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Sometimes when I listen to the song ‘Jonny’, I ask rhetorically if this song is a true life story of Yemi or a fiction. But along the line, I got really interested in the song and wonders how Jonny could impregnate Uche, marry Nene, and date someone else. What a world for Jonny.
Yemi Alade “Jonny crooner ’’ is my guest for this week. She is a young artiste, entertainer, and a pop singer. She started her music career at 15 years with an all-girls music group called Nuttyspice. In the group, her stage name was Ginger Spice.
However, it was until she won the Peak Talent Hunt show in 2009 that she started singing professionally.
“What really inspired me to go into music professionally was because of the Peak Talent show which I eventually won. I invested the prize money in my music career and start formerly. That gave me the push I needed.”
Of course, the release of her first single titled “Fimisile” featuring Eldee, an award winning singer and rapper, triggered off an ambition, and set her on a journey to stardom.
Explaining why her songs are based on fiction, she notes, “I write my songs based on fiction, I can create a story in my head and just start writing about it all from looking at someone’s life.” Yemi is always on the lookout for what she wants, and takes advantage of the opportunity when it comes.
But her tutelage with Effizie Music Group was a boost. The group consulted for her and also groomed her on the kind of artiste she should be and how to go about her career. She was finally signed unto the group’s record label in 2011. Under the supervision of Taiye Aliyu, her manager, she released a single in November 2013 titled ‘Jonny’ and recently released another single titled ‘Tangerine’. These tracks were recorded in Nigeria by Selebobo, a talented producer, while the videos were directed by Clarence Peters.
Now to the crux of the gist, I asked Yemi how she came up with the song ‘Jonny’. “Well the song came to me while I was on a media tour in Abuja, an OAP came to me and asked why all female artistes sing about love and nobody mentions any guy’s name. He concluded that we were hiding something. But I told him that when I get back to Enugu where I intend to meet Selebobo, I will probably think about it. And when I got there, we came up with ‘Jonny’, it was later I remembered that I have actually dated a guy called Jonny. The song was a fiction because that was not really the reason the relationship did not work out. The French version of Jonny is also out on sale. I got assistance from a young lady that was introduced to me. She brushed my French over for two months, she taught me how to pronounce things and to sing it as well but thank God it all worked out”, Yemi says.
Growing up was really interesting for Yemi because her parents are from different language groups. “My father is from Ondo State. He retired as Commissioner of Police while my mother is from Abia State, and she is a business woman. I have the best of both worlds when it comes to both tribes because I was able to eat all kinds of food. My parents were really amazing people giving me the best of education although they never allowed me attend any parties but it has come to make me the kind of woman that I am today.” Yemi’s parents have been very supportive all the way.
Yemi, the fifth child of the seven children of her parents, attended St. Saviour British School Ebute-Metta, Victory Grammar School Ikeja, and now a graduate of Geography from the University of Lagos.
She is in a relationship with a guy whom she describes as Tangerine. “There is a man in my life and his identity remains undisclosed.” Explaining further on her recently released single ‘Tangerine’, she says the song describes love because when opening tangerine fruit, the skin brings out liquid that is quite painful to the eyes and after opening, the fruit itself is very sweet, and that basically describes love for me. Love has both painful and beautiful side. Tangerine describes love as it really is.
Yemi Alade is a fun loving person, she likes being indoors, she loves good movie, and good wine. She loves to dress in tan top and a pair of shorts, eyes glass, big ear rings, loves cooking, and eats well to be healthy.
Abimbola Obatayo
