Over the years, the Nigerian music scene has witnessed the emergence of divas who have held sway over the stage and remained relevant part of our musical lives. Stella Monye came on stage in 1984 when singing and being a female professional musician was almost like a cultural taboo. But like the teenage sensation that she was, her music wormed itself into the hearts of the Nigerian populace and went even beyond the shores.. With positive engagements by the Nigerian government, Stella became a musical ambassador for Nigeria, representing the country in many climes. She recalls the consternation on her parents faces when she told them at 14, she was going to makeher first appearance on television. And she did, on the Art Alade Show. So, come next Sunday, Stella Monye will celebrate her 30th years on stage along with the Nigerian government, the international music community, corporate organisations and the music industry. She will be lavishly hosted with songs, dance and merry making. PAUL UKPABIO spoke to her as she approaches this land mark celebration. With few days to go to Stella’s great celebration, the ‘Samba Queen’ as she is popularly known, was all about the place with her team, trying to ensure that preparations were in top gear. The interview was slated for Stella’s studio in the outskirts of the city of Lagos. But just an hour to the appointment, Stella informed us that we should rather meet at The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. By the time we got there, Stella was in a wheel chair, heading for the ward with loads of medication by her side. The Samba Queen’s blood sugar had risen to an all-time high and the doctors were perplexed that she had not collapsed hours earlier! Infuriated that Stella still had the nerve to drive herself to the hospital, the nurses administered on her various medications, including that which would make her drowsy and off to a goodnight sleep, compelling her to rest for a few days before her show. But the Samba Queen waved away their panic, as she hosted friends, some of who flew into the country for her up coming show, right there by her hospital bedside. And of course, she insisted that the interview must be taken as she couldn’t guarantee another time for it afterwards. Excerpts:
In a few days time, you’ll be celebrating your 30 years on the musical stage, how do you feel?
It is a joyful thing. It is a time for reflection. Some people never live to see any of their anniversaries to celebrate, but here I am, I have been able to get to that point where people are saying that Stella, we have to celebrate you, because you have done so much. I am grateful to God and I look forward to the grand show, which will take place at the Bespoke Centre, right in front of House on the Rock, Lekki, Ajah Expressway.
What should we be expecting at the celebration?
There is going to be lots of highlife music, the best of Stella Monye’s album! A lot of groups, musical groups are doing different versions of my various works. The Steel band is doing their own. Disc Jockeys are doing their own version. The new generation artistes are doing their own version. Yinka Davies is doing the jazz version. So we have different versions of my songs that will all be unveiled that day.
I have been inundated severally over the last weeks by friends here and abroad. Who want to be a part of the event. People are coming from overseas. Of course, when the idea was brought to me, I wanted to bring Boney M, the biggest black group to Nigeria, to witness this great upcoming event. But we had issues of logistics, there are five of them in the group, so we needed five tickets, top accommodation, and all that. Luckily for us, they did not charge us anything. But even then, we didn’t get a corporate organisation to sponsor that, I mean to pick up the bill. But on that day, I will be doing a special choreograph dance with Jeffery Daniels of Shalamar fame. Jeffery is in town. I’m excited because, its going to be great. We are also expecting a female new generation artiste from Kenya.
Can you look back at those years again?
Yes, looking back, I see the the good, the bad and the ugly; all the ups and downs, all the fame, all the open doors, it had its pros and con, all these has eventually made me what I am today.
How did it start for you?
It started from school, though for some other people, it started from church choir. The traces just started showing in my case while I was in secondary school. I was in the literary and debating society then. I was in dramatic society too. I was shuttling between the two. When my friends see me at the literary and debating society, they told me, go to the dramatic society. They said that it was there I belonged. I liked the literary and debating society because I loved to argue. That was one of the reasons that my father wanted me to be a lawyer. I never became one though. One day I returned home from school and I did a song and then everyone was telling me that the song was lovely. Before I knew it, I was being encouraged to take it to a recording company. I was stunned and did not really understand it. However, I took it reluctantly to EMI, the then known recording company. I dropped it with them and forgot about it entirely.
