Onyeka Onwenu, iconic Nigerian singer and songwriter whose music ruled the airwaves in the 80s and 90s, is dead. Onwenu slumped and died on Tuesday night after a performance at a birthday party in Lagos. She was aged 72.
In what turned out to be a tragic event, Onwenu, dubbed the elegant stallion by the Nigerian media in her hey days as a music star, died at Reddington Hospital in Lagos, where she was rushed to shortly after performing at the birthday party of Mrs Stella Okoli of Emzor Pharmaceuticals.
According to an eye witness, after performing on stage, the iconic singer walked back to her seat, where she slumped. Emergency services were quickly called in and she was rushed to Reddington Hospital in Victoria Island, Lagos where she was pronounced dead.
“it is very sad. Onyeka Onwenu just performed at the birthday of Mrs. Stella Okoli today, and after performing, she slumped. She was taken to Reddington Hospital and she couldn’t make it,” the eye witness said. The cause of death was not known as of press time.
Born on 31 January 1952, Onwenu was a multifaceted artiste and activist whose music ruled the airwaves across four decades. She was a singer, songwriter, actress, broadcaster as well as a social and human rights activist.
She was also a former chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture.] In 2013 she was appointed the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development.
Onwenu hailed from Arondizuogu, in Ideato North, Imo State, but was raised in Port Harcourt. Her father was the Nigerian educationist and politician D. K. Onwenu, who died when she was four years old in an autocrash a week before his appointment as Minister for Education. She was the youngest of five children.
Onwenu had a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Communication at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, and an MA in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research, New York.
She worked as a tour guide at the United Nations, before returning to Nigeria in 1980 to take part in the mandatory one-year national youth service at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in Lagos, Nigeria.
Onwenu began her music career in 1981 while still with the NTA, releasing the album For the Love of You, a pop album which featured an orchestral cover of Johnny Nash’s “Hold Me Tight”, produced by Berkley Jones. Her second album was Endless Life, produced by Sonny Okosun, and included another cover – the Everley Brothers’ “Walk Right Back”. Both records were released under the EMI label.
However, Onwenu’s first album with Polygram, In The Morning Light, which was recorded in London, was released in 1984. It featured the track “Masterplan” written by close friend Tyna Onwudiwe.
In a career spanning more than four decades, Onwenu was known for hit songs such as “You and I”, “Wait for Me” (which she did with legendary juju artiste King Sunny Ade) “Iyogogo” and “Dancing in the Sun.”
As an actress, Onwenu’s first movie role was as Joke, a childless woman who adopts an abandoned baby in Zik Zulu Okafor’s Nightmare. She featured in numerous Nollywood movies. In 2006 she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in the movie “Widow’s Cot”.
She was also nominated that same year for Africa Movie Academy Award for “Best Actress in a Leading Role” in the movie “Rising Moon” ] In 2014 she was in the movie Half of a Yellow Sun with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandiwe Newton, and Lion Heart
In 2000, Onwenu caused a stir when she protested against her former employer NTA over their refusal to pay royalties on her songs. NTA 2 Channel 5 had used “Iyogogo”, a track from the Onyeka! album, in station idents without asking her permission).
After then Director General Ben Murray-Bruce blacklisted her from transmission, she embarked on a hunger strike outside the station’s premises The protest was called off after six days when Onwenu and NTA came to an arrangement regarding royalties.
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