The latest Google’s Doodle celebrates one of the most prominent veteran singers, Christy Uduak Essien-Igbokwe, popularly known as Nigeria’s Lady of Songs on her posthumous birthday.
Today marks what would have been the 58th birthday of Christy Igbokwe ( 1960-2011). She was the first female president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN). She was also the chairwoman and managing director of Soul Train entertainment limited.
Her song “Seun Rere” which means “be good/do good” was a classic hit in the 80’s and 90’s and was featured on the album “Ever Liked My Person? under International Records, Skylark Records.
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Writing about the late singer Google wrote,
“Our #GoogleDoodle in Nigeria today honours the life of Christy Essien Igbokwe’s 58th Birthday. ‘Nigeria’s Lady of Songs’ who used her fame to highlight social issues such the abuse of women and children.”
Igbokwe was a tireless activist and a philanthropist who was involved in so many charity programmes.
Essien-Igbokwe sang in Igbo, Ibibio, Efik, Hausa, Yoruba as well as in English. Essien’s fluency in Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, English and her native Ibibio earned her an appeal which cut across tribal lines.
Essien-Igbokwe was born in Okat, Onna Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. She lost her mother at the age of 12 and her father in 2005. Growing up she lived in Aba, Abia State with her late mother’s friend who encouraged her singing career and bought her a fairly used cassette player to record her songs.
Essien-Igbokwe began her musical career in Secondary School, singing at various clubs such as Uka Onu’s Club and Unikoko in Aba, Abia State. She featured on a programme called ‘Now Sound’ on the Nigerian Television Authority Channel 6, Aba.
The veteran singer bagged many international and local awards. She also bagged some awards after her death namely,
1.Entertainment Icon” by West African Women in Leadership Conference (in Ghana) – 2011
2.Excellence in Outstanding Performance & Hard Work” by National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students (NAAKISS) – University of Lagos Chapter – 2011
Always at the forefront of issues affecting women and children, she played roles in some of the early Nollywood flicks such as ‘Flesh and Blood’ and ‘Scars of Womanhood’, both of which addressed issues of child abuse and female circumcision.
With a desire to make life better for Nigerian artists, she is credited as having initiated the first meeting that brought about the formation of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria in 1981. Between 1996 and 1999, she became the first female president of the association.
The Akwa Ibom born performer featured in many national and international shows and also had the honour of composing and performing what would later be known as her state’s informal anthem, “Akwa Ibom Mmi (My Akwa Ibom)” in 1987, its year of creation.
