Her music career took off with the successful single ' Kuchi Kuchi', and J'odie, real name Joy Odiete, released her debut album 'African Woman', to critical acclaim but without much commercial success.
Does that bother her? In this interview with NET, the Delta State born soul singer answers that and other questions about her rise to fame, her pains in the industry and her relationships.
Where are you from?
I am from a Christian family; my dad and mum are still married. I am from Delta State, an Urhobo girl, although my mum is Edo. I come from a well to do family.
What was growing up like?
Growing up was different from what I experience in my career today. My parents didn't bring me up in a social way – I grew up in a strict Christian home. My father is a Bishop while my mother is a Reverend. All
l knew as a child was church, school and home. So, the life l had as a child didn't reflect my choice of career which is music and entertainment. I am still a little conservative but my music is bringing me out gradually.
How did you come about your hit single hit
song 'Kuchi Kuchi' ?
It came through a creative process that may not sound different from what a lot of people might say. I wrote and viewed the song from a different angle but from the responses I have gotten from fans, friends, family members, I have learnt that no matter what angle an artiste takes his or her music from, when it
gets to the consumer and the audience, they take it the way they like. 'Kuchi Kuchi' was a song dedicated to children but I found that people sing it at their weddings and some even call me to sing it at their weddings. No matter what I thought it was, the fans and the audience had the final say.
Was it your first song?
I actually released 'Kuchi Kuchi' alongside another single. Before that, I had not been doing music professionally. I had been singing and working on my craft and music.
What I am today is not because of 'Kuchi Kuchi' like people think; I had been in the
background, working. Kuchi Kuchi was the first evidence of that background work.
Tell us how it all started for you I started singing as a child. In my secondary school, I
was in charge of the school choir. When I
completed my B.sc in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos in 2006, I went for the West African Idols and came sixth. I was loved by viewers and that encouraged me; people loved my performances, my delivery, my sound and I believe it gave me the platform to build myself. For the first
time, I thought, 'I think I want to do this
professionally'. Before that, during my days in
secondary school and church choir, I just enjoyed it and never thought of it as a profession. Maybe somewhere inside me I had been thinking about it, but I wasn't sure yet.
But after my experience in the West African Idols in 2007, I realised I really wanted to go further with music. After that, I started going to the studio.
You had never been in the studio before that?
As a child, I used to go to the studio because my dad was a composer and he actually wrote a one-time popular song in Nigeria for an artiste. I might have forgotten when, but as I child I had opportunities to be in a studio. West Africa Idols brought me closer to people who sing, the music industry, celebrities, performances, being on stage… It gave me a better understanding and I think that was why I decided that I would do this professionally.
How do you get inspiration for your songs?
Inspiration can come from anywhere. I am an
emotional and deep thinking person, so, a lot of times, anything that happens around me can get into my head and songs can come from there. It can come anytime too, like when I am just waking up from sleep and maybe a dominant thought will form into a sound.
When it comes, I either write it down, or pick
up a phone and sing into it.
Are you happy with the response to your
debut album 'African Woman'?
You cannot always base your success on what the crowd tells you. The crowd may not be right. The crowd accepts people, not necessarily upon true assessment of your work. I am an artiste; it is good to have the crowd behind you – it is a good feeling and ego is boosting – but if you base your life and art around it, you may not be able to stand it
because the crowd will one day move on, especially when you start doing something they don't understand.
The crowd not understanding does not necessarily mean that thing is bad. I consider the type of music I do as classical, I consider my album ahead of time. So if the crowd does not understand now, that does not mean my sound is bad. They might have to grow to like it later. It might take time, but they will grow
into it. The good thing is that the real music people in this country, the people they call 'music heads', love my work. It is just the regular club hype that I don't have. Another funny thing is that I get more shows and appreciation outside Nigeria, like in Liberia,
Tanzania etc. Like I said, it is good to have your crowd love your work, so I am working towards meeting this crowd at a point with my music. But at the same time I wouldn't want them to be my priority.
Do you sometimes get angry because you are
more appreciated outside of your own
country?
Nigeria is appreciative as well but maybe it is my nature. I am a bit introverted as a person and I don't think I have that crowd appeal and all that.
How do you deal with admirers?
As a lady, if people admire you, you have to
appreciate them. I believe that how you carry yourself determines how men will treat you. If you act in a way that allows people to take advantage of you they will, but if you don't allow that it will not happen.
Has success changed you?
Success is not changing me, the kind of work I do is changing me. I told you earlier that I am an introvert.
I am only trying to be more social and interactive because of the kind of work I do. I have to be more careful with the way I do things, be more diplomatic.
I care about things I normally would not care about.
How have you coped so far in the industry?
There is no industry that does not have its own challenges. I have chosen this industry as my profession so I am ready for whatever it pushes at me.
I have told myself that I will stay and not back out from its challenges. I can't really tell what politics looks like, but the Nigerian music industry is like politics. From my vague understanding of politics, I see the industry as exactly the same but I cannot back out because of that, because if I do I have lost. We all cannot be the same, we have rice, beans, pounded yam, so when you set a buffet, you have all varieties of food there. At a buffet, you don't see everybody eating the same thing, so I believe I am meeting some people's need in this industry, and I will continue to
do so.
I don't know if you are in a committed relationship or not, but let's assume you are
not, can you date someone in your industry?
I have never really thought about that, so I don't know. I have not made up my mind on if it will be from the music industry or the aviation industry, I haven't really thought about it.
What type of man do you want?
I want a man that is my friend; someone who will stand by me and be there for me. It is hard to find a friend in this dangerous world we live in, so I need a friend. Your friend is you.
Show me your friend and l will tell you who you are. My friend would or should be the totality of me. With your friend in your life,
there should be a large room for
compatibility. To sum it up, instead of saying he should be tall, slim, short, fat and all, he should be my friend, one l can relate with without inhibition.
Has the nature of your job as an entertainer
affected your relationships?
I am not in any relationship and I don't think I want to be. I want serious people around me. Not just sexual relationships.
What is wrong with a sexual relationship?
Personally, to me, it is wrong because I am not married. I am not condemning those who do it; this is just my personal opinion. I really should not have an opinion on sex because I don't have any experience. Sex means nothing to me, so I can't get into a relationship just because of that.
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