Sonorous voice singer, Imelda Ada Okwori popularly known
as Imelda J, who was once romantically linked with the Governor of Benue
State, Gabriel Suswan is one of the hottest Afro pop singers in
Nigeria. She came into the industry some years back. With several
singles to her credit, Imelda has carved a niche for herself in the
country’s music scene. In this interview, she opens up on her alleged
romance with ex-Kennis music star, Jaywon and how she’s ready to give
all in order to go nestling with the Koko master, D’banj. She also talks
about her collboration with Fuji king, Obesere.
WHAT are you working on at the moment?
I just released my new song titled “Jisoro.” It’s making waves
online but we are yet to commence the full promotion of the single. You
may want to know what inspired the song? I didn’t want to release my
music the way everyone does. I feel people are bored with that trend. I
feel I should speak directly to my fans through my new song, and then
give them a feel of my music. There’s so much that gets between the
music, the artist and the fans. This is straight from me to my fans.
How did you begin your journey into the world of music?
It started while I was in the university. I was the choir mistress
during my secondary school days. I entered for many competitions and won
laurels. When I got admission into the university, I tried to visit
the studio. I was with Nelson Brown I went to the studio for the first
time in Lagos. That was some six years ago when I was still an
undergraduate.
Why did you venture into music?
Unlike other singers who started from their church choristers, music
runs in my family. My mum was into music. She had a musical group while
she was in secondary school. When I was growing up, she saw the talent
in me and helped me to nurture it. But unknown to many, I started
singing before I joined the choir.
How many songs have you done so far?
I have done several singles. I could call it an album because I didn’t
release it to the global market. For now, I have a single titled, ‘My
Love for You’ featuring OJB Jezreel,which gave me my first international
award. I have also worked with K-Solo, Side One, Jaywon, Phenom among
others. My latest single is ‘Jisoro.’ The video will soon hit the
market.
Do you still refer yourself as an up and coming female singer?
I am still an up and coming singer. That I have been in the industry
for six years now and won several awards does not make me a big star.
But I have moved on. I am not where I was then.
Aside music, what else do you do for a living?
I love anything business. I’m currently investing in so many things
that I wouldn’t want to talk about now. When everything is set, you will
know what it is.
How is your relationship with Jaywon like, after it was rumoured that you were having an affair with him?
I didn’t have any problem initially with Jaywon until mouth started
wagging that we were dating. People around me started misbehaving and
Jaywon started saying all kinds of things, confirming that he was having
an affair with me. But its maturity that matters here .
Jaywon and I were not friends. We were like normal day to day friends
but people didn’t understand and when the rumour surfaced, his crew
handled it in a very poor and immature way. Their reactions were
negative as they went about writing so many things about me. I felt bad
but at the end, I just let go and I’ve forgiven them from the bottom of
my heart.
How do you combine your music with your private life?
That is my personal life. I don’t like sharing it with the public
because if you want to have peace, keep that away from the public
domain. When it’s time for the public to know, they will know.
Every singer seems to be exploring the theme of sexuality to promote their brands. What’s your own strong point in music?
For me, I think it depends on the kind of song I am doing. For
instance, if my song is going to preach peace and unity, I don’t need to
expose my body. Also, if my song is talking about inspiration, I don’t
need to go wild as well. But I think every video should interpret what
the song is talking about. If my song is talking about dancing and
clubbing then I have to give it what it deserves and that is
entertainment. But the only thing I won’t do is the video vixen which
has to do with showing my boobs and other part of my body.
What is the most touching experience of your life?
I’ve had so many touching experiences, and someday I will share my
story with the world . This is because I’ve seen a whole lots of things
in my life. Being an artiste, you are faced with a situation where you
cannot help and not even your money. When I wanted to release my song
title “Bread and Butter”, I was scammed to sign an agreement with a
company which later turned out to be fraud and that actually discouraged
me then from releasing the song. So as a female artiste, we face a lot
of challenges everyday because I can’t even remember my most touching
experience anymore because I have had a lot of it and it’s like an
everyday thing for me. But for one thing, I never give up.
What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done in your career?
I think that was when I used my first school fees to buy a keyboard
and that was during my university days. Funny enough, my dad didn’t get
angry at me. According to him, he knew I was going to do that. That is
the craziest thing I’ve ever done.
Are you planning to do collaboration with the A-list artistes?
Actually, I just did collaboration with Obesere because I feel like
delving into Fuji music. Aside working with Obesere, I have also
recorded a lot of songs with popular artistes which are yet to hit the
airwaves. But very soon, I will be dropping my song with Obesere.
How would you describe Obesere as a Fuji artiste?
Obesere is a gentleman, cool and one of the good souls I have ever
come across in the industry. Another thing is that he is the kind of
person I actually look forward to working with because he is legend one
can mix his or her fusion with to bring out something very unique.
Is there any man in your life presently?
It’s personal, whether there is or not, I don’t like discussing my
private life. Sometimes, when you are in a relationship and you make it
public, they help you ruin it . So, its better you keep that part of you
to yourself.
Who is your male celebrity crush?
The only male celebrity I have a crush on is D’banj. Reason being
that I love him and because he is very focus. D’banj is a superstar who
looks beyond the music industry. He dares even when it might fail and
those are the qualities that attracted him to me including his lips. I
think he’s a spirit-filled kind of person like me. I don’t mind having a
relationship with him.
What kind of man would you like to spend the rest of your life with?
I love freedom and being happy. I don’t like someone who is
domineering. For instance, if you are the kind of man that wants to go
out and play snookers or football. As long as it is going to give you
happiness and it’s not going to cause you any harm, I have no reason to
stop you. Equally, if you know my music is my source of joy, my man
should be able to support me financially and otherwise. He should be
there for me. If he’s not well-to-do, I know he does not have but if he
does, I know he should be there for me. If I want to go to the studio
and the man is not allowing me, he is not my kind of man.
What does sex mean to you?
To me, sex is highly spiritual because if I don’t love someone I
cannot kiss the person. But something happened sometimes ago when a male
fan kissed me on stage. I believe sex is more divine than the way
people see it. I respect sex a lot and I think it should be sacred.
Source: Vanguard
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