10 MINUTES WITH MIKE OKRI

Mike Okri is one artiste whose loud presence in the Nigerian music scene positively impacted and turned-around the music stage in the 1990s and early 2000.  Albeit his relocation to the United States of America, his songs, most of which remain evergreen (e.g. Time Na Money, Omoge, Rhumba Dance, etc.) are still being enjoyed by old and young generations of Nigerians.

In a very brief interview with Splendid! Magazine he spoke about music, and his plan to establish a massive entertainment empire in Nigeria.

You departed Nigeria just when everyone was enjoying your music and looking forward to having more from you. You were doing well with you career. What informed your relocation?

Thank you for having me on this interview Vwede.

Nothing I could say particularly prompted my relocation. I could say I was spirit-driven to make that change and have no regrets.

What happened to your music? Did your relocation affect your music?

Nothing has changed about my music. What happened is that my being outside the shores has made me a better artist/musician. Though some could see it differently, having not been physically present. But remember, I was one of the pioneers who started what the young artists are doing today.

The only difference is that what they are selling now, lack depth and hold no brighter future for the industry. Hence, I could admit that the absence of the likes of me has affected the music of our golden dreams. That is why we must all come back to contribute our quota and/or start where we left off to build an evergreen bridge across a murky swampy cacophonous riffs and rhythms we parade as music in Nigeria these days. (No offence please. My opinion).

What has life been like outside Nigeria?

Life has been good with family and my desire for little gigs here and there. Not big time though, I just like globe-trotting if you ask me... (smiles). After all, I don't need to also worry about the fact that we don't have regular electricity, pipe borne water and even security in  Nigeria like we do in the U.S here... (giggles).

How would you rate the Nigeria music industry?

Like I said before, we need brace ourselves for tougher times ahead. We need more creativity to meet greater challenges and not just being mere copy-cats. We need to be originators of music that would last a lifetime. However, I duff my hat for a few young folks (producers and singers without mentioning names) who are working hard to preserve a true Nigerian music legacy.

What do you miss the most in Nigeria? Why?

At the moment I couldn't say I miss anything. I only believe that if my ways are ordered by God, He would direct my steps coming home to contribute my quota in his own due time. Truly, I’d be glad to want to come and add more spice and possibly choose a better musical path for our youths to tread and embrace.

Any advice for younger generation of Nigerian musicians?

My advice is that, anything that is worth doing, is worth doing well. If you as a youth is not cut out to be an artist, don't force your way doing it, only to miss your divine destiny. Besides, there's no short cut to anything. Get educated to better understand your bearing and also add value to yourself and what you do.

Looking back, if given another opportunity, what would you do differently.  Why?

Looking back? Looking back to where? Let me ask you, who can turn back the hand of a divine clock as ordained by God? Listen, what is done is done and cannot revert. Opportunities come and go. You can only give account of those within your grasp. You know what we all should be grateful for? That we are alive and still breathing to testify of what is to come. So to answer your question, as long as God still keeps me alive, I know I still have so much to give in the near future, musically...to God be the glory...(laughs).

Do you have intentions of permanently relocating to Nigeria? If yes, when?

Yes, I come home every year. So my desire is to come and establish an empire that will help build a formidable entertainment industry. It takes the divine favour and grace of the Almighty God and money and not just mere word. Thank you.... 

WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND

An Inspirational Story

By David Oserhumu Okeregbe

In 1892 at Stanford University.

An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.

They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.

Ignacy Paderewski

Herbert Hoover

The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque at the soonest possible.

“No,” said Paderewski. “This is not acceptable.” He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys: “Here’s the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left”. The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.
It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being.

Why should he help two people he did not even know? We all come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think “If I help them, what would happen to me?” The truly great people think, “If I don’t help them, what will happen to them?” They don’t do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it’s the right thing to do.

Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were more than 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them. Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.

He heard there was a man called Herbert Hoover — who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people.

A calamity was averted. Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking me Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college. I was one of them.”

The world is a wonderful place. What goes around comes around, please help others, God will definitely help you.

OLOMU: WHERE IT’S TABOO FOR PREGNANT WOMEN TO DIE

• Corpses thrown into evil forest to avoid reincarnation

• What bereaved families do

• Corpses of suicide, drowning, accident victims dumped in bush

By Akpokona Omafuaire

Corpses are supposed to be buried after death. That is the norm. But not so at Olomu Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Here, not all corpses are buried, according to their cultures and tradition.

