Before her demise last month, late Nigerian Lady of songs, Christy Essien Igbokwe announced that she had done some collaborative songs with her son, Chinwuba Kaka Igbokwe who happened to be a music producer and rapper. Having nothing but memories to remember her by, many of her fans are looking forward to the project with Kaka but in this chat with Kingsley Ediale and Chiamaka Udeh he revealed the songs will not be up for release this year.
Do you feel your mother is gone forever?
The consolation the family had is the reaction of people towards her death for she really impacted people’s lives .I have this book am always reading when am praying our daily Manna, the whole summary of the topics is, how do you want to be remembered when you die? There was a special adviser that came, he told me how my mum fought his parents at the age of seventeen to let him go to university and today he owes his position to her. Mum had to sacrifice her going to University so she could train her younger ones, I look at it as her goodness speaking for her.
Did she have any premonition about her death?
You know my mum was a very spiritual person, she was always saying that she won’t live long for the last eight years, that God brought her to this world for a mission and when she is done she would depart but its not something we all expected, It was just like she was crying wolf! and so I guess we ignored the signs.
Your mother was multi-talented, can the same be said of you?
As for entertainment I started very young, I can’t remember how old I was but I acted in the soap opera Ripples as child named Bala. I also used to take part in school plays though I was always shy that’s why I said I don’t like being the artiste. I prefer being the insider. I believe I can do most of the things she did because its natural .I don’t know, I just want to let things flow. I really don’t want to specify now.
Can you tell us something about your mum nobody knew?
She is a clown; she likes to joke a lot and she is a very good cook . If she wasn’t widely known as Nigerian lady of songs, I wouldn’t believe she was an artiste because she was a good mother and wife. She was able to balance all because she found peace with God at a very tender age. She was a supermom
Was there any secret she told you about the industry before she passed on?
”What would be would be” that was her secret word. She would tell you not to wait for anyone to help you, if God says you will make it then you would and when the time comes you will reign.
You’ve started your career as a musical producer and a rapper and we heard about you doing songs with your mum, when will these songs be released?
Yes we had a couple of them, am trying to sort that out. Most of them might not be released this year. There are some that where not completed on her own side but am trying to work it out. So after her burial we will see what happens. Funny enough I was supposed to push out my album last year but for some reasons it stopped but am lucky because I have finished working on everything .Right now am not in the shape to go back to the studio.
How do you manage being a rapper and producer?
I would say yes, so far so good. I never wanted to be an artiste, it was due to the circumstances surrounding the chances I got that made me decide to experiment on a production and that’s why am very slow in my musical career. This year on November 11th which is her birthday, we are planning on releasing her album; I am not sure when mine’s coming out because I still have to finish some of her songs on it.
You studied Geology in school, any plan of practicing that?
I worked a little bit before I started my career as a surveyor at Akwa Ibom Water Cooperation and also some other companies but also entertainment.
So how do you intend to realize the true picture of entertainment your mother gave to Nigerians since your a shy person?
Now that she is no longer here, she has committed the task into my hands for someone has to continue. I have to step up and fill in the gap even if I might not be able to do my all. I have to try my best.
As a producer who are those you have worked with?
I have worked with, Durella, Fragrance, Weird Mc, Chuddy k and Jimmy Jatt. Those are the ones I can remember apart from my mum.
Who is your role model in music apart from your mum?
That would be Tuface. Because that’s the only Nigerian artiste my mum knew from this generation, she didn’t even know Dbanj until I had to show her who he was. I feel it’s because Tuface still operates in the same kind of musical direction with them, in terms of live rehearsals and performances. I know if she had stayed longer, she would have known Omawummi.
