Legendary singer and actress Onyeka Onwenu, 72, has died after collapsing suddenly following a performance at a birthday celebration. The ace songwriter passed away on Tuesday night at the Reddington Hospital in Lagos.
Onwenu had attended the 80th birthday party of Stella Okoli, the founder of Emzor Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company, in Lagos. Referred to as the ‘Elegant Stallion,’ the singer slumped at the birthday party after performing.
As of the time of this report, the singer’s family has not yet made an official announcement regarding her death.
Onyeka was born on January 31, 1952, in Arondizuogu, a small town in Ideato North, Imo state. She was raised in Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers state.
In the 70s, she attended Wellesley College, Massachusetts, where she obtained a BA in International Relations and Communication. She also earned an MA in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research, New York.
Onwenu worked for the United Nations as a tour guide before returning to Nigeria in 1980 to complete her mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Lagos. She then worked as a reporter at NTA. In 1984, she wrote and presented the internationally acclaimed BBC/NTA documentary ‘Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches,’ which was turned into a film about corruption in Nigeria and the Niger Delta agitation for resource control and campaign against environmental degradation.
Onwenu also worked as a TV presenter, hosting the shows ‘Contact’ (1988) and ‘Who’s On?’ (1993) both on the NTA Network. She then ventured into the music industry, beginning her recording career in 1981 while still with the NTA, releasing an album titled ‘For the Love of You’. Her sophomore album, ‘Endless Life,’ was produced by the late Sonny Okosun.
In 1986, she delivered her award-winning hit song ‘One Love’. Another hit song, ‘You and I,’ was re-recorded for the 2001 film ‘Conspiracy’ starring actor Nkem Owoh and herself. She also released numerous other projects, including ‘Iyogogo,’ ‘Falling in Love,’ ‘Odenigbo,’ ‘Ekwe,’ ‘Alleluya,’ and ‘Dancing in the Sun.’
Her first role in a movie was in Zik Zulu Okafor’s ‘Nightmare,’ where she played the character of a childless woman who adopted an abandoned baby. She featured in numerous Nollywood movies, winning the Africa Movie Academy Award for ‘Best Actress in a Supporting Role’ in 2006 for her performance in ‘Widow’s Cot.’ Her acclaimed albums, including ‘In The Morning Light’ and ‘Dancing In The Sun,’ showcased her extraordinary talent and contributed significantly to the rich tapestry of Nigerian music.
In addition to her musical success, she was celebrated for her roles in prominent films such as ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ and ‘Lionheart.’
Beyond her artistic achievements, Onwenu was also a prominent figure in Nigerian politics and women’s rights. She served as the Chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture and later as the Director-General of the National Centre for Women Development.
