Goldie (Oluwabimpe Suzan Harvey):Nigeria’s Lady Gaga
The beautiful distortion of Goldie is catching the attention of music lovers. Adewole Ajao discovers a singer and her unique music…
Some have called her Nigeria’s Lady Gaga while others simply regard a.k.a. Goldie with weird admiration. Amidst the bizarre and inconclusive tags, she still attracts attention whether draped in her skin-hugging cat-suit or modest attire.
She attributes it to her complexion which is different but not rare. Over the years it has attracted ambivalent comments. Some of the good ones like the moniker “Goldie” remained with her through the years as a testament to her uniqueness while she remained impervious to the caustic ones.
“My skin glows and my friends gave me the name Goldie while I was in the UK,” she recounts with glee. “I’m what you call a ginger albino but was mocked a lot for looking like a golden lady right from my days in school.
I was always odd but it made me believe in myself and become more confident.” As the first born of her family, her throwbacks to early days as a hymn-crooning member of a church choir sound more obligatory than optional.
Her love for music was evident from the start and remained after she dropped the cassock for further studies. This knack for tunes was the shining light that charted her path to full-time professional music after her degree in business management from the UK-based University of Sunderland.
“Music for me is a passion. I love singing and it has formed a part of me and when I was in the UK, it saw me forming an informal group of five girls,” she recalls.
“We sang for friends, families and at school events. It was all well and cool till I returned to Nigeria and hooked up with some producers. That was how I started.”
The genesis was not a smooth sail as her parents were keen on her pursuing a career in management. Their intentions clashed with Goldie’s desires before a compromise was reached.
“My dad knew while I was growing up that I loved music but because I come from a family of people who are highly educated, he said no matter what I want to do, I must get my education, so when I got back he wasn't very impressed but happy that at least I had my degree.
That was like a stepping stone and something I could fall back on if music doesn't pay again.” This exit strategy has also played its part in her fledging career as she explained how it has armed her with nerves of steel needed on the long march to making a name in the nebulous industry.
“Any degree helps one’s focus. It helps build your resilience and prepares you for a life and growth in the corporate world. I’d say it’s helped in my focus, my determination to succeed and obviously my level of intelligence can’t be the same after studying this hard.”
After reading hard, she sings harder as a compilation of tracks which were never released have been followed by her initial album tagged Gold. Such urgency is the fulcrum of a new swing driven by a multiplicity of sources and beliefs, which have produced bolder music, daring tunes and eye-popping costumes.
She calls her new-found effrontery an evolution. “I’ve always had the flair for the stage drama and theatrical excerpts that should come with most live stage performances,” added Goldie.
“The only reasons why I’m more comfortable with expressing it now, is because, I’ve grown as an individual and an artiste. The CEO of my record company, Mr. Kenny ‘Keke’ Ogungbe encourages me to do so.
Unlike before, I was skeptical in pushing myself because some people felt my videos and costumes were over the top flamboyant and I remember thinking, that if they can’t handle the theatre on TV, how can they accept it live on stage?
Now it seems people expect me to keep pushing the boundaries which is a good thing.” Her initial album featured songs like “You know It”, Jawo Jawo feat Jaywon and Don’t Touch, which has been remixed for her upcoming Gold Reloaded album.
These songs embellish the deviant streak that has fuelled Goldie’s progression through the lyrical hierarchy. Her obvious feminism also transcends the lyrics of her songs.
After recording the documentary Evolution, she still finds time to enlighten other women during her off-tour periods. “I wanted to do this not because I was picked but to show that women who have been abused and less privileged can also be great.
My research into meeting different women led me to the founder of Project Alert and I was made one of the ambassadors and the non-governmental organisation has a zero tolerance for all forms of violence and abuse on women.
I'm looking at doing more of empowering women and I have gone to schools and spoken to girls because if you train a female, you build a nation.”
The future like her complexion is bright. With a tailor-made approach that has music lovers paying attention, her form of girl power is gradually becoming infectious.
“For next year we are working on promoting my album and we would soon be embarking on state tours that would cut across 11 states with concerts and road shows to make the fans get more familiar with the brand.
My record company is also doing stuffs in accordance with a Kennis Music All-stars World Tour. We would also be visiting secondary schools and universities as our main target.
Source : www.thisdayonline.com
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