Hadiza Blell Nigeria’s international music star

How did you go from Biochemistry and Psychology to Music? Music has always been there for as long as I can remember. As a child I would lock myself up in the living room in my house and play the piano and irritate my older brother when I mimed or sang other people’s songs. I […]

How did you go from Biochemistry and Psychology to Music?

Music has always been there for as long as I can remember. As a child I would lock myself up in the living room in my house and play the piano and irritate my older brother when I mimed or sang other people’s songs. I always sang in the shower and nursed the desire to be in entertainment. 

I have always had a passion for Biochemistry so I decided to do that first so that I build a foundation for myself and something to fall back on and something to work with and be able to develop my roots. Then music kind of came as a surprise in 2008. I have always been interested in the care of women and children. But then I decided to work with pharmaceuticals instead where I have a hand in figuring out what works best for a person.

But my music has done a lot for me in the last two years because it has allowed me express myself. I write as well and I am able to express myself a lot better. I’m able to tell a story to other people that you cannot really express sitting down one-on-one and other people can relate to it. I have always written poetry but never imagined I would be an artiste. A friend of mine insisted I went in for the Beat Music Award.

What was the experience like for you going through preparation for that competition?

The uneasiness was there, definitely. We were two hundred, on the same day we went to one hundred and then to the fifteen who were asked to come back for the finals a week after that. I was already proud of myself being part of the first fifteen. I was neither looking at the finals nor the number one spot. It was very nerve-racking.

But the thing with me is when I get on stage I just see people who are waiting for me to do what I have to do and enjoy it. That is what I did and ended up winning.

One of your objectives, according to your profile, is to make changes for African women in the Diaspora as one there what are the challenges we face?

This is not only because I am Nigerian, I have seen it in Sierra Leone as well. Education is one of our biggest problems and I do not think it is because people refuse to have it. I think it is mainly because it is not accessible to them and it is expensive.

You opened the Sierra Leonean concert for Akon. What was the experience like?

That was an amazing experience and one of the biggest crowds I have performed before. It was just a sea of people. It felt very good because a lot of people were excited about the fact that a West African girl was coming to represent them and trying to promote a positive image. One thing I have noticed is that we have amazing singers in Africa but a lot of us haven’t broken out and gone on to the international stage while still representing our background, which is what I am doing. I am not being something I am not.

What was it like performing before a Sierra Leonean audience?

One thing we all know is that we Africans love to enjoy and to party. So it was a very hype crowd. What was really amazing was the fact that some of them didn’t even know some of the songs that I was singing but had heard some others which have been playing on the Sierra Leonean radio stations. They still joined in just because they saw and accepted me as one of them.

Looks-wise, one minute you are like a super-stylish diva and the next, gritty urban. What informs your sense of style?

I am a big fan of fashion. I always look at the crowd that I am about to perform for and sometimes it depends on when I wake up in the morning and what I feel like wearing. Sometimes I feel like wearing jeans and a pair of stilettos and match it up with an Ankara top. My idea is to promote a positive image with fashion and let people see that they can still be stylish without going overboard. I guess I get my style genes from my mum and a bunch of really fashionable aunts.

Which contemporary Nigerian acts immediately speak to you?

If I am looking to have a good dance, I am a big fan of Wande Coal, Timaya and D’banj.

Could you tell us about your first single, ‘Rock Steady’?

It was the first single that dropped in Canada and was nominated for the Canadian Radio Music Awards in 2009 which was an honour. It is a very fun song and I collaborated with a guy called Adam who is part of Rock and Music Corp., also the production company for the songs.

Rock Steady was completed in a day and a half. It was the first time I was in a big studio, so you can imagine my excitement. I wanted to get it done and then discovered that laying down tracks is not as easy as people think. The song is an expression of my lifestyle as a person of different backgrounds. My father is Sierra Leonean Lebanese, my mum is Nigerian from Zaria. Rock Steady reflects that and shows that money isn’t everything.

How do you manage the tussle of Nigeria and Sierra Leone both claiming you as one of theirs?

After all is said and done, I am human. Whether Nigerian or Sierra Leonean, I am African. I’ll always be a Kaduna girl at heart, it is where I was born and raised. I definitely pull from all different cultures of mine. I speak Hausa, English and Creole.

I only moved abroad after secondary school. When I went to Sierra Leone I saw how much they absolutely love Nigerian music, home videos and culture. When I did the radio station interview, the moderator asked me what I am and when I said a Nigerian-Sierra Leonean, she said aren’t you a Sierra Leonean-Nigerian? It just makes me feel very accepted at the end of the day.

Any plans to perform in Nigeria?

No one has invited me yet. I performed in Sierra Leone because they invited me. That is the way the business works. If I am invited I will come to Nigeria but I would have to put things in place and make sure everything is properly organised. I do have a few things on the move for Abuja.

It can’t be easy juggling music and your other career. How do you do it?

I do the best I can and one has to have time management. I didn’t have this before and as I grew older, I learnt to manage my time.

How did your parents react about your going into music?

There is as lot of excitement and fear at the same time especially being from Northern Nigeria. My mum was a bit scared, especially my clothing and things I would wear and things like that. I have very good home training and my mum knows I will be a good representation of where I come from. No-one knows you as well as your parents, you know, especially if you have a strong bond built on trust and love like I have with mine.

My father was quite supportive but he was scared and his fear lingered towards the corporate side. It is a really scary industry to be in and if you do not have your eyes and ears open you will either be hurt or be bankrupt at the end of the day. I am very grateful that I am from a well-rounded family, so if I need advice, I know who to turn to.

What it is like being a Nigerian in entertainment industry abroad?

People expect you to do different kinds of music, have as different kind of sound.

What should your fans expect from you in the next 365 days?

There is an album which should be dropping in November, God willing. A video is also coming out soon.