The All-Encompassing Artistic Legacy of Onyeka Onwenu

More than a decade after the Nigeria-Biafra war, it was a period that gravitated towards positivity and Onwenu gave us several classics which fulfilled that purpose. The Golden Songs volumes and her other albums reflect a striking sense of national unity, embracing a wholesome palette of traditional sounds and nearby perspectives, and essentially making her one of the most beloved artists of all times.

Her musical legacy

To hear Onwenu is to open the windows of one’s heart, for it fills spaces with a unique flavor. For many, it’s the hearty quality of her songs: on the 1984-released Golden Songs Vol. 1, which came three years after her debut, For The Love of You, she worked her way into the world, in a conceptual and linguistic sense, its early songs “Bia Nulu” and “Alleluya” are gospel-leaning records rendered in Igbo and afterwards, she sings in Yoruba on “Gbemi Leke,” infusing the talking drum into the arrangement as well. On “Turmi,” she pays homage to Hausa, a lifting song about love.

Regardless of the language she sang in, Onwenu carried a graceful poise which made the music even more tender, more precious. Effervescent, light-on-the-feet, she can be whoever the message demands. Her vocal prowess shines on “In The Morning Light,” a ballad that evokes the imagery of someone at the door of redemption, knocking and pleading for a second chance. It also showcases the depth of her songwriting, which often embodies the sensibilities of whatever genre she’s taking on. One thing’s for sure, though: when she loves, she loves hard.

Love is the central premise of “Ochie Dike,” entirely sung in Igbo and one of her biggest songs within Nigerian homes. “Chukwu gozie, ochie dike mama / Nna gozie nnem, ochie dike mo,” she sings in the chorus, which means, “God bless the accomplished woman of valor / Father, bless my mother, my accomplished woman of valor.” On that sophomore tape, she surely made her mark, underlining why the big labels like EMI and Polygram fought to keep her in their roster — she was a superstar who transcended borders.

Although the first Golden Songs was arguably the most cohesive, some of her biggest moments came on the subsequent tape, her voice becoming stronger. “Ekwe” comes to mind now, a classic I-don’t-care song that thrilled my mother’s generation and fascinated mine, for the electric sound, but also the spiciness of her language. “Ejim gi ugwo?” she asks in the refrain, meaning,“Do I owe you?” Even for those who don’t understand the language, the tone couldn’t be missed — Onyeka was a performer who understood feeling.

Her mastery was perceived in the depth of feeling one hears in “Greatest Love,” or the grand shimmering keys on “Iyogogo,” and down to the bluesy detailing on “Why.” Recording hit songs in the 1990s, she further stretched her ubiquity, and moreso because of two peculiar records: “You and I” and “One Love”.

Both songs appeared on Golden Songs Vol 3 and listened to now, one feels the same way as anyone did hearing it in those times. The atmosphere is fresh, and perhaps now will be charged with nostalgia, but there’s no doubting the all-round brilliance. Certain records have great anthemic appeal — in the Nigerian society, only Timi Dakolo’s “Great Nation” comes close to the reach of “One Love,” whose atmospheric purity likewise elicits memorable feelings and conversation whenever it is played, such as the one many would have when the radio plays Onwenu now, a golden voice from the ether.

“The Elegant Stallion:” Pop culture relevance

When Onwenu took a break from the spotlight, somewhere towards the late 1990s and succeeding decades, she was already a legend. But her legend rested on talents more than her music: it was her voice, her person, which made her so relevant across fields. Even more impressive considering how tough film and journalism is.

Her journalism and activism is probably under-recognized, but it was the characteristic depth there that earned her the moniker “The Elegant Stallion,” with the last word embodying unshakable strength. She surely exuded strength as the character of Mama in the Biyi Bandele-directed Half of a Yellow Sun, an adaptation of the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie classic.

Her filmography is quietly impressive, and she remained on television when she judged the X-Factor Nigeria for some seasons, bringing her wisdom to younger generations of musicians. Further proving the versatile quality of her ideas, the Nigerian writer Chigozie Obioma used “Iyogogo” in a memorable scene from his Booker-shortlisted The Fishermen, a level of reverence Onwenu has gotten used to over the years.

As a pioneering woman superstar, she stands alongside Christy Essien Igbokwe, Evi Edna Ogoli, and The Lijadu Sisters as musicians who transcended intra-country limitations such as language, and ventured into the world with their deeply satisfying takes on the popular forms of their time. And since everyone has their favorite Onyeka Onwenu song, I’ll end this with mine.