while I was schooling in London, Indie Aire released an album and it was phenomenal. In it, she had a song called Good Man. I have shot a few videos anyway. I have another one called Music from the Soul. I shot the video for Rocking My Freedom and Music from the Soul in New York last year and so far, that is what I have been doing.
Most of your influences are foreigners. Are you not concerned about acceptance?
I have a song I am doing and my influence for it is Onyeka Onwenu because I love her. She symbolises everything strong about a woman. She is one of those people who are evergreen. Every time I see her, I hope I have as much strength as she does. As artistes, I think we shouldn’t worry about who accepts or who does not accept our works. Music is universal. It shouldn’t be about the country where you come from or where you live. It should just be about communicating and I think every kind of music finds a way to its audience. It shouldn’t be about your nationality. I think we should all seek to be free as artistes in order to bring out what we believe in.
What is the album titled?
Right now I just have the singles but the album itself is titled Live Leap Love. I think that is what we should be doing as individuals. We spend too much time worrying where to go, where not to go, what to expect, what not to expect while the moment we are living in is passing by. People who we see today die tomorrow. We waste too much time thinking as individuals. Live where you are as best as you can. If you are struggling, allow yourself struggle and come out of it. We tend to think that life is a mystery for us to solve but it is not. It is journey which we should take on and you go through it and keep moving till you get to the end of where it is for you.
Eedris has a reputation for being aggressive. Did you experience any of that while working with him?
I keep saying that I never met that with Eedris and people think I’m lying. In fairness to Eedris, he deserves that correction to be made to the public. If anybody was watching when 50 Cent came to Nigeria for the second time, on stage, it was clear that both of them had never met physically. It was just an exchange of words and 50 Cent acknowledged it in front of the crowd and they shook hands. For the records, and I say this with utmost respect, Eedris has never ever been violent to me in any way. In all fairness, if I had an elder brother, it would be Eedris. He was protective, supportive, and pushed me hard in terms of work. Don’t just take my words for it, ask Timaya. He worked with Eedris too at that point in time. Never did he approach me or try to intimidate me sexually.
How about on the movie scene, were you ever harassed?
It never happened. I would not brush away the idea that there are people who have gone through it. But I have been blessed. I don’t take it for granted, but I have never had those issues. For me, getting roles has always been about my ability to deliver. I am thankful for it, because I can’t imagine what life is like when that is the option put on the table for you in order for you to earn a living. It hasn’t happened to me. And hopefully, it never will.
Given that option in a make-or-mar situation, what would have been your move?
Sincerely, I am an older person now and I don’t know what it would have been. Looking back at the kind of young woman I was, and I am quite strong headed if you ask anybody. I can’t say what I would have or would not have done. I think it is also about the way you enter the industry. I didn’t come in expecting to become big overnight. A year passed that I didn’t do anything.
Would you agree that Fuji House of Commotion is what made you who you are today?
Yes and no. I say that in the sense that, I haven’t shot Fuji House of Commotion in a while now and the last time they were actually in camp for a shoot, I was in America. You get to a point where you want to delve into other things, but once you are a Fuji House child, you are always a Fuji House child. I don’t think anybody would take away the fact that I am Jumoke. I still do answer the name. The fact that people presume that I am as young as Jumoke is the greatest gift I can get from that character.
Would it be right to assume that your absence from the industry was also because the competition became too stiff?
Do I look like am afraid of competition? It has nothing to do with that. My personal life is my personal life, and it is left to me to decide what to do with it. At the point in time when I started out in the industry, when it dawned on my mother that this is what I wanted to do, she was quite furious. Without a doubt, I am sure you would understand if you look back then. Not a lot of artistes were respected. They were seen as jokers. There was a time I got sent away for home. I worked to make sure that what I represent, in terms of what I do for a living, is respected. At some point, my mother saw reason with me and she asked me to take time out to go to school and come back to face what I wanted to do. My parents wanted to provide me with an education. I didn’t see anything wrong in it. I took the opportunity and I think it has paid off.
How did you cope without encouragement from family?
Like I said, I have always been a strong headed woman. I don’t think I blamed anybody then. At some point, my mother thought it was a passing phase but it made me stronger and a bit more determined. She made sure that whatever it was would not be something that would end up disappointing my family. It turned out all for the best. Today, my mother is a biggest fan and critic.
The roles you have been playing of recent have been different. Is that a deliberate thing?
It is not so much a transition. It is more of the fallout of working for different directors which I am elated to do. It feels good to be back on the screen again. The character I played in phone swap – this outspoken, Lagos hybrid ‘waffi’ chick who thinks she is hybrid. I worked with the lead character, Nse Ikpe Etim. She is a loud character. For the meeting, I played an older woman from the East. I say that for everybody who was a part of that production, it is phenomenal. The same thing applies to Phone Swap. I had an amazing time on both sets.
You never talked about your dad. Why is that?
I am sure if you were talking with my immediate younger sister, she would call my father a number of times, but my mother and I are friends. That is probably why. Maybe I don’t talk about him often because my father never really had an objection to what I chose. To him, it was fine to do something for a living, so long as you are not stealing, you are not standing on the streets. That was his attitude to my career.
Is Chika married?
I tend to want to keep those kinds of things out of my business; but no, I am not. Marriage is a fabulous thing. I know because some of my younger siblings are married and two of them have kids. Let’s just say right now, I am happy to be Chika.
Is it right to say that your career path is coming in the way of marriage?
I don’t think so. That would depend on what clause or shelf you decide to place it. I do know that most females tend to get worried about what they would do when they get married, like what they are doing now is not a job. If it is, it is not to my knowledge.
Would you marry an artiste?
Yes I would. The truth of the matter is, I think for a lot of reasons we all get it slightly twisted. When you are looking for a partner, you are looking for your friend, a support system, a lover, somebody who without a doubt will follow you through fire and water. Does that mean that there would be no down days? No. The reality of it is that some people think that when some of the blues go away, it means that the relationship is dead. Some of us don’t really try hard enough. Some of us try, but if one person is trying, it wouldn’t work. Celebrity marriages are not the first to crash. Marriages crash everyday but people just talk about the ones who are artistes just because we are public people.
