I was very tender when my parents left me with my aunty who would latter become my second Mom. She was the most amazing person I have every known, but beyond that, she was musical. She is probably the reason behind my love for music.
She does not just have an amazing voice, she was a member of the church prayer band and she was her best vocalist. Listening to her sing, I concluded within myself that I will be like her. My journey with my aunty was just the genesis, it was more like my first milestone. She is late now, but I guess she will be proud of me where every she is.
At the age of nine, I left my aunty to the city of Port Harcourt where my parents lived with my other siblings. I have long wished to live my parents, but yet I missed the love and care that was shown to me by an aunty. The city of Port Harcourt was nothing like my home town, you could hear different genres of music at every corner. It was an entire different world, and it probably made me.
My new neighborhood was musical, it was evidenced in the fact that every morning was as musical as you can ever imagine. I never knew my parents loved music too, Port Harcourt made me realise a part of their life that I have never seen. It was like the entire neighborhood put up a party every morning, but then weekends were more pronounced with respect to the fact that everyone would be at home. As a matter of fact, I got exposed to different genres of music, some of which I never knew were in existence.
I am just beginning to realise how much my parents influenced me musical. My preference in music is certainly Afro, but the calm and easy going types. Come to think of it, the favorites of my parents is not far from that. While my father enjoyed the likes of Oriental brothers, Osadebe, Oliver, Mike and some other highlife legends, my mother preferred country music, blues and a little of jazz. Through my mother I got to encounter the likes of Dolly Parton, Don Williams, Celine Dion and so many others. Come to think of it, my father's love for highlife and my mother's love for mild music would certainly have contributed to genre of music I now fancy.
SOME MUSIC FROM MY CHILDHOOD
Coat of many colors by Dolly Parton use to be my mothers favorite. She played to extent that I could sing every of lyrics as child. As a matter of fact, it became my favourite.
Mike Ejeagha recently gained spotlight over here in Nigeria after his song was used for a skit by the Nigeria popular comedian Brain Jotter. He was one of my father's favourite and I loved his music as a child.
My Parents where never lovers of Fela, but our next door neighbor Mr Anayo played his song as often as you can ever imagine. I encountered Fela from him and I have ever loved him since then.