But then, one day I came back home from school to find that a letter was waiting for me at the house, the content of which was that my demo song was chosen as the best at the constituted musical panel at the company. They requested that I should come and sign a contract with them. That was it. It was as straight forward as that. So I went to EMI still puzzled at what they meant by a contract. I signed the contract to produce an album with the company. That was how Oko mi ye came out and it was an immediate blast. It went on to be a platinum in 1984.
How was the feeling like for you, becoming a star with a hit song at that time?
It was a shock, I used to stop and wonder out loud. I could not imagine that I could sing a song that could become so popular that people were playing it and singing everywhere. It was regular on radio and virtually everywhere. It was nice.
Did it go into your head?
No it didn’t, stardom did not change me because I was still living with my parents even when I was the music rave . I was everywhere, going out to entertain and taking interviews. My parents were somewhat worried that, ‘Is this the life you want to live?’ But then, I must say that they understood somehow.
Who were your music contemporaries then?
A lot of us were on the scene then. I can recall that Kris Okotie was on the scene. Jide Obi was there too. Onyeka Onwenu was there. So also was the Late Christie Essien Igbokwe as well as Funmi Adams, Dora Ifudu and Martha Olaeto. We were meeting at different concerts, music then was very interesting, the lyrics were positive and influencing the people and society. These days, the lyrics are not worth holding unto, all they say now is shake your bum bum, pop your boobs. Show your ass. I was lucky, as soon as I record an album, before you know it, a particular song there becomes a hit and you find out that it is what is played everywhere, just like it happened with Ife and Kilode. Meanwhile, there were other songs therein those same albums. So I can say that, I recorded lots of songs.
So how are musicians in the country making it now?
I’m puzzled, but I know that we are all digressing into other things. In 2008 for instance, I went into making shirts and tie for the working class from African fabrics. I called it ‘Samba Wears’. I also started a perfume line called ‘Stella’. The fragrance is being re-packaged and produced in France. So some musicians are persistent to their calling. And some of the new generation artistes are carting away all the money. We did all the work, while they are carting away the money now.
What is their own magic wand?
There is no magic wand whatever, it is just the trend. The corporate bodies have decided to favour them more than us. The branding is where the money is now, it’s either you get branded or you do huge concerts or face Alaba. Though I hear that Alaba boys buy the tape off you, but I still think that it is a rip off because after buying your tape, he can take it to anywhere in the world and make any amount of money he likes with it. It is like selling out your soul. It is ridiculous.
As a woman who has strived in the music industry, how easy would you say it is for a woman to survive in there?
It depends on the woman’s focus, how determine she is, her state of mind and her nature. That’s because whatever she does or aspires to become depends on the individual, it has nothing to do with the gender.
How about sexual harassment in the industry?
Oh, that one is everywhere, it is in all the professions, someone will harass you sexually. It is not peculiar to music. A woman has to handle that too in the best way that she can handle it. You have to be diplomatic.
Do women in the music industry take after drugs like their male counterpart?
In this part of the world, that is not common. But it is not as if it is not there, but it is not common. It is not necessary that a musician whether male or female should get high before performance anyway, but again, people get high differently. You can get high without even taking anything. Some people drink alcohol before getting on stage because they think that will stop them from being shy because some people are actually shy. But I don’t think it is a must.
What makes you go high when you want to get on stage?
It’s like asking a soldier what inspires him when he wants to go and shoot. He is a soldier, he knows he is a soldier, so he has to shoot somebody. Once it’s time for me to get on stage, I key in. it’s my job. I ask myself, will I be able to put smiles on the faces of these people in the audience? I study the psychology of the audience. I know I must move them from their seats or it means I have failed.
You work with a band, how easy is that?
