Bold and expressive musician Nikki Laoye is surely not a run-of-the-mill talent. And in this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, the nightingale talks about her desire to be at her best in 2015 to achieve great success with her music, marriage and charity foundation
IT’S the beginning of the year. What are up to? I just released a brand new video, African Dance. This is a collaboration between myself and my brother Xbliss. It is a beautiful song which actually is a matchup of all the popular African dances you can think of; Alanta, Galala, everything.
What we wanted to do with this song was to actually celebrate the beauty of the modern contemporary African dance and at the same time we also wanted to promote the fact that at this point in time, among all tribes and culture, we need to be more unified. The video actually showcases everybody in different attires. We have different outfits from different tribes while depicting all these dances just to ensure that we are promoting unity and national integration.
You are not the regular gospel artiste because every now and then you romance secular artistes. How would you describe yourself?
I just like people to call me a musician. I’m just an artiste. I don’t know why they always see the need to label people. I’m a musician that is just very particular about my messages. What are my messages? I want to talk about God, I want to talk about love and I want to talk about life. Those are the three major things that Nikky Laoye talks about. And I did that with the new album I just released called The 123 Project.
The chapter one is God, chapter two is love, chapter three is life. And I have songs under each chapter that depict these different things that I’m talking about. We are all human beings as much as we have our moments of faith; we have our moments of love where we are dealing with relationship either with people or our loved ones. Then we have our moments of life when we are going through situations of life. We need songs to fill those moments.
Are you saying you are not comfortable being called a gospel artiste?
The truth is that even though I would say I’m comfortable being called a gospel artiste, when I now release a love song tomorrow, some Christian now gets offended. But the truth is, from the very beginning of my career in 2005, I came out telling people I’m an urban contemporary Christian artiste. I’m a Christian but I do other contemporary music. Meaning, I would talk about my faith and I would still talk about other things as well. And that has always been from my very first album, Angel for Life. I always had different songs. I had Jeremiah Gyang and I did a love song called Someone to Love. I did a song with my brother called Whatever it Takes. Those are love songs. I’ve always been doing this from my very first album.
Let’s talk about 2014 in retrospect. How was last year for you?
2014 was an amazing year for me. I got five awards last year. There was Best Worship Song by Cystal Awards for Only You. There was Best Female African Artiste by African Gospel Music Award in the UK. I actually went to London to receive that one. There was Afrima Awards for Best Female in Africa Inspirational Music. At the same time, I received a Special Recognition Award as a Humanitarian, Ambassador of Charity Award. And then I got the Best Pop Rock for Alternative Video for Only You at the Nigeria Music Video Awards (NMVA).
How true is it that the Nigerian music industry is not a female-friendly industry?
You will have to blame this on the show promoters. The truth is that, for a while now, I have been doing crossover music. And my management and I are working hard to let people see that this kind of music is also needed at concerts and events. But I’m even blessed because last year alone, I performed at the Headies.
I opened up with Cynthia Morgan at the Headies last year. At the same time I performed at Rhythm Unplugged. I was called for these shows, which means somebody is taking note; somebody is noting that my music can actually fit into these events. And that’s what we are talking about. I’m an amazing performer. I have stage craft. I have dancers. So there is never a dull moment with Nikky Laoye.
What are things in the pipeline for you this year?
For me, this album is actually a compilation of all the songs I’ve released over the years. I added like four, five new songs on it. I’m working on my next album. Right now, I’m already working on new songs. I’m working on so many love songs. I’m even looking forward at doing a love album. I’m looking forward to doing so many great things this year – work with my friend Nioyola. We already did a song in my album with DJ Jimmy Jatt called Thank You. I’m trying to work with so many other artistes.
Who are the guys you are looking forward to working with?
So many of them. I’m looking forward to working with someone like a Banky W, Dbanj, Patoranking (and) a lot like that.
What is your love life like?