Pregnant women who die with pregnancy or during childbirth are not buried, instead their corpses are thrown into the evil forest near Akperhe-Olomu Community within the kingdom. It is a taboo for a woman to die with pregnancy as it is their belief that if given proper burial, the dead woman will reincarnate, hence the people do everything to prevent her reincarnation.

“Deaths from such circumstances are classified as bad deaths and such corpses are not given proper burial by not being buried in the town”, says His Royal Majesty, Ovie Richard L.

Ogbon, Ogoni-Oghoro I, JP, the Ohworode of Olomu, who is also the oldest person (Okpako-Orere) of Ogoni-Olomu.

The traditional ruler explains further that such deaths are taken that way because of their belief in the reincarnation of women who died from such circumstances.

“It is our belief that women who died in such manners, if buried in town or specifically at home, will reincarnate. In the times of old, there were cases where new-born babies had marks of women who had died from such deaths. This is why we don’t bury them at home to avoid reincarnation.”

In addition to dead pregnant women, the traditional ruler adds that “when someone in a family have mental illness, epilepsy or other disease that are genetical in the family, if such a person is not treated properly or cured and he or she dies with such infirmities, it is also our belief that such people reincarnate by being born as children, and it is usually shameful to the family.”

Such practices, he adds, are also applicable to people who died by suicide, in accidents, or from drowning. Interestingly, those who die in such circumstances are buried in the bush as there are no designated places for such people in Olomu Kingdom, except the women who died with pregnancies, whose corpses are taken to the evil forest, according to the traditional ruler.

Decline in belief, practice

The advent of Christianity has led to trampling upon many native cultures and tradition. Therefore, certain Olomu practices of old which were revered and complied with have been compromised with increasing Western culture through education.

According to Ogoni-Oghoro I, though certain cultural practices are still being observed despite increasing acceptance of Christian religion, especially the non-burial of corpses of such deaths inside town, these practices are declining as many people no longer hold such traditional beliefs. The two factors he believes affected such beliefs are   Western education and Christianity.

People now insist that such practices are not obtainable again, so they have rebelled against the practices.  He says: “Some families, when they lose a pregnant woman, they immediately carry out surgery to remove the foetus so they can bring her home for proper burial. This is the very wrong practice that is going on now.

The late woman and her foetus are supposed to go to the evil forest. The Church has affected many practices. For instance, many who used to carry out such traditional functions like taking the corpses to the evil forest, have now become Christians and you can’t get people to perform such traditional rites anymore.”

He speaks further: “Many practices have been jettisoned today. People no longer forbid things. When such abominable deaths occur in families today, out of shame for people not to hear that a taboo has occurred in their family, people no longer adhere to the tradition of burying such in the evil forest or bush. They now blatantly bring such dead into town and bury. This wasn’t so in those days.”

Cleansing the land

He believes some of these disregards for cultures and tradition could pollute a community. “The dumping of pregnant women’s corpses at the evil forest or those of other similar deaths at the bush is not the end. The family and the entire community is deemed to be polluted by such deaths and certain cleansing activities are undertaken for seven days till a total purification and warding off of such spirits are attained.”

He explains that there is a certain group among the traditionalists whose responsibility is to take such corpses to the evil forest or bush. When such deaths occur, the traditionalists will be notified and they will come at night to take such corpses away. They are not to be seen by anyone as they sing horrifying songs and incantations.

No one comes out as it is a taboo to see them while they perform the rituals which last for seven days. “They will stay in the compounds of such families for seven days and seven nights, nullifying the powers that led to such death and generally cleanse the families with various rituals.”

The 98-year-old traditional ruler clarifies that presently at Olomu, if a woman dies with pregnancy, the community will not allow her to be buried in the community unless the circumstances of the death is hidden from the community.

“But such a behaviour usually has its consequences”,   he says, and adds: “And non-Christians will not tolerate such a person to be buried in the community because it pollutes the community.” The difference between those that committed suicide, died in accidents, or from drowning, and those who died with pregnancies is that the pregnant dead are taken to the evil forest with no proper burial ceremonies, while the others are buried in the bush.

But after three years, their relatives can celebrate their remembrance with certain rites, which is not so with women who died with pregnancies. The remembrance is done for the others because proper burial rites were not done earlier due to the circumstances of their deaths. The remembrance is what gives them the sense of fulfillment that they properly buried their departed loved ones, though it cannot take away the shame of the death.

Source: VANGUARD