“Music Changed My Life” - Anioma Musician, Ogbogu Okonji

“Music Changed My Life”

-       Anioma Musician, Ogbogu Okonji

Ogbogu Okonji is unarguably the biggest music ambassador in Anioma area of Delta State. The traditional music exponent who had a stint with the Nigeria Customs Service has done remarkably well with his career. Apart from his admonitory lyrics which constantly place a check on society, Ogbogu’s music is appealing and a major source of unity among Anioma people. But the musician has also been severally criticized for praising only the rich and powerful.

In this interview with Godfrey Osakwe, Sylvester Asoya, Emeka Esogbue and Austin Afam Ugah, Ogbogu talks about his life and career.

Q: Let us begin like this: how does it feel like to be regarded as the biggest traditional musician in the entire Aniomaland?

A: Well, I really can’t say, I just found myself playing music when I was in school and as a child I sang a lot when I was playing with my mates. Some people did not understand what I was going to become. I lost my dad when I was a kid, I did not have that privilege of a relation helping me but music is my way into life. I just grew into music; I don’t know how I grew into it.

Q: Anybody encountering with you will naturally be excited by your use of proverbs and witty words, it shows that you have had time with our elders, how do you form your words and sayings?

A: It is my nature. I was trained by my grandmother. When you say proverbs, there are proverbs that you create yourself. Proverbs like people used to say were created by our forefathers but we created some ourselves. We are also fathers, so in short, I just see myself doing it.

Q: You are also well known for speaking out against societal ills, how did you become such a social crusader?

A: Like I told you, I lost my dad when I was a kid because of wicked people, and my dad and his younger brother were well to do in the family. They died in 1967 and we did a song called “Egwusi”. You will be aware of what I am saying. Because they died so early we could not do what we were supposed to do educationally. They were poisoned by evil people. Those who poisoned them were envious because the two brothers were doing very well. But I don’t want to retaliate. Of course I had so much pain in my heart in those days, but that was then. It was the pain that made me to be advising people that good is better than evil. Even today I am still experiencing it. People are still pursuing me left and right because of what they think I have attained in life but they cannot succeed because I never stepped on anybody’s toes

Q: Who exactly is Ogbogu? People would like to know. Could you just tell us the person behind this mask?

A: I am from the Okonji family in Ibusa. My full names are Ogbogu Anthony Okonji. We are very many and the Okonji in our family, we have about three musicians

Q: What inspires you?

A: I would say it is God because if I start analyzing it I don’t think we will leave here today

Q: Are you preparing people, that is, younger musicians that would likely succeed you?

A:  Yeah! I have so many of them, they are living with me, I don’t know if any of my children will be taking over from me.

Q: Some up and coming musicians are already looking up to you for guidance. What is your advice to them?

A: The natural laws that have guided people through the ages. They should be obedient and hardworking. You know it is not everybody that is talented, so those who do not have the calling should look for careers in other areas.

Q: So far, how many musical works have you done?

A: Over thirty.

Q: Do you have any particular album that qualifies to be described as the best of the best?

A: Not exactly, every work comes with its own appeal.

Q: Some people have been criticizing you for abandoning inspiring songs for praise singing for individuals whose sources of income are questionable. What is your take on this?

A: You see, you are the God I see, like God said, if I don’t like you, then I hate you. If you are doing something good, I will praise you and that praise will make you to do more. So when you praise a human being that is doing well, he is going to do more. I am still singing inspiring songs.

Q: You left the Custom Service and decided to take up music as a profession, looking back at what your ex-colleagues in the service may have achieved, do you have any regret for leaving the service?

A: No regret whatsoever. When I was there, I was praying that one-day God would take me out of that place because it was not giving me any joy. I feel the work you do, when you do it, you whistle and it makes you happy when you are doing it. It was not giving me happiness. I remember those days when I had pity on a woman I arrested. After arresting her I came back again. Because once you return the goods to the station, you don’t have hand in it again. I had to give the woman my boss’ name and particulars, the woman went straight to my boss asking him to release her goods, my boss was annoyed. So the man out of annoyance locked me up. The second time, I went for a show in Delta State, I left my office and when I came back, I was locked up.