Oh, my love life is going amazing. I’ve been married for three years. I’ve been married to my best friend; I’m telling you he’s simply amazing. He stands by me. He’s on my management team as well. We do a lot together. He keeps my head together. Let me put it that way; because I can go crazy. Sometimes I will be like ‘babe help me now, handle this, handle that.’ I’m happy to have him with me.
What was the attraction?
Number one, he’s a fine boy. I’m a sucker for fine boys. I’m sorry. I like being with cute guys. So, my husband, he’s very cute. And at the same time, he has a very strong personality. He keeps to time. You know, you look for the things you don’t have. So he actually complements me.
What’s the most important thing to consider before one says ‘I do’?
Priority, he must be your best friend. I can never say enough of that because the truth is, you will have crazy issues. I’ve been married for three years and my husband and I know the issues we’ve had. You will have crazy issues but (because of) the fact that you guys are each other’s best friends, you solve them faster. My husband and I are so close. We are gisting partners. So much that when we even fight, it’s hard to fight because we have gist (and) we can’t share it. After a while you are like, ‘abeg lets settle this thing, let’s talk.’ It is easier when it’s someone you can’t do without, I mean, if he’s your gisting partner, your confidant. That’s what you should watch out for. That’s the most important thing.
What do you think of the Nigerian music industry right now?
My only issue with the Nigeria music industry right now is, I think a lot of Nigerian artistes are not watching their lyrics anymore. And it’s getting too much. When you have it once in a while it’s sounds okay but when every song you’re hearing, everybody is talking about booty, talking about girls and I’m like, ‘you guys, there is so much going on in the world that we need to talk about.’ You can do it in a party format. It doesn’t have to be a slow song. I study a lot of international artistes.
I study their music, their writing pattern. And it’s very important because we are supposed to be a voice. Music is a major form of communication and people need to remember that. Everything should (not) be about party. Life is not such a big party after all. People will go home and they are dealing with situation on their job, situation with their family. At the end of the day, it might actually be your song that will help turn someone’s life around, you never know. I have a friend who once said to me that she was actually trying to make someone’s wedding cake and she didn’t have ideas and that she just went to pick up my latest single Only You and she just slotted it in and as the music was playing, ideas started coming.
When she finished baking the cake, she snapped the cake and sent it to me and said, ‘Nikky, see what I baked while listening to your song.’ It was a fantastic cake. She was like, ‘your song gave me inspiration.’ I didn’t know what to do.
How do you get inspiration yourself?
I get inspired by, I think, my own experience. I get inspired by love that God gave to me. The way I look at my family, the way we are all surviving, it actually inspires me and makes me want to say thank you Lord. I get inspired when I’m going through a situation and I struggle not to give up. I actually wrote a song, Can’t Hold Me Down. Situation of things around me actually inspires me. And then, people’s stories, people’s experiences also inspire me.
What is your New Year resolution?
To be the baddest Nikky Laoye everyone has ever known (laughs) in my music, in my Foundation.
What is your Foundation about?
I work with people with disability – physically challenged and visually impaired youths. We are practically building a project to ensure that their education is put in place, their social development. I mentor and counsel these youths.
This election is around the corner, what are your thoughts?
I am supporting whoever will make Nigeria a better place. We need the right leader whose major concern is how to make Nigeria a better place. I personally don’t like the funny banters the parties are throwing at each other. Nigerians want to know what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. That’s what is more important to Nigerians right now.
So, for me, I’m praying and my pastor has actually let me know one particular scripture and I’m praying the scripture seriously. He actually said, ‘we pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We pray for the peace of Nigeria that may it go well for the people that love thee.’ And what does that mean? It means, it will not be well for those that do not love Nigeria.
You are one of committee members that planned the Kefee memorial concert…
I’m actually very excited to be a member of the committee for the memorial concert because it is very important that we keep her memory alive. This is someone that made great impact in the Nigerian music industry – both on the gospel side and contemporary music as well. So it’s very important that we keep her memory alive, keep her music alive.
Did you have a personal relationship with her before her demise?
Yes, we were friends, very close friends. She married my friend, Teddy. So, that made us even closer.
Who are you favourite Nollywood actors?
