Popular Nigerian singer Onyeka Onwenu was pronounced dead at Reddington Hospital on Tuesday after collapsing. She had performed at Stella Okoli’s birthday party in Lagos before her death.
Apart from the entertainment industry, the late legend was also known in politics and journalism.
In 2021, the singer announced in a Premium Times opinion piece how she wished to be buried while discerning the ‘lavish’ memorial service for Obi Cubana’s mother.
“Do it quickly, quietly and privately. Celebrate me with prayers, lunch or dinner afterwards. Share some jokes about me and laugh. Mourn, yes, but not excessively. Make merriment and then go about your business.
“I am very uncomfortable with the lavish display of wealth on any occasion, especially in a time of hardship and lack for most others,” she said.
She noted being celebrated while on earth.
“If my friends want to celebrate me, they should do so while I am alive so that I can enjoy it with them, not when I am gone and have no idea about this. That is me, Onyeka Onwenu,” she said.
Onyeka Onwenu was born in 1952 at Obosi, Anambra State. She began her music career in the 1980s and released her debut album, “For the Love of You” in 1981. Since then, she has released several albums and singles, including the hit “One Love”.
She was appointed Chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture in 2013 and later as the Director General of the National Women Development Centre in 2016.
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.
In 2020, she announced the publication of her memoir – “My Father’s Daughter” which is over 450 pages long, designed to inspire young people, especially younger women, as it encapsulates the ups and downs of her life.
According to her, the book also captures aspects of her life that were previously unknown to the public.
Source: BUSINESSDAY