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Q: You did some praise songs for Fred Ajudua. Then later, you composed another one entitled “Onye Kote Obulu” and some people insinuated that the title was a veiled reference him. What is your reaction to this?

A: You know our people, when you say something; some people will like to turn it to suit their own purpose. In that same album, I called him and prayed for him. You see that “Onye Kote Obulu” is a word of advice to people. Anywhere you like you can reason it to. You see in that same music like I said I still prayed for him. I even mentioned his name but in that “Okote Obulu” I didn’t mention his name.

Q: Some people are of the opinion that you that you only cater for the rich and famous, that is in terms of public performance. Are you likely to be found playing for the poor and the less privileged?

A: Yes. I do it sometimes. You see if you come to me now and say please, I have an amount I collect from people for show. If you come to me today that you are this, you are that and I see your seriousness, then I will ask you to bring so, so and so amount. For example, there was a man from Onicha-Ugbo that died I think they called him Nwawolo or something like that. It’s not the young Nwawolo. The man loved my music “Awolo Jeje Je” so he issued sound warning to his family members that whenever he died they should use that particular track to bury him. The man came to my house crying, I mean his son. He was shedding tears. I almost came to the place free of charge but I collected something. So the man is my witness. Again, let me say that it is not all the people I mention in my music, that I collect money from. Like you are here now, you love my music and I always see how much you appreciate my music and whenever I come for show, I see you. When I go for recording, I will mention your name and describe you and how much you appreciate my music but other people will be wondering who knows how much this man has collected from him.

Q:  Is your music restricted to only Nigerians? I know that some other artistes package their music and go abroad. Have you been privileged to go outside Nigeria before?

A: Yes, I have done that before., I was interviewed at American embassy. They almost gave me visa but the person sponsoring me made a very big mistake by adding more to the number of boys than I actually attached. My boys were about twelve but the man added more to make it 25. They requested for so many things which I gave them. They brought forms which they filled themselves and stamped. Three times they invited me but because of the number of people added, I could not make it. This year, another set of people have come. We are preparing to go to USA.

Q: There is this belief making the rounds that you have a way of parting with your bad members frequently, how true is that?

A: That is not correct. Nobody left. You see that’s why people are not getting it right. I did not start with Etiti. I started with “Agility” (Dana Okonji). I did not even start with Agility. Agility was a patron given by a woman called Mrs. Ejeteh. And the group was called Otu Onye Sopulu Onwen. I was only the lead vocalist before the woman gave the patron to Agility and because we needed two vocalists nobody was more capable to meet up than “Agility”, so he (Agility) had to come on board as a vocalist. That was my first experience. The music we made was “Mbunete”. After the music, I didn’t go back home because my elder brother wanted me to go to school but who was to bail the cat? Anyway, that’s by the way. Etiti was also at home but after hearing the song “Mbunete”, he came to Lagos. Even when he wanted to join me, my group said no but because he is my cousin, I agreed. We had to admit him. So after that, you know in a band, when people see you, see that you are healthy and doing well, they would like to come near you, and when you give them allowance, they will like to push you aside. So that is it. I was the one who left the seat for them not the other way round to form Anioma Brothers Band. When they saw that the Anioma Brothers Band was now growing, they came back to beg with some delegates and well-to-do-people and I accepted because I hate insult and don’t like looking down on somebody. I came back, recruited some non-Ibusa indigenes and put some Ibusa indigenes to Otu Ife Onye Lolu Nwa Mmadu. That first music we did was called Apapa (Groundnut). After that, they started that same thing that made me to leave them. Joe Okafor, it will be recalled was told to form a band with different natives from different communities but he went to form an Asaba band even before Anioma Brothers.

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Q: It has been observed that sometimes you render songs in Ndokwa and even Ika languages. Does it mean that your Aniocha-Oshimili language is not enough?

A: That’s the way you understand it. For instance, Bia, and biah are two different but similar words. These are one word but different sounds. Different sounds, you see … “Kwube”, “kwume”. These are just one letter difference. That’s where you are looking at. Isn’t it? At times, I mix them because I am not cooking the soup for one person. My music is now spreading more to across the Niger. They are the people feeding me now and not Anioma. So I mix them for everybody to understand.

Originally published in Anioma Essence Magazine.