CHINEDU Okoh (born November
23, 1983), better known as
Flavour N’abania is a prolific
Nigerian recording artiste,
dancer, songwriter and
performer. In an exclusive
interview with ENCOMIUM
Weekly, the versatile singer
whose songs Nwa Baby, Adamma
and Oyi Remix are huge success
opened up on his success secrets,
pains and gains and exclusively
on his rumoured proposal to
Beverly Hills.
You just came back from an
international tour, how was the
show?
It was a huge success. It was a
massive turnout of fans. It was
quite successful than the previous
one. It was a total lockdown. It
started from Dallas to Houston
(Texas) and New York City.
It is interesting to know that you
have become an household name
in the entertainment industry.
How would you describe the
journey and what’s the secret of
your success?
The secret of my success is simply
originality. Right from when I joined
the industry I was determined to
distinguish myself by my originality.
I knew it was going to take some
time and that I would have some
hurdles to cross but I decided to
stick to my originality all the way.
And right from my first album there
has been improvement. I also
ensure I do quality and ingenious
videos to distinguish my brand. I
know that people love and accept
originality. Thus, I stuck to that.
When you are original and down to
earth, you will definitely attain
greater height in your career.
You started rough from the East
and even when you sang with late
MC Loph, what kept you going
through those period?
It’s the passion. I have so much
passion for the art. I am not just a
singer but a musician. I started
early at the age of 13 and went
through the right process. I had a
company that gave me scholarship
and trained me musically. That
influenced me to become a better
musician and not a wayward act. My
director told me that people have
the impression that musicians are
wayward, irresponsible acts who
squander their money on flashy
things and live false life. He taught
me about being responsible,
disciplined and pruning my talents.
Thus the driving force has been the
passion for music and the
determination to be responsible. I
want to be a legend. Thus, I learnt
to stay humble, focused and
disciplined. I really don’t care about
the money but the art. Thus, I
rehearse every day. I am always at
the studio to work on myself and
learn daily.
We learnt your name Flavour
N’Abania was given to you by
fans during your growing days as
a singer in the club where you
churn out different genres of
music daily and ask them what
flavour do you want tonight.
Where do you draw your
inspiration from as a versatile
and creative singer?
I draw inspiration from people
around me. I move with talented
and experienced people who are
versed in the issues of life. I don’t
move with my age mates. I always
associate with matured and elderly
people who can influence me
positively. I like listening to real,
original and creative people who are
also thinkers. They tell me the
truth. That’s where my inspiration
comes from.
You were recently endorsed as
Glo ambassador, how do you feel?
I have a lot of other endorsements
but internationally, I don’t like
blowing my trumpet. When they
endorsed you, it’s for a purpose.
Thus, it’s a privilege to associate
with such a brand.
What are the pains and gains so
far?
The pain is that I go through a lot
but people don’t want to know.
They are only interested in your
cosmetic smile on stage. The other
pain is staying on top of your game.
Getting to the top is not the issue
but the pain of maintaining your
status. We go through a lot but
people don’t know. However, if you
stay focused, the pain would
become a blessing. Also, stardom
takes a lot away from you. It
deprives you of your real life
experience. I love simple life but
stardom has deprived me of that.
However, no pain, no gain. The gain
is that I am achieving my dream.
We learnt you are coming up with
a reality show, can you shed
more light on that?
It’s true but I don’t want to divulge
the plans yet.
It’s a competitive industry, how
do you cope with competition?
Your style stands you out. Also, you
have to be a musician and not just a
singer to cope. I come up with new
ideas and study the market. I have
a lot of fan base outside Nigeria.
That alone keeps me on check.
What has kept you out of
scandal?
It’s about being responsible. There
are things you don’t do. Once you
start doing them, they will take you
off the track. Don’t show off, stay
humble. You are a messenger.
Everybody loves women but
discipline is the key.
How do you feel about the
rumour that you were dating
Tiwa Savage because of your
collabo?
I didn’t feel bad because I know
people would still talk even if we
didn’t kiss. The director of the
video said we were playing love song
and we have to do something
intimate to portray that. I looked at
her and she gave me the signal to
go ahead. That’s just music, we
were not dating.
You were alleged to be engaged
to Beverly Hills?
It is not true. I never proposed to
anybody. I am still single. Marriage
is not on my mind now but my
career.
What are the qualities you look
out for in your ideal woman?
She has to be a natural woman. I
love a real woman who
complements me. She has to know
the difference between Flavour and
the real me and love both
personality. She should be God
fearing.
You have a tight schedule, how
do you unwind?
I relax by watching football or play
station. If not for music, I would
have become a footballer.
There is something peculiar
about Flavour, your lyrics, where
do you get the words from?
I go so deep when I compose my
songs. I am never in a hurry when
composing my songs. The problem
with musicians while composing
beats is that they are always in a
hurry. A great artiste who desires
quality beats must learn to be
patient. If the words or lyrics does
not touch me, I won’t release it. I
won’t drop a song until I get the
right words. I always wait for the
right inspiration, I don’t write
because I just want to release a
song. I go through the words and
lyrics every day. If I don’t have the
right word for a line, I don’t
gamble. I keep making the sound
until I get the right beat for the
missing link even if I don’t know
what I’m saying. I don’t patch up
my lyrics.
Can you tell us the high and low
points of your career?
The low point would be when I first
came to Lagos. I was known in the
East and I have a car but left
everything to make a success in
Lagos. Thus, I came with just a bag.
I had nowhere to stay and I trekked
most times to locations. My
girlfriend then had to send money
from the East to assist me. It was
rough and tough. A star in Enugu
becomes a nobody in Lagos so as to
become an international star. I
suffered.
The high point is when I travel to
some African countries for shows
and the stadiums are filled up and
fans cry and faint when I perform.
It humbled me that a nobody could
rise to become somebody.
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