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I have been through. But I would not make life dependent on what I have been through. I feel not to give the world the same pain, when I feel the pain, I would not like the world to feel the same pain but I will rather transform this pain in something positive that can build up peoples that’s where the music comes in, it’s a processor.
Despite the talent of African artists the music industry in Africa is still underdeveloped what do you think must be done to give African artists the place they deserve in the concert of nations?
Is not underdeveloped though…
By underdevelopment I mean, the means they have in the western world to do the business of music… besides there is a discrepancy, between what is done there and here, do you think Africans should follow the western way or go their own way?
No man! we need to stay the way we are. They should not be ourselves, we should not be themselves, even though is good to have that blend and exchanges of culture which is brilliant, but when it comes to recording capabilities studio and managing company distribution we used to have all these things in Africa in the 80s, before the crisis of the nineties. Still, even Universal is in Nigeria I think. And there is still some very good studio back home. I think we need to shed more light on music in Africa acknowledge it, I think up to now is been underestimated, put in the shade and labelled as a work done by people who don’t want to be doctors, engineers and such. Anyways it’s about the mentality too. We will gain to bring the music in the school curriculum this can help our children to become even more creative and inventive in other sectors. I’m not saying all our kids should become musicians but music can inspire them on a different career by opening their mind.
A life without cause is a life without effect. What cause do you advocate more, while doing charity works?
I help them feel better not just by my music I have an NGO called ROPE it’s the major tool we have been able to use to help people around Africa we did some Work in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria. And the major drive should not
be for the world to see what I’m doing, but to do it because of love, to do it because it should be done. These moments should be given out of love for people and for God.
Has we are closing this talk do you have a special word towards the public? What is your agenda of the upcoming day?
A special word is, do whatever you want, but do it a hundred percent. My father will say _ Nneka if you wash the plates wash them well whether some body is watching or not watching, whether you are in a hurry or whether you are not. Wash it like you are washing it for God (Smiles) we need to do that at our time.
As we are concluding this talk, I’m very happy to have had you today as the guest star of the readership is joining me to say thanks for this open talk.
You are very welcome, I thank you too God Bless.
After her fifth album, Fairy Tales, released in 2015, Nneka joined the super Group the Amazons of Africa, a women's collective of musicians from West Africa, who are tired of seeing women suffer because of Violence, then they decided to tackle it using their art. In the album entitled Amazon Republic, which will be released on April 28, 2017, the 12 tracks are sung intermittently in English, French and Mandinka, and deal with love, oppression and empowerment of women.
Interview by Hubert Marlin Jr.
Journalist