•Late Onyeka Onwenu singing before audience at the party before the end.
Music maestro and ‘One Love Keeps Us Together” crooner, Ms Onyeka Onwenu is dead.
This is coming barely 10 days after the South-East geopolitical zone – Igboland, lost two of its prominent sons and politicians – the President – General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and All Progressives Congress(APC) chieftain and Senator Ifeanyi Ubah of Anambra State.
The Daily Crucible learnt that the songwriter, 72, was said to have died at the highbrow Reddington Hospital in Lagos after slumping at a birthday party also said to be hosted by Mrs. Stella Okoli of the Emzor Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Lagos on Tuesday night.
The Reddington Hospital in Victoria Island, confirmed her dead according to a source.
Also, according to a witness who was at the party confirmed the shocking and sad news pertaining to the veteran musician.
“It is very sad. Onyeka Onwenu just performed at the birthday of Mrs. Stella Okoli today, and after performing, she slumped. She was taken to Reddington Hospital and she couldn’t make it,” the source said.
Onwenu was born in 1952 in Obosi, Anambra State.
She began her music career in the 1980s and released her debut album, ‘For the Love of You’, in 1981.
She was famous for her hit songs like ‘One Love’, ‘Dancing in the Sun,’ ‘Ekwe’, ‘You and I’ and ‘Bia Nulu.’
Onwenu acted in several Nollywood movies and won numerous awards for her contributions to music and film.
She starred in movies like ‘Mothers-in-Law’, ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’, and ‘The Tyrant’.
Onwenu studied in the U.S., earning a degree in International Relations and Communication from Wellesley College, Massachusetts, a master’s in Media Studies from the New School for Social Research in New York City.
She joined the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in the early 1980s as a news correspondent and went on to produce and present ‘The Onyeka Onwenu Show’.
In addition to her entertainment career, Onwenu was involved in politics.
She was appointed as the chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture in 2013 and later became the director-general of the National Centre for Women Development in 2016.
She was awarded the National Honours of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2011.
In a glowing tribute to the legendary Lady of songs by veteran journalist, Senator and farmer, Senator Babafemi Ojodu, he described late Onwenu as a musician whose voice echoed beyond time.
Ojodu added that she lived her life giving true expression to her passions and convictions, undeterred by naysayers.
“Last night, we lost a remarkable soul, Onyeka Onwenu, whose life was a tapestry of brilliance, passion, and unwavering conviction. As a journalist, musician, and politician, she was a beacon of truth and a voice for the voiceless. In 1983, Onyeka captured the hearts and minds of many with her gripping documentary, “ Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches,” which powerfully called attention to societal ills that, tragically, still resonate today. Not long after the documentary was broadcast, the government was removed.
“Her passing, so sudden after a performance at a friend’s birthday party, is a stark reminder of the inevitability of death. It is a reminder that no one knows when their time will come, a reality that underscores the importance of living authentically and with purpose. Onyeka embodied this ethos; she lived her life giving true expression to her passions and convictions, undeterred by naysayers.
“In honoring Onyeka’s legacy, we are reminded to seize every moment and live with the same fervor and integrity she exemplified. Her life teaches us that in the face of uncertainty, the best tribute we can offer is to be fearless in our pursuit of truth and justice, to give voice to our deepest passions, and to leave a legacy of courage and authenticity.
“Onyeka Onwenu’s voice may be silent, but her message continues to resonate. She has left an indelible mark on our hearts and society, reminding us that true greatness lies in the courage to be oneself and to fight for what is right, regardless of the obstacles. As we mourn her loss, we also celebrate a life well-lived, a life that will continue to inspire future generations. Rest in peace, Onyeka Onwenu. Your legacy lives on,” Ojodu stated on his Facebook page.
Also a veteran journalist, Ifenmesia Iferenta
When Onyeka Onwenu And I Exchanged Gunfire: A Tribute – Iferenta
Also a veteran journalist, Ifenmesia Iferenta described the Onyeka Onwenu as an “elegant stallion” and the news of her sudden passing as “heart – shattering.”
He also recalled the fiery exchanges between the two in their days of journalism practice.
He stated, “I remember everything so vividly even as the heart-shattering news of her sudden exit last night from planet earth hit me hard between the eyes!
She had just released her latest song, DANCING IN THE SUN. In a media comment, I dismissed the new song as a “stylistic volte-face” which earned the ire of the elegant stallion. She was hopping madder than a hatter! At this time, I was a Columnist for the PRIME PEOPLE, the biggest soft-sell magazine in the country.
You will be amazed what Onyeka did as a response to my critical salvoes. As a communicator, she opted to quickly begin writing her own column in the same popular PRIME PEOPLE. From this co-sign of vantage, she started firing lethal shots at me week in, week out. I also lubricated my sharpshooters and started exchanging a rat-a-tat of gunfire with her. This in-house pen war raged on the pages of the same magazine between us for a while until the Management of PRIME PEOPLE intervened and called for an immediate ceasefire! And the war ended thereafter and we became friends again.
“I sigh with exceeding sadness today as the news of her passing away hit me, this vivacious, affable and charismatic iconic personality of Africa whose creative seepages shook Nigeria and Africa for decades. Her massive, chartbusting song, ONE LOVE, says everything about the vitality of her artistry. Her BBC-sponsored documentary, SQUANDERING OF RICHES, shook the entire world.
Goodnight, Onyeka Onwenu, the great, Elegant Stallion!”
Additional report sourced from TheNiche.
