By Tosin Ajirire
For legendary singer and songwriter, Onyeka Onwenu, who turned 70 a few months ago, not even age can stop her from playing music.
According to the septuagenarian, who had a successful music career that spanned over 40 years, she’s not ready to quit the stage even at her old age.
“At 70, I’m still creating. I am still writing songs. I am still recording. I have many songs that I am still going to release,” she said.
However, the ‘Elegant Stallion’ lamented how Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) led by Tony Okoroji for 11 years collected royalties running to millions on her behalf, but never remitted a kobo to her.
“Since 2011, COSON has not paid me a kobo as royalties. COSON hasn’t paid me and they have collected billions. How does someone explain that to me at age 70, and over 40 years in the music industry?” she asked rhetorically.
Asked why she decided to stay in COSON that long despite the fact that nothing was coming to her in terms of royalties, the musician explained, “You keep hoping that as we are growing, we will learn to do things properly. At a point, most of us were schemed out but we remained because we have invested. They were holding our money, so you can’t just turn your back and walk away. And we did everything to make sure that they were accountable. But you get to a point where you realise that you can’t go any further. And by the way, COSON is no longer a CMO recognised by the government.”
Going into memory lane, Ms Onwenu recalled how she and many other musicians put their lives on the line to ensure things were done properly in the industry.
“I have gone on hunger strike in front of NTA. Why? It’s because they were using my songs without permission. They used ‘Iyogogo’ for eight years without my permission; and for eight good years, not a kobo was given to me. So, the battle has been fierce and we made sacrifices.
“Even during military rule, we said FRCN should stop playing our music. I remember myself, King Sunny Ade and Christy Essien-Igbokwe, all of us said ‘stop playing our music’ and they said ‘how dare you?’ And for being so daring, they said ‘never play their music again’. I think for about a year they were not playing our music until they discovered that they couldn’t run a radio station without playing music.”
However, to continue enjoying the fruits of her labour, Onwenu last Tuesday formally dumped COSON and teamed up with Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN). At a brief ceremony held at the organisation’s corporate office in Ikeja, Lagos, the One Love crooner was presented with MCSN’s certificate of membership and a detailed programme of the running of the CMO for the previous year.
“I am home. This is where I belong and I am willing to contribute my quota to make sure we push this (organisation) forward. It will get better, we have the ability,” she quipped.
But now that Onwenu is back at MCSN, what are her major expectations? She responded: “MCSN has always done a good job. In fact, I learnt so much from these two people (Orits Williki and Mayo Ayilaran, chairman and managing director respectively). These two gentlemen are doing the right thing and I’m happy to be back here where things are properly done. So, those are my expectations. If no money is coming to Onyenka Owenu, I will be happy because it will be clear to me that no money came to me. I will look at it with my ‘korokoro’ eyes and see that nothing came in for me. I will walk away and clap for those who got.”