No doubt, Nigerian music terrain, is not too familiar with using flute as a lead wind instrument in, perhaps it is known as an accompaniment to other musical instruments like saxophone, piano, trumpet and used especially in classical, jazz and orchestral performances.
However, notable and influential music icon, T-Mac, who is a strong exponent of flute, blazes the trail in flute as lead instrument. But another Nigerian, this time, a female has expounded the prominence of this tiny wonder called flute as the first Nigerian professional female flutist, Ebele The Flutist’.
In a brief interview with Nigeriafilms.com, the Anambra State born multi-talent whose unique performance of the National Anthem opened the last Headies Award, spoke about her challenges a female flutist and how the journey started.
According to her, it has been decades since she started her romance with the flute; ‘’My passion for the wind instrument started far back at age 14 and was influenced by certain white ladies in my school days while playing flute as an extracurricular activity. It was more like a hobby to me. And ever since then, my hook on the instrument has brought out my innate creativity surpassing a laudable career as an accountant in an oil firm. Now the passion is now my career.’’
Rating her achievement in 2015, she said, ‘In everything I always give God thanks. I know there are lots of aspirations. A lot of goals that were not achieved but I believe that by God’s grace, I’ll get them all this year. I don’t make New Year resolutions, I just know that I will keep on doing my job and what is right.’
When asked if she often feels intimidated by men who dominate that aspect of music more, Ebele was of the opinion that, whatever a man can do, a woman can always do better.
‘’ Of course, I see them a lot, but what a man can do, a woman do better. I have a band, I play, I sing, so you see I can’t be intimated by anyone. I want to encourage other young ones to be determined and focus on whatever they wish to be in future, they shouldn’t allow intimidation run them down.’
