Afro pop singer, Imelda Ada Okwori, popularly known as Imelda J, has revealed that she doesn’t have a thing for slim men, as they appear stingy.
She made this revelation in a new interview with The Punch, where she talked about her career, life and the men she had been rumored to be dating in the industry.
Read excerpts:
Background
I was born and raised in Benue State, which is also my state of origin. I studied Integrated Science at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State. I am the first daughter and the second child. My given name is Imelda Ada Okwori.
Music
I started singing from a very tender age because my mother was into music and she had her own group. It was more like growing up to follow her footsteps. My first song was titled, My Love For You, and I featured the late OJB Jezreel. It was actually one of the songs that brought me fame. Then, I released Bread and Butter. I also did a song with Small Doctor. I have released a couple of songs but the latest one is Money Good.
Parents’ reaction
They supported me because it was not strange to them. However, people advised my mother to stop me from doing music because they felt I wouldn’t get married if I became a musician.
Challenges
Challenges are numerous. As a woman, you get to meet people that would only offer to help you based on certain conditions. Some people would want to date or marry you before they can help you. You have to be financially capable because the music industry is not fair to women. To promote music in Nigeria, you need a considerable amount of money. As a woman, you have to go the extra mile to do certain things because it is an industry dominated by men.
When I got to Lagos newly, I got entangled with a man who said he would help me only if I would be intimate with him. He advised me to break up any previous relationship I had despite the fact that I had money to pay for my song. I walked out on him but he called me back and now we are friends. I also lost a contract because I refused to meet with the record company owner at a hotel.
D’banj
I don’t know why some people like to interpret things to suit their purpose. D’banj is someone I have always admired. Aside music, he is business-minded and hard-working. He is my kind of person: playful, intelligent and cheerful. I didn’t mean what I said about dating him because it was a joke. However, the rumour got to me because we are good friends.
Jaywon
I never dated Jaywon; we have just worked together. During the shoot for one of our music videos, some people took suggestive pictures of us together and this brought a lot of misunderstanding between Jaywon and I. I didn’t like the way he handled the issue because he didn’t ask me anything; rather, he and his manager wrote defamatory press statements about me.