…Says ‘I miss Nigeria a lot. My soul has never been here; I left Nigeria, Nigeria did not live me’
From Christy Anyanwu in London
He was one of the artistes at the Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL). His name is Sodi Cookey, a UK-based musician.
As he sings, many in admiration would think that he is from the East or South Africa. His music was really unique.
In a conversation after the show, it was discovered that he is from West Africa and, indeed, Nigeria. He also spoke about himself and life as an entertainer in the United Kingdom. Excerpt:
Tell us more about yourself?
My name is Sodi Cookey, I grew up in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. I started singing in the choir when I was six years old. My father was a classical musician. I used to sing Mariah Carey and other pop songs on different campuses in Nigeria.
Are you doing other things aside music?
I work, but that’s to pay for the music at the end of the day. Creating music is different, but recording it costs a lot of money. In Port Harcourt, I was singing in the universities. I attended University of Port Harcourt. They know me as Sodi Cookey on campus. I attended Uniport with guys now making waves in the entertainment industry in Nigeria, Julius Agwu, Rita Dominic, etc. I performed in campuses like: Uniport, UniCal, Abia State University and a lot of them before I travelled to the UK.
Transitioning to the UK, how has it been?
I came in 2001. It was a very interesting experience coming from Nigeria as a musician. Partly because you meet the usual thing you meet here unfortunately, the race issue you can’t hide or run away from it. After singing or creating your own music in Nigeria and you came here to prove yourself they still want to claim a lot of things. I have heard so many wonderful things like: you have an accent, where do you come from, what sort of music do you do? I think I have been blessed from receiving music from this universe that we are living. I have never sat down one day that I will be a musician, but it’s been an interesting experience. I ended up putting up my own events in the UK because I’m tired of waiting for people to give me an opportunity. I put on my own shows, I record and play with a group of guys for the past six years. It’s been a journey, but we are getting there now. I essentially put up my own events, now I promote myself.
Tell us your experience with producers of music promoters?
It’s very interesting. When I left Nigeria , people like Onyeka, Fela, Felix Liberty were the rave of the moment. Coming here, they try to put me in a box. Not really understood where I stood because my formation of music is mostly everything I listened to in Nigeria. In Port Harcourt, we have lots of highlife, we got into the rhythm of R n B era, we were listening to all the Nigerian musicians on radio, on TV, we have foreign influences too, and, of course, my background in classical music. When I came here the struggle to understand what box to put me in, is it RnB? It was a problem for a while. I think one of the most interesting thing was performing in venues, you sound amazing and the next thing they tell me is, would you come and do a backing vocal for somebody? I have always wanted to stand in front. I never wanted to stand at the back.
You started from the church, was it as a gospel artiste?
When I was in Nigeria I used to write gospel songs. I have never finish singing them because my house was loved by classical music and my father also like jazz. My father was a big jazz man, but he also listens to traditional music. That was my schooling. Music is music, as long as it makes you feel good that is the most important thing. Most of my music was classical music.
We thought you are from East Africa as we listened to you?
I understand, they used to tell me I’m from the North when I was in Port Harcourt. Then I came to the UK, they tell me I’m from the South or East Africa, even my fellow Nigerians say I’m from the East or South Africa. I’m a pan-Africanist. I like music sort of crossing borders.
You sang at the Africa Fashion Week London last year and this year also, what does it mean to you?
It was absolutely amazing. It was very amazing performing at the fashion show. I saw Acapella last year and I was lucky enough to meet Samson Shoboye. He was one of the designers on runway last year and this year. He dressed me up for the show last year and even this year. He basically dresses me for all my events. Samson has been an incredible support to me. It’s absolutely amazing. I do have to thank AFWL for giving me the opportunity to perform. I give thanks to their communication’s manager, Benedict. It was a great experience last year and being asked to perform again this year is a big honour and absolutely amazing.
What do you miss about Nigeria?
I’m definitely not a UK guy. There’s no other way to put it. I miss my country a lot. It is all about Nigeria now. I have a single titled: Love put a hit on me on radio in Nigeria, it’s also on Mnet at the moment. Give thanks to Mnet . There’s nothing amazing like my uncle who is in his 80s who has first known me while I started singing in the choir at six years old, sending me a video of my song on Mnet in Nigeria. My next plan is to get into Nigeria now till the end of time. I miss Nigeria a lot. I’m tired of their weather. I can never deal with it till today. My soul has never been here. I left Nigeria, Nigeria did not live me. My favourite language is pidgin English. When I was in Nigeria I used to travel a lot. My friends have few nicknames for me. One of them is Ikuku because I wake up, get a vehicle and disappear, from Maiduguri to Jos. I have travelled length and breath of Nigeria for shows. I used to perform in Bonny Island, Saturdays. I will leave Uniport on Friday after the last lesson, get to Bonny waterside, get into a speed boat and straight back to Port Harcourt, perform Saturday and sometime if they have extra shows I will perform then on Monday morning, get to Port Harcourt and take taxi back to campus. I have to be honest, quite a few of my Nigerian friends called me and said old boy, go Nigeria go make money with this music. Julius called me, Sodi, bring yourself back to Nigeria. I agree with them in a certain reason. In Nigeria, there’s freedom in creating what you want to create that you cannot find here.