In a three-year-old opinion piece, veteran Nigerian singer, actress and journalist Onyeka Onwenu outlined how she wanted to be remembered and buried.
The legendary artist, known for her advocacy, was reported dead on Tuesday night, July 30, at Reddington Hospital in Lagos after collapsing at Mrs Stella Okoli’s 80th birthday party.
“Do it quickly, quietly, and privately,” Onwenu wrote in a 2021 editorial piece for Premium Times, underlining the need for a low-key burial.
She advised her loved ones to “mourn, yes, but not excessively,” and instead celebrate her life via prayers and cheerful moments.
“Celebrate me with prayers, lunch or dinner afterwards. Share some jokes about me and laugh.
“Make merriment and then go about your business. If my friends want to celebrate me, they should do so while I am alive, so that I can enjoy it with them, not when I am gone and have no idea about this. That is me, Onyeka Onwenu,” she said.
In her message, Onwenu also addressed broader cultural practices, criticising the extravagant displays of wealth commonly seen at Nigerian funerals.
The 80’s pop queen compared her personal preferences with Obi Cubana’s mother’s lavish funeral, which prompted great debate across the country.
“The arguments of Obi Cubana’s supporters make sense on some level but I disagree on one major point. The incredibly lavish and outrageously expensive burial of the century sent all the wrong signals to the world, including the young people of Nigeria. For me, it did nothing in it’s garish display but besmirch the essence of a dignified burial for a woman well deserving of it.”
A biref history on Onyeka Onwenu
Born on January 31, 1952, Onwenu was a multidimensional artist whose career spanned four decades. She was an actress, journalist, politician, and well-known singer and songwriter.
Onwenu’s music mixed genres like highlife, reggae, and pop, and it frequently tackled social and political themes. Some of her most popular songs are “One Love,” “Iyogogo,” and “Ekwe.” The late musician, who was called “The Elegant Stallion” by the Nigerian press, formerly served as chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture.
In 2013, she was appointed Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women’s Development.
15 popular songs by Onyeka Onwenu
Onyeka Onwenu is gone, but her legacy still lives and will be revered by many for years to come.
The celebrated songbird began her music career in 1981 while still with the NTA, with the release of ‘For the Love of You’, a pop album.
