She mounted the stage, shoulders high in her signature low cut and a flowing black and white Kaftan—her latest brand definition, the Kaftan. She floated from the stage to the floor, her voice sweet and guttural all at once, belting out one of her more famous songs, “One Love.” Onyeka Onwenu in full flight is beautiful to behold.
The audience lapped up her rhythm, her unique dance steps, eyes shut in parts, and her traditional move into the audience for engagement and participation of the audience, pulling one or two persons up to dance with her. Add that to her head being thrown back as the beat gets her and her ability to conduct her band to change direction with a fist in the air. She gets her band to suddenly stop mid-trajectory and, turning around, bring them back up with one familiar hand movement.
Onyeka was electrifying on stage, and her voice was a special gift, at once mellifluous and authoritative. Today, she held us all spellbound. The audience was on their feet and chanted along.
“One love, keep us together...
” It was a defining moment. She was a performer, I was host and director of ceremonies, and Her Excellency Senator Remi Tinubu was chief host and special guest of honour. The event was organised by the Nigerian First Lady to celebrate Nigerian women and their milestone with the theme “Looking forward” and also to commemorate the Tinubu administration’s first anniversary in office .
As soon as I announced the “Elegant Stallion,” Onyeka held.