The rise and rise of Nneka
As a young singer, Nneka first gained public attention in 2004 while performing as an opening act for dancehall reggae star Sean Paul at a Hamburg venue. After releasing her debut album ‘The Uncomfortable Truth’ she followed it up with ‘Victim of Truth’, released not only in Germany but also in England, France, Netherlands, Japan […]
As a young singer, Nneka first gained public attention in 2004 while performing as an opening act for dancehall reggae star Sean Paul at a Hamburg venue. After releasing her debut album ‘The Uncomfortable Truth’ she followed it up with ‘Victim of Truth’, released not only in Germany but also in England, France, Netherlands, Japan and of course, Nigeria. Attracting glowing reviews from critics, the UK’s Sunday Times declared it “the year’s most criminally overlooked album,” comparing it to the highly revered ‘Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.’
Nneka is also the first Nigerian artiste to feature on the wildly popular ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ TV show in the United States. The famous host was obviously smitten by the Nigerian beauty.
Nneka continued to tour after the release, opening for artistes like Femi Kuti, Lenny Kravitz and Gnarls Barkley. A foreign news website even described her as: “A political, emotional tornado, expressing herself with a powerful mix of reggae, hip-hop, soul and rock. She is petite but her voice and presence is anything but small.” Another one said of the half-Igbo, half-German singer: “It turns out that Nneka is indeed politically and emotionally driven. But that’s not to be confused with being emotional. She is thoughtful, intelligent and focused.”
In February 2008, she released ‘No Longer at Ease’. The title of the album, taken from the novel of the same name by Chinua Achebe, reflects the lyrics. Most of the songs, political in nature, talk about corruption in Nigeria. Nneka’s first single from that album, ‘Heartbeat’, became her first song to break into the German Top 50. In September 2009, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number twenty, a major achievement for any artiste.
Nneka got nominated in three categories for the 2009 Channel O Music Video Awards, and won the Best African Act laurel at the MOBO Awards last year. Nneka’s first US release, ‘Concrete Jungle’ came out in February. Currently hard at work touring and promoting her album in the United States, she took time out to chat over the telephone with Weekend Magazine. Excerpts:
Weekend Magazine: You have been chosen by rapper Nas who features on the American version of your hit ‘Heartbeat’ and reggae star Damian Marley to join them on their tour. How does that feel?
Nneka: It’s not just a tour about music alone but about people around the world, making us understand that we’re all part of that one entity, which is love. I’m happy that I’m the person Nas and Damian chose to represent Africa. It’s a big opportunity for me.
WM: You studied Archaeology in university, in Germany. Why?
Nneka: I just had the urge just to study something. I didn’t want to study Archaeology; I just took it and eventually gained interest while studying it. I’m trying to see what I can do with the qualification, though. I think I could make use of it when I come back home. People think it’s kind of esoteric, unlike engineering and all that. Nigerians are more focused on making money.
But I was thinking of going into excavation and excavating sites because we have a lot of historical sites and artefacts. ‘Oyimbo’ people come and do the excavation, take the artefacts and exhibit them in their countries and earn money from the things that belong to us. If we had more sense or more interest for our history, then I feel we could gain more.
WM: How was life in Germany?
Nneka: You could say the culture shock of moving country at the age of 19 was the catalyst for my music. Before moving to Hamburg, I’d no intention of becoming a singer. The mentality is a bit different in Germany, where they’re really organised, very punctual, straightforward but cold. I had to get used to that.
And the fact that I came alone and couldn’t speak the language was a massive challenge for me. Due to loneliness I noticed I was capable of making music.
WM: How was growing up in Nigeria for you?
Nneka: Cool, because if I hadn’t experienced what I have, I wouldn’t be strong. My Nigerian upbringing shaped me.
WM: You are notoriously shy about discussing your family. Any reason why?
Nneka: We, as a family, like most, have had ups and downs. I simply choose to not dwell too much on that. It’s about something greater, not just me and my family, so there’s a need for me to focus on more important things, like the work I’m doing.
WM: How do you feel about music as a career? Or your direction, which is a bit on the government-bashing side…
Nneka: If anyone told me to change, I would not do music anymore. As long as this is something I do for my heart, this is something I love. It’s a lot like being married. I can’t be anybody else and that’s how it is.
WM: Your biggest single is ‘Heartbeat. What’s that all about?
Nneka: It is targeted at our leaders and the West. It is about what the West is doing to Africa and what Africa is doing to herself. About people who fake smiles just to have your energy. It’s a political song and at the same time very personal.
WM: You seem to stay away from straight-up love songs…
Nneka: I don’t know what love is, to be honest. I’m still searching for what it is and I cannot really sing about what I do not know. All I can talk about is how I feel and what I think is right or wrong. On a track, I can’t even sing ‘I love you’.
WM: Who are your biggest influences?
Nneka: Kahlil Gibran, Bob Marley and Fela Kuti. Oh, and life, generally.
WM: Who writes your songs?
Nneka: I’m my own songwriter. I mostly find inspiration when I am feeling hurt.
WM: When did you realise you wanted to be a singer?
Nneka: I can’t say. I just love the feeling of having music. Whatever agitation you face, music would make you be able to feel comfort and peace. That is actually what pushed me into doing music the way I do it.