GREEN DIVAS

Christy Uduak Essien-Igbokwe (11 November 1960 – 30 June 2011)also known as Nigeria's Lady of Songs, put Nigeria's name on the world music map with her evergreen "Seun Rere" track. She was the first female president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN). Born on 11 November 1960, this singer and actress was the chairman and managing director of Soul Train entertainment limited.

Although she is not Yoruba, most of her hits were sung in the western Nigerian language, and drew heavily on the culture and tradition. Essien's fluency in Yoruba, English, Igbo and her native Ibibio earned her an appeal which cut across tribal lines.
 She began her musical career in Secondary School,singing at various clubs in Aba, Abia State such as Uka Onu's Club and Unikoko.
The Akwa-Ibom born performer also had the honour of composing and performing what would later be known as her state's anthem of sorts, "Akwa-Ibom Mmi (My Akwa-Ibom)" in 1987, its year of creation.
The singer, who has featured in many national and international shows, still operates a shop in Etinan, in her native Akwa-ibom State where she sells printing machines. She is currently working on released her eleventh album.
 Her Honours include Nigerian lady of songs award, Africa music mother award 1984, international special achievement award Mexico 1983 world song festival award Los Angeles queen of music international award association of theatre arts practitioners Lagos 1996 outstanding achievement in female uplifting. She has also contributed enormously to nation building, peace and tolerance - which, alongside moral uprightness, remain constant themes of her songs.

Christy Uduak Essien-Igbokwe (RIP)

Onyeka Onwenu is unarguably one of the foremost Nigerian female artiste in history. A graduate of Wellesley college in Massachusetts USA where she obtained a (B A) in international relations  and communication and the new school for social research in New York (M.A) Media studies. Ms, Onyeka Onwenu has scripted some of the most  memorable songs in Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

Dubbed the “Elegant Stallion” by the Nigerian Press, multifaceted Artist is a singer, song writer, / actress, social critic and politician.

She worked for many years at the United Nations before returning to Nigeria in 1981 where she did her National Youth Service Corp with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Lagos.

However it was in 1982 that Onyeka took her first and mighty step towards Music with the release of her first album, “ENDLESS LIFE”, produced by the late Sunny Okosuns . Endless life was an instant success.  This was followed by “FOR THE LOVE OF YOU” in 1983. “IN THE MORNING LIGHT” , her third album was released in 1984. it featured the theme song of the BBC/NTA documentary  (in the morning light) Onyeka’s fourth album “ONE LOVE” was released in 1986 . The reception was astonishing and the track “ ONE LOVE” became a second national Anthem in Nigeria  sales figure were put at over half a million copies. the follow album “DANCING IN THE SUN”  was released in November 1988, and has remained a chart material since then.

 Aptly called the Queen of African pop music, it was no surprise that Onyeka was awarded the performing Musician Association Best pop Artist for the year 1988.

Onyeka stands out as the only musician to have crossed pop with juju music and highlife. Her “DANCING IN THE SUN” album featured  a duet with King Sunny Ade with the track title “WAIT FOR ME”, which has been hailed not only for its innovative creativity, but also for her ability to break new grounds.

The reaction from the duet “MADA WOLOHUN” (LET THEM SAY) was tremendous, and fans demanded for more. And in response, Onyeka joined Sunny Ade in “WAIT FOR ME” and “CHOICES” which were composed by Onyeka Onwenu and produced by Lemmy Jackson.

Unlike “let them say” which was a love song, “Wait For Me”  and  “Choices” carry very strong social messages. The theme was family planning, sex and birth control-topics that are taboo in the Nigerian society but very important for a healthy and virile nation. http://premiermusicnigeria.net

ONYEKA ONWENU

NELLI UCHENDU(RIP)

Nelly Uzonna Uchendu gained fame as a talented modernizer of traditional Igbo folk music from Umuchu, Aguata LGA, Enugu State, but her career has touched at least three other bases in the Nigerian music scene - highlife, English-language "pop" and Christian religious music. Uchendu's career blossomed during the regime of old Anambra State Governor Jim Nwobodo (79-83), who was rumored to be her paramour. During this period she also had a highly-praised appearance in London with Warrior and his Original Oriental Brothers.
"To many the name Nelly Uchenna may not ring a bell, but hum the song " Love Nwantiti" and smiles would spread on the faces of your listeners. "Love Nwantiti" was that hit song that brought prominence to Nelly Uchendu,...

"...Nelly, who lived all her life in Enugu, would also be remembered for "Waka," another hit song that clearly established her as the Golden Voice of the Nigerian music industry. Honoured with the National Honour, Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), Nelly Uchendu, whose last moment on earth was spent battling the Anambra State government for gratuity, joined her ancestors after a brief illness. The news of her death like a wild fire sent shock waves across the land. King Sunny Ade, who spoke to Showtime, expressed shock at the news but prayed that her soul be granted eternal rest in the bosom of the Lord...

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  Salawa Abeni (born May 5, 1961) is a popular Nigerian singer.^[1] An Ijebu Yoruba from Ijebu Waterside, in Ogun State State, she began her professional career in waka music when she released her debut album, Late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed, in 1976, on Leader Records. It became the first recording by a female artist to sell over a million copies in Nigeria.

SALAWA ABENI

Abeni continued recording for Leader until 1986, when she ended a relationship with the record label's owner, Lateef Adepoju. She married Kollington Ayinla and joined his record label instead, staying with him until 1994.

She was crowned "Queen of Waka Music" by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi in 1992. Waka is an Islamic-influenced, traditional Yoruba music style, popularized by Batile Alake; it is a much older genre than jùjú and fuji.

DORA IFUDU

Theadora Ifudu blew it off the map. In 1979, the arty co-host of NTA Channel 10's Bar Beach Show self-released her debut album First Time Out (backed by members of Monomono) and almost immediately was signed by Epic Records and whisked off to New York to record her follow up album. It was official; someone out there wanted to listen to modern Nigerian women.

Veno Marioghae

 Unlike most patriotic songs, carted out every four years for world cups and other flag-waving events, Veno Marioghae’s 1984 track  ‘Nigeria Go Survive’ has considerable musical currency. Like many of the records coming from Africa at the time, it is characterized by markedly unsubtle use of synthesizers, although this does not compromise its dance floor appeal. Vocals that flit from English (Nigeria’s official tongue) to indigenous languages make it both a fascinating post colonial document and a rampant disco smasher.

In a era plagued by political corruption, clockwork military coups and economic woe, opinion was split on Veno’s ultra-optimistic record, with many suspecting her as a puppet for government propaganda. It was her reference to the state-created character ‘Andrew’, who leaves Nigeria behind to find wealth overseas, that roused the highest of suspicions; her pleas of ‘Andrew don’t check out-o/Stay unto your country resonating as hollow repetitions of ubiquitous government TV and radio jingles.

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In the eighties, Stella Monye dominated the air-waves with her award-winning track ‘Oko mi ye. She was a sort of teen prodigy who dominated the entertainment scene with her Afro-pop style of music. Many will remember Miss Monye for her evergreen songs, “Oko Mi Ye”, ” Ife “, to name just two.. She is also popularly known as the Samba girl.