Sad to announce the death of the Prominent Nigerian singer, actress, media personality, and politician, Onyeka Owenu. This indeed is a sad news to many of her fans across Nigeria and beyond, who have followed her career, life and music over the years.
Born on January 17, 1952, Owenu reportedly died after performing at the birthday party of Stella Okoli on Tuesday evening.
Quoting an eyewitness report, she slumped after performing at the party and was rushed to the hospital where she was confirmed dead.
“It is very sad. Onyeka Onwenu just performed at the birthday of Mrs. Stella Okoli today, and after performing, she slumped. She was taken to Reddington Hospital and she couldn’t make it.”
Dubbed the “Elegant Stallion” by the Nigerian Press, this multitalented artist is a Singer/Songwriter, Actress, Social Critic and Politician. She worked for many years at the United Nations in New York before returning to Nigeria in 1980, where she completed her National Service, at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in Lagos. In under one year at the NTA, Onyeka made an impact as an articulate, incisive, and fearless Television Reporter.
In 1984, she wrote and presented the internationally acclaimed BBC/NTA documentary called “Nigeria, A Squandering of Riches”. It became the definitive film about corruption in Nigeria as well as the intractable Niger Delta agitation for resource control and campaign against environmental degradation in the oil-rich region of Nigeria.
But it was in 1981 that Onyeka took her first and mighty step towards music, with the release of her first album “Endless Life”, produced by Sunny Okosun. It was an instant success. Onyeka followed it up with “For the Love of You”, In the Morning Light, One Love, Dancing in the Sun, Onyeka, Greatest Love, My Everything God and most recently, “The Legend”. Also called the Queen of African Pop, Onyeka stands out as the only musician to have crossed Pop with Juju music and Highlife, seamlessly combining English and local languages to deliver “developmental” songs of great social value. In her “Dancing in the Sun” album is a duet with King Sunny Ade which was hailed for its innovativeness and freshness of idea. The reaction to “ Madawolohun (let them say)” was tremendous, Onyeka’s fans demanded for more. She responded with two more duets “Wait for Me” and “Choices”, written by Onyeka Onwenu and produced by Lemmy Jackson. Unlike Let Them Say which was a love song, Wait for Me and Choices carry strong social messages.
The themes were family planning, sex, and birth control – topics that were taboo in Nigerian Society but very important for a healthy and virile Nation. Onyeka continues to write and sing about such issues as Health (HIV/Aids), peace and mutual coexistence – respect for human rights. Her latest effort titled “Inspiration for Change” centers on the need for an attitudinal turn around in Nigeria.
As a Politician, Ms Onwenu has succeeded, through her persistence and perseverance, in drawing attention to corrupt practices at the Local Government.
Her eight-year quest to become the Chairman (Mayor) of her Local Government in Imo State Nigeria and subsequent efforts to stop her, by entrenched interests in Imo State who fear that her record of integrity and good work would expose them, have made the Local Government issue a national concern.
In recognition of her contributions to the Nigerian Entertainment Industry as well as her commitment to issues of national concern, Ms Onwenu has won numerous national and international awards.
She was bestowed with the “Nigerian Woman of Distinction” Award, at the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration, by the First Lady of Nigeria, Her Excellency Dame Patience Jonathan.
Onyeka Onwenu is also a recipient of the National Award – MFR(Member of the Federal Republic), given to her in 2003 by the former President of Nigeria, His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo as well as a National Council for Arts and Culture Awards, in recognition of her contributions to the field of Music and Cultural Administration in 2009.
Onwenu has featured in numerous Nollywood movies and in 2006 won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, In 2014, she was in the movie Half of a Yellow Sun with Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Credit Paul Ukpabio & Global Excellence magazine
