Onyeka Onwenu is a Nigerian music legend, actress, and human rights activist, among other things. She was born in the 1950s to a well-known Nigerian politician, whom she lost when she was only four years old. She is from the eastern part of Nigeria, but she married a Yoruba man from the western part of the country. This article will delve into Onyeka Onwenu’s biography, husband, children, songs, movies, age, and other details about the legendary artist and musician. Please keep reading.
Onyeka Onwenu biography
Onyeka Onwenu Biography | |
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| Born | Onyeka Onwenu 31 January 1952 (age 71) Obosi, Anambra State, Nigeria |
| Education | Wellesley College, Massachusetts (B.A) The New School for Social Research, New York. (M.A) |
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| Spouse(s) | Mr. Ogunlende (1984 ) |
| Children | Tijana Charles Ogunlende, Abraham Ogunlende |
Onyeka Onwenu, also known as Elegant Stallion, was born on May 17, 1952 in Obosi, Anambra State, Nigeria to D.K Onwenu, who died in an auto accident when Onyeka was four.
Onyeka Onwenu is from Arondizuogu, Ideato North Local Government Area, Imo State, Nigeria.
Onyeka Onwenu Early Life
Onyeka Onwenu was brought up in Port Harcourt but originally from Arondizuogu, a small town in Ideato North, Imo State. She is the youngest daughter of Late D. K. Onwenu, a Nigerian educationist and politician who died in an auto accident when she was four years old, a week before his appointment as Minister of Education, leaving his widow, to raise five children alone because her husband family denied her access to all D.K Onwenu’s Wealth and Property.
Educational background
After completing her primary and secondary school education in Obosi, she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Communication from Wellesley College in Massachusetts, USA, and a master’s degree in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research in New York.
Career
In Broadcasting
She made an impression as a news presenter and reporter for the NTA. She wrote and presented the internationally acclaimed BBC/NTA documentary Nigeria, A Squandering of Riches in 1984, which became the definitive film about corruption in Nigeria as well as the intractable Niger Delta agitation for resource control and environmental degradation in Nigeria’s oil-rich region. She is a former NTA board member who has also worked as a TV presenter, hosting the NTA Network shows Contact (1988) and Who’s On? (1993). She received several awards, including the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Onyeka Onwenu Musical Career
Onyeka Onwenu’s music career began in 1981 with the release of ‘For the Love of You’ and ‘Endless Life’ produced by Sunny Okosun in 1982, ‘The Morning Light’ in 1984, ‘One Love’ in 1986, and ‘Dancing In The Sun’ in 1988. She is the only musician who has combined Pop, Juju, and Highlife to create ‘eargasmic’ sounds. Her songs, like her writing, advocate for unity and cultural coexistence while also addressing social issues, such as wellbeing and women’s rights, as well as the plight of children.
Originally a secular artist, Onwenu transitioned to gospel music in the 1990s, and the majority of her songs are self-written. She is still writing and singing about issues such as HIV/AIDS, peace and mutual coexistence, women’s rights, and the plight of children. She began her music career in 1981, while still working for the NTA, with the release of For the Love of You, a pop album featuring an orchestral cover of Johnny Nash’s “Hold Me Tight,” and her second album Endless Life, which was produced by Sonny Okosun. Both records were issued by the EMI label.
Onyeka was one of three judges on X Factor Nigeria in 2013.
Political Career
Onyeka Onwenu belongs to the People’s Democratic Party. She ran twice for the position of Local Council Chairman in her local government, Ideato North Local Government Area, Imo State, but lost both times. However, former governor Ikedi Ohakim appointed her as Chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture. President Goodluck Jonathan appointed her as Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development on September 16, 2013.
As An Activist
In 2000, Onwenu went on a hunger strike outside NTA’s headquarters in protest of their refusal to pay royalties on her songs (NTA 2 Channel 5 had used “Iyogogo,” a track from the Onyeka! album, in station idents without her permission), and after then-director general Ben Murray-Bruce blacklisted her from transmission, she went on a hunger strike outside the station’s premises. When pressed, Onwenu said: “We have discovered that the entertainment industry is suffering. Many artists have no pension and are starving. These are well-known individuals who have made significant contributions to the growth of the industry in Nigeria, and we believe that this must come to an end.”
Onwenu’s activism drew widespread support from a variety of artists, including Charly Boy, who criticized Nigeria’s refusal to pay royalties when songs are broadcast on television and radio. NTA agreed to settle the dispute amicably, but denied that Onwenu would be barred from appearing on their channels. After six days, the protest was called off when Onwenu and NTA reached an agreement on royalties.
As An Actress
In Zik Zulu Okafor’s Nightmare, Onwenu played Joke, a childless woman who adopts an abandoned baby. She has since appeared in a number of Nollywood films, and in 2006 she was awarded the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her work in the film “Widow’s Cot.” She was also nominated for an African Movie Academy Award that year for “Best Actress in a Leading Role” in the film “Rising Moon”. In 2014. She appeared in the films Half of a Yellow Sun, in which she co-starred with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandiwe Newton, and Lion Heart (2018).
Movies
- Conspiracy
- Not Your Wealth
- Nightmare
- Every Single Day
- Omalinze
- Rising Moon
- The Tyrant
- Government House
- Muna
- Lionheart
- Half of a Yellow Sun
- The Trinity
- To Love an Angel
- Different World
Onyeka Onwenu Songs
- one love
- bia nulu
- ekwe
- iyogogo
- you and i
- alleluya
- in the morning light
- ekwe
- peace song
- iyogogo
- bia nulu
- dancing in the sun
- egwu ekene
- greatest love
- goodness of god
- keredim
Onyeka Onwenu Husband
Onyeka famously keeps her personal life private, and she frequently refuses to reveal private information about her ex-husband, a Yoruba Muslim. She got married to Mr. Ogunlende in 1984.
Onyeka Onwenu Children
her marriage to Mr Ogunlende was blessed with two sons Tijana Charles Ogunlende and Abraham Ogunlende.
Onyeka Onwenu is said to have had a daughter with King Sunny Ade.
Celebrities being in a romantic relationship is unusual. However, it is not uncommon for fans to make up stories about celebrities. Among the notable celebrities who have been rumored to be in a relationship are Onyeka Onwenu and singer Sunny Ade. When they released their hit song, Wait For Me, it was rumored that the day the song was to be released was also the day of their supposed wedding.
Awards
- — 2003 National Award – MFR (Member of the Federal Republic).
- — 2006 African Movie Academy Award – Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
- — National Council for Arts and Culture Awards, in recognition of her contributions to the field of Music and Cultural Administration in 2009.
- — Best Female Artiste – Nigeria Music Award.
- — Nigerian Woman of Distinction Award, at the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration in 2010. True Nigerian Award.
NET WORTH
Onyenka Onwenu was one of the richest musicians and actresses in Nigeria, she has an estimated net worth of $200,000 Dollars.