Your ability to work with a band shows that you are matured in the music business. It shows professionalism and shows that you are truly talented. If not, you can’t work with a band. It is not easy to sing with a band, it takes a whole lot of expertise. I work best with a band and on stage. I have had a band since 1990, the band is always there for me, but these days, we act more professionally, we gather when there’s work to be done.
Can you share some of your glorious moments with us?
I have done a lot of work for Nigeria, instead of me to get angry that Nigeria is not rewarding me, I think it’s better to say thank you to Nigeria because those experiences I gathered travelling around the world to represent my country, just being an ambassador for my country, are the most glorious moments I’ve had. The way professionals are treated out there is wonderful, and I enjoyed it all. I’ve enjoyed the ambience of the best and best in my job and I think that has been a beautiful experience. I have been lucky to have been in all the national musical engagements too. I was at Abuja at 30, I was at Nigeria 99. I was at COJA, while at the University of Lagos Centre for Cultural Studies before I went to University of Ife for a degree in Theatre Arts, I acted Oya in the play Sango Olukoso which was presented at the Horizonte World Festival of Arts in Berlin, Germany. The play later toured many European countries including Switzerland and The Netherlands.
I was also at the all African Universities Sports Festival in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire, to sing the Nigerian national anthem besides the University of Lagos team. In 1999 I was part of the team that produced and presented the theme song for the Coca-cola World Junior Football Championship in Nigeria. I also remember during the early years of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), I did produce jingles, wrote and recorded several songs that promoted the objectives of the commission. I was at a lot of other things like that. My career has been full of national and international assignments for the country. It has been a rare opportunity.
What has been your relationship with other musicians?
Funny enough, I have been getting along with everybody satisfactorily, from the older generation to the newer generation, I get along with everybody despite the various divisions that have characterised the musicians’ body. I was with Ara and Kenny Saint Brown the other day, it was most wonderful. When I see Omawunmi or Kefee anywhere, it is ‘Oh my sister!’ When I come across Waje, she kneels down to greet me, it’s wonderful. That is also probably because, when it comes to issues of politics within the musician’s body, I never get involved.
Regrets?
I don’t have any. Why? What for? All the experiences that I have had, good, bad, ugly, all make up for the life that I am spending. All the things I have gone through make me. So I look back and it gives me the courage to tell some other person that I have been there, and I have been here too. I can tell you with authority when you ask me, that some things will go this way, if you do them and some things will go that way when you do them. That is the beauty of life.
What does the future hold for you?
It’s definitely going to get better. I am optimistic because music is becoming more dynamic. I am happy that gradually, the younger generation are going back to play our kind of music, old wine inside new bottle. They have realised that they have to do what we did to move forward. It’s beautiful and the public is accepting it.
Still looking sprite, just the way the public used to know you many years back. How do you keep fit?
Nothing, though I know that I am very energetic but I do not know where the energy comes from. I bubble with life, I move around a lot. I’m supposed to be sleeping right now, but I am talking, that’s the way it is. It is nature I guess, my mother must have been a Fulani descendant because she looked more like the Fulanis. I used to tease her that ‘Are you sure that your mother did not go and do a Fulani man?’ (laughs). Even my grand ma looked like a Fulani woman. So we have that trait which keeps us looking fit.
Do you look forward to retiring someday soon from professional engagements?
(Laughs) Mariam Makeba died on stage, I’m still bubbling with life. I’m just starting, I’ve not done anything yet. After all, Madonna is still singing; Mary J Blige is still singing; Tina Turner is still on stage. If Whitney Houston didn’t die, she’ll still be singing, these are inspiring female singers that relate to me. As long as I am fit to get on that stage, the music continues…
What next after this celebration?
Hmm, we are having a stage players concert which will grow into a bigger thing. It is meant to bring the icons and the new generation together in a happy celebration. I thank my fans who have kept me going over these years.
