Aituaje Aina
Iruobe, popularly known and addressed as Waje, acronym for Words Aren’t Just
Enough, is arguably one of the hottest hip-hop female music acts in Africa. The
Ominiknowes crooner, who became one of the voice coaches in the Airtel
sponsored reality TV show, The Voice Nigeria for 2016, spoke with ENCOMIUM
Weekly.
In the chat,
the talented mother of one daughter revealed her plan for the rest of 2016 and
how it feels to be one of the voice coaches in The Voice Nigeria 2016 among
other issues.
It’s the
second quarter of the year, what are you plans for the rest of 2016?
Yea, the
year is really running fast. For the rest of 2016, I am working on my new album
to be produced by my wonderful producer, Cobhams Asuquo. It sure promises to be
mind blowing. I myself can’t wait for it as I intend to tell my story through
this album. For a couple of months, I have been one of the voice coaches on The
Voice Nigeria, which is just rounding off their blind auditions. We are going
back to South Africa to continue live for the rest of the show in June; working
on music tours around Africa and the world.
What have
you been up to?
I have been
up to quite a number of things, The Voice Nigeria, music video release of my
song, Ominiknowest, Waje safe house activities, performances alongside other
music celebrities in Nigeria, South Africa, other countries and also working on
my album.
Your single,
Ominiknowest, is no doubt a good one. What inspired it?
Thank you
very much. The song, Ominiknowest was released in 2013, but the video dropped
sometime in February this year. The word Ominiknowest actually refers to people
who think that they know you more than you know yourself like sabi sabi, ITK,
etc. And in the course of my career, I have come across people like this who specialize
in telling you how you should live your life or how you should have sang a song
or worn a dress and much more. So, this song was done for them.
How does it
feel to be one of the coaches of the talent hunt reality show, The Voice
Nigeria?
The Voice
Nigeria is a great talent hunt reality show and I feel wonderful being one of
the voice coaches because it is amazing to see great talents we have in
Nigeria.
What gave
you an edge?
I really
can’t say exactly what gave me an edge but I guess the organizers of The Voice
Nigeria saw something unique in me that made me get chosen as their female
voice coach. They also wanted to confirm that I wasn’t on any existing contract
with a competing telecoms company which was an added advantage.
Tell us
about the experience being one of the judges of The Voice Nigeria?
It has been
a great experience to be voice coach alongside 2Face, Timi Dakolo and
Patoranking, as it gave us the opportunity to mentor; meeting with these
talents, having to hear them sing and also hear their life experiences. At some
point in the show, I got so emotional when some of these talents had to leave
the competition as you as the coach are the one to send them home and I kept on
apologizing to those I had to let go promising to help push their music career
but I know The Voice is a stepping stone to the fulfillment of their music
dreams.
Aside music,
what other business do you do?
Starting my
chin-chin business soonest. You need to taste my chin-chin; you won’t get over
it (laughs).
What
inspires your kind of music?
Everything
ignites my creativity and influences the kind of songs I do – my life, my
environment, people I have come in contact with at one point or the other, our
country, everything around me basically.
What’s your
take about the Nigeria music industry, will you say it’s growing?
I will say
the Nigerian Music Industry is growing tremendously as each passing day we get
to see creativity at its best. It is good that each of my colleagues in the
industry is working hard to making entertainment worthwhile in Nigeria and in
the world as a whole.
What’s your
greatest asset?
My daughter.
Would you
say you are fulfilled with what you have become today?
Oh yes, I am
more than fulfilled with what I have become and I hope to fulfill greater
things.
What has
been your greatest challenges?
My greatest
challenge has been staying on top of my game in the music industry.
Presently,
what are you working on?
I am working
on my Semi-live album with producer, Cobhams Asuquo. I am gunning for the
Grammys so, I need to get to the point where internationally people will hear
my music and be like “wow this is good music and we want to be part of this.”
Let’s talk
about your love life, have you found love?
(Laughs) I
am still patiently waiting to find love o.
Are you not
bothered being single?
Not at all.
The only burden I get to have sometimes is the aspect of financial
responsibilities but that is why I am a strong woman (smiles).
Define your
ideal man.
My ideal man
must be God-fearing, good looking, loving, understanding, matured in heart and
have a very fat pocket (laughs).
How do you
spend your leisure?
I enjoy
swimming. I also make chin-chin at other times.
What should
fans look forward to from Waje?
A lot of
amazing works from me this year; more important, my upcoming album; I have been
called to open Lauryn Hill in Brooklyn, USA. I am also doing the SABC live show
in Johannesburg.
credit:Encomium
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