My first album didn’t represent me, Omotola speaks on music career

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Nollywood star, says her most preferred music genre is soft rock.

The actress said on her first album, she was inclined to make rock music but her handlers discouraged her from doing so.

She said music executive, Obi Asika, advised her to embrace the use of indigenous sounds and lyricism to appeal to the Nigerian audience.

Jalade-Ekeinde made this known in an interview with Adesua Onyenekwe on her talk show, ‘Seriously Speaking’.

“My first album was not 100% a true representation of me. Because I wanted to do rock. When it comes to music, I am more of a soft rock person,” said the actress who recently turned 40.

“I wasn’t allowed to do that. Shout out to Obi Asika, he was my mentor for my first album. The late OJB was my producer.

“They thought ‘you can’t come out and do rock’. We are talking about 2005 when people were just starting to like Nigerian music.

“My second album is more of me, the way I think and the kind of issues I like to talk about. Like ‘Barren land’ which was adopted by Amnesty International.

“When I write music, it’s mostly my activism side speaking.”

Early in her music career, the actress had said she would put out a music album every five years.

But she says a new project will only be released after “building my own place where people who like my music can come and watch”.

The actress’ first album contained 10 songs, which included standout track, ‘Gba’.