‘Damilola Oyedele

My talk with her was over in fewer minutes than the number of my fingers, but in the spirit of a true star, Omotola managed to hit all the right notes with this interview about her new album.

I’m here again

With the release of Me, Myself and Eyes, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has fearlessly stepped out a second time to face fans and critics alike. One thing she makes clear is that she’s doing it alone and on her own terms. “This is what I really want to do,” Omotola says, and I can feel the sincerity and authority in her declaration. “There have always been those who didn’t take me very seriously,” she says, “and I know their eyes are on me now,” she continues, speaking on the inspiration behind the album’s title.

“My life is a lot of experiences already, and you can imagine what’s it’s like to add recording to that,” she states. However, Ms. Jalade-Ekeinde, who is as strong as she is sexy says that the added experience “wasn’t stressful, but challenging.” The star reveals that she began recording in 2008. “It cost me a lot of time and money, as you can imagine, but I was determined to get it right this time.” She graciously recognises those who joined her to make the project a successful one. “I was fortunate to have the support of a few dedicated people who I call my ‘partners’ – my producer, my voice trainer and my office assistants.”

My songs, my life

“I’m emotionally attached to all the tracks on my album,” Omotola says, “but I can say that I like the different tracks for different reasons.” “Barren Land is a track that is dear to my heart,” she says. The song touches on AIDS and the suffering of women and children. Omotola explains why she likes Missing You, a song about love and loss. “These are emotions that everyone has experienced in one way or another”, she says.

As usual Omotola does not mince words as she talks about Feel Alright, the track which is now being heavily played on radio stations across the nation. “I wrote that song at a point when I needed to console myself,” she confesses. She goes on: “I sing about the things I really want to say – I speak my mind, that’s why you’ll also find songs of mine that touch on political activism, because that is another side of me as well.”

Me, myself and my gift

When I ask her about the launch of the album, Omotola visibly lights up as she speaks. “I’m a perfectionist. I’d been going crazy planning and planning this perfect launch for three whole months, and then at the last minute, as always, we had issues!” She reveals that she developed a runny nose and a headache when things started to go wrong a few hours to the big event. “It affected me a whole lot,” she says, “but at the end of the day the launch turned out to be a success”.

Finally Omotola shares her expectations for her sophomore album. “I hope that it touches everyone who listens to it. I want people to see it, first and foremost, as a gift.” She continues: “I’m not singing just because I want to make money or be a copycat, or be competitive. At the end of the day it’s a form of expression and I just want to entertain.” Omotola hopes that Me, Myself and Eyes will go further than even she can envision. “At the end of the day that’s what every other person wants,” she concludes.

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Oluwapelumi