Posted by 
Onyeka Onwenu was one of those legendary singers that by calling their first names, people knew who they were talking about – Michael, Madonna, Beyonce, Kanye.
Because of her grace, power and sophistication, she was called the Elegant Stallion by one of Nigeria’s most prominent entertainment journalists, Femi Akintunde Johnson.
On the 31st of July, when we all heard that the Elegant Stallion passed away. It’s a death that seems unfathomable.
Onyeka Onwenu was more than a singer.
She was one of the pillars of Nigerian music, a cornerstone. She was a luminary, an icon, an influencer and a trailblazer. I was meant to produce a video about her on her 73rd birthday, but hey, here we are.
Onyeka Onwenu’s presence and influence cut beyond music. Her sojourn into music started with her debut album in 1981 – For The Love of You. The following year she released another album, Endless Life. Her third album, In The Morning Light, came out in 1984.
Then in 1986 came the big one, One Love featuring the hit single named after the album. It was a huge hit that now classifies as one of those records dubbed a ‘national anthem’.
It also featured the hits, ‘Bia Nulu’, and ‘You and I.’ We will talk about the latter single later.
African Woman came out in 1987 featuring the Igbo pop hit, ‘Ekwe.’ Her next album would be ‘Dancing in the Sun’ in 1988 with the title track becoming a hit song. After a three-year break, she released the album ‘Onyeka!’ which was also successful with the song ‘Iyogogo.’
Onyeka Onwenu’s success in the 80s came at a time when female pop acts rose to national prominence. Along with Christy Essien Igbokwe, Onyeka would be the poster child for not only female dominance in music but also for the second wave of feminism in Nigeria, dealing with reproductive rights, sexual freedom, family planning, and workplace equality.
In 1989, she and Juju royalty, King Sunny Ade were tapped by the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria to compose two songs to promote family planning, responsible parenthood and reproductive health.
The collaboration spawned a 2-track EP called Choices. ‘Wait For Me’, the hit single, is arguably the best love duet in this country.
In her album, Dancing in the Sun, she dedicated a song to prominent anti-apartheid activist and former wife of Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela. After Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990, he visited Nigeria with Winnie and Onyeka performed the song for them.
Going into the 90s, the Elegant Stallion turned her attention to the blossoming home video industry later called Nollywood. Her first movie role came in 1999 in the movie ‘Nightmare.’ It was however the film ‘Conspiracy’, that turned Onyeka Onwenu into a movie star.
Conspiracy” told the story of a mad woman, Grace, who gave birth to twins, James and John. The twins who grew up to become doctors were taken away from her and raised by a childless couple.
Onyeka Onwenu played the role of the mad woman which gained her critical praise. The 2001 film featured her old hit, ‘You and I’ as the soundtrack. The recorded version helped introduce the classic hit to a new generation of Nigerians.
Conspiracy and Chain Reaction starring Liz Benson and Pete Edochie are regarded as not only Onwenu’s finest performances but one of the best home video movies of that era.
Onyeka Onwenu was also involved in politics. She contested twice to become the Local Council Chairman of her Local Government but lost. In 2013, during the Goodluck Administration, she was appointed the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development.
Now, let’s go back in time before the music, movies and politics. Onyeka Onwenu started her professional career as a news reporter and journalist with the NTA.
In 1984, she presented and wrote the award-winning BBC/NTA documentary Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches, “Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches” became the definitive film on corruption in Nigeria, shedding light on the persistent Niger Delta agitation for resource control and the campaign against environmental degradation in the country’s oil-rich region.
Onyeka Onwenu’s legacy cannot be summed up in a few paragraphs.
She held an immense space in Nigerian music. Her exit has torn a large fabric in the garment of our pop culture. We lost more than a singer. We lost an Amazon who was fierce, bold, beautiful, graceful and whose songs struck a chord across the vast expanse called Nigeria.
One of our pillars has fallen, but she will always be remembered.
To end this, let me tell you a story.
In 2016, while I was still working at Pulse Nigeria, we were suddenly told that King Sunny Ade and Onyeka Onwenu were stopping by for an interview. The office, filled with millennials and Gen-Zs almost collapsed. The fact that these legends were coming to the office made everyone stop working.
After their interview, the entire office, I mean the entire office, lined up for photographs with the King of Music and the elegant stallion.
This was the magnetic pull of Onyeka Onwenu, a woman that seemed so larger than life, that she felt like a myth. She didn’t feel real.
Goodnight Elegant Stallion. Ride on.
