Music  

Tributes for ‘Elegant Stallion’ Onwenu as beat stops at 72

By Daniel Anazia and Eniola Daniel

01 August 2024   |   5:00 am

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Suddenly, the beat has stopped at 72 for legendary singer, songwriter and actress, Onyeka Onwenu, popularly known as the ‘elegant stallion’, as she reportedly died on Tuesday evening, July 30 at the Reddington

• She Was A Queen, says Tinubu
• She was the most talented female musician out of Nigeria, says PMAN President

Suddenly, the beat has stopped at 72 for legendary singer, songwriter and actress, Onyeka Onwenu, popularly known as the ‘elegant stallion’, as she reportedly died on Tuesday evening, July 30 at the Reddington Hospital, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The celebrated artiste was said to have slumped at the hospital where she was rushed to after falling ill during a performance at the birthday party of a friend, Mrs. Stella Okoli, Nigerian pharmacist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and Chief Executive Officer of Emzor Pharmaceutical manufacturing company.

According to a source close to the music impresario, she took to the stage to perform and shortly after returning to her seat, she suddenly collapsed. Emergency responders swiftly arrived and rushed her to the hospital in Victoria Island, where she was later pronounced dead. The cause of death is yet to be confirmed.

“It is very sad; she performed at the birthday of Mrs. Stella Okoli yesterday (Tuesday, July 30), and after performing, she returned to her and suddenly she slumped. She was taken to Reddington Hospital and she couldn’t make it,” the source who also was at the party but preferred anonymity said.
Reacting to the news, President Bola Tinubu extended his condolences to the family of the late singer.

President Tinubu in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale mourned the passing of the Queen of Songs. Tinubu said her edifying and mellifluous rendition, ‘One Love’, in the 1990s evoked a fervour of fellowship and harmony.”

The President also recalled the many artistic interventions of the late musical icon in promoting public good, noting her classic collaboration with King Sunny Ade on ‘Wait for Me’, a melodic campaign on family planning in the 1980s.

“President Tinubu celebrates the life of the versatile and extremely gifted artiste who applied herself to the whole gamut of artistic enterprise and expression, bringing joy and laughter to many.

“The President condoles with the entertainment industry, the Imo State Government, and the numerous fans of the departed star over this immeasurable loss.

“President Tinubu prays for the repose of the soul of the deceased artiste and that she finds a place yonder where the music never fades and where there is ‘Dancing in the Sun’.

Speaking on the late singer, President, Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Pretty Okafor, said: “She was a workaholic, a target-driven and strict disciplinarian. She was the most talented and versatile female musician that ever came out of Nigeria.”

He added: “Her contributions and guardian to younger women will be missed. She directed a process of one being able to prove that one doesn’t need to impress men to get to where she would be.

On his part, Founder, House of Lunettes, Akin Olaoye, said: “With a heavy heart, I am forced to come to terms with the passing of an icon Madam Onyeka Onwenu. I grew up listening to her music in the 80’s and I remember meeting her at a concert at the Shell Club RA in 1988.

“She left an impression on me that carried on for decades. Her records were a favourite during family road trips in the 80’s and early 90’s whenever we travelled between East and West. In September 2018, I was blessed to have her come on board as a Brand Ambassador for House of Lunettes and she said to me ‘Akin just tell me whatever you need, I am here to support you’. She was a sweet soul, full of life and left a trace of joy in every room she walked into.”

For Azuh Arinze, chairman Yes International Ventures, publishers of Yes! International Magazine, “The news of demise is numbing, shocking, sudden and sad. Very, very sad and unexpected. We still spoke on Saturday, July 27. I never knew it would be our last conversation.”

Born on January 31, 1952, Onwenu was a multifaceted artiste whose career spanned over four decades. She was not only a renowned singer and songwriter but also a journalist, actress, and politician. Her music blended genres such as highlife, reggae, and pop, often addressed social and political issues. Some of her most popular songs include “One Love,” “Iyogogo,” and “Ekwe.”