Certified Information Technology Analyst says: I eat, sleep, dream and drink music all the time’
*‘Music is spiritual, comes to me in the form of feelings, I can’t live without song; Music is my life’
‘KSA, Fela, Ebenezer Obey; Oliver De Coque, Evi Edna Ogoli, Orlando Owoh collectively define my brand of music’
*Last album titled ‘Undying Dreams’ still trending on Echo Vibe FM Dallas, Texas, other Diaspora radio/television stations in Nigeria, Uk, South Africa
*Graduate of marketing, earlier worked in oil and gas sector in Nigeria, recall past memory of working in warehouses in the United States
*PLUS, how he migrated Overseas, plans to return to Nigeria in a big way
“Please, don’t sell your family land or your property or resign from your job in Nigeria. Plan very well and make sure you secure a verified job in the United States before coming over”-ENUOPE
*BY TIMMY BADEWU/ENTERTAINMENT Correspondent, reporting LIVE from Texas, NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER Inc USA
He is a familiar face in most homes in Nort America. A lively, intelligent Nigerian entertainer and certified American Information Technology Analyst. He’s highly respectful, humble and jovial. All his activities are daily lined up on his iPad and iPhone diary. In Texas, and Dallas Forth Worth especially, ENUOPE (a grateful heart unto God) works round the clock. And when it is time for him to unwind, this graduate of Marketing who have successfully worked in the Nigerian oil and gas sector does not hold back.
From the outset, we knew ENUOPE has a lot to say. In this Exclusive interview with NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPER Inc USA editorial team in Texas, we bring you his unredacted story verbatim. Enjoy:
*NAIJA STANDARD: How did you become a musician?
*ENUOPE: I started doing music at a very young age of 4 or 5 and was an active choir member at my church seventh day Adventist church, Ikolaba Ibadan, Oyo State. Music was just a fun thing for me, and I developed so much passion for it been a kid from a music loving family. In 1999, I started a band group called “The Charriot” with some of my loving music friends.
*NAIJA STANDARD: Who are those legends whose iconic music led you to embrace entertainment as a career?
*ENUOPE: I have so many of them, but I can never forget the likes of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Chief Orlando Owoh, Ebenezer Obey, Oliver de Coque, Evi Edna Ogholi, Junior and pretty, Bob Marley, Lucky Dube and many more… I am just a fan of good music and as a young kid I love analyzing music and use music to motivate my inner self.
*NAIJA STANDARD: Do you get inspiration to write ✍️ songs from your environment or in your dreams?
*ENUOPE: Music itself is an inspiration on its own. I was gonna say music is a spirit cuz it’s spiritual. I mean unseen spirit works with songs but can be in the form of feelings.
Yeah, I get a lot of inspiration writing music from anywhere, any situation or state of mind. As for me, music is just me and has always been part of my life. I can categorically say I eat, sleep, dream and drink music all the time… It’s just a fun thing for me…. Music keeps me going.
*NAIJA STANDARD: Tell us about the music you have released so far in the United States of America?
*ENUOPE: I released an Album last year titled “UNDYING DREAM” Which is still playing on Nigeria airwaves and TVs. Also, on a lot of Diaspora radio stations like Echo Vibe FM in Dallas Texas, and clubs both in USA, Nigeria, United Kingdom and South Africa. I am also working on some singles and in the process of dropping some of them before the year runs out.
*NAIJA STANDARD: You play Juju Highlife, why do you call yourself ‘Enuope’, why not your real names on stage?
*ENUOPE: Not really. I do not play Juju Highlife but as a lover of all genres of music. As an Afro beat artist and someone that embraces all music regardless of the origin, yeah am not gonna run away from the fact that I love juju music. Juju Music is so deep and very interesting.
ENUOPE is not just a name I coined out for myself. The name is very special and very spiritual to me. The name means a lot to me. “Enuope” means “The mouth full of gratitude”. I am so grateful to Almighty for always giving me the life to see the light of everyday.
*NAIJA STANDARD: Why are some Nigerians calling you ‘The Prince of Juju highlife in Texas’?
*ENUOPE: Like I was saying earlier that music lives in me and I in music, I got that moniker from one of my good friends that caught me at a club performing my music with a live band and it was a “WOW” moment. The entire club was lit up. But to tell you the truth, I have been getting a lot of calls to keep doing it every now and then with the live band. To set the record straight I am not the King, Prince or president of juju music. I am just a talented artist.
*NAIJA STANDARD: Did you start playing music in Nigeria earlier?
*ENUOPE: Yes, I started from church… music is my hobby
*NAIJA STANDARD: What was your profession in Nigeria before you relocated Abroad?
*ENUOPE: I studied Marketing in college and after graduation I worked in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. I never let anything come in between my first love (music) and I. And I was still performing with my band all over Ibadan and Lagos in the late 90’s till early 2000’s
*NAIJA STANDARD: How are you surviving in America financially under the President Donald Trump’s administration?
*ENUOPE: Regardless of who is in Government, as a hardworking man I must survive. By applying discipline and planning I do not see myself struggling or fail. I am not gonna let peer pressure change my thinking or way of life
*NAIJA STANDARD: What other jobs are you doing in the States to pay your bills? Have you or are you working in the Warehouse or Construction or Health care industry? If yes, what kind of work do you do?
*ENUOPE: To God be the Glory I am doing okay. I am working in the Information Technology field as an Analyst
*NAIJA STANDARD: How did you relocate from Nigeria to the United States?
*ENUOPE: Grace of Almighty Father
*NAIJA STANDARD: What were the challenges you faced or still facing after coming to America?
*ENUOPE: Life is full of ups and downs. There is nothing in this life that is guarantee or permanent except the grace of our Father {GOD}. He brought me here and has been taking care of me since then. I cannot fight his battle for him. I am good
*NAIJA STANDARD: If you have a choice, with a job waiting for you in Nigeria, will you rather go back instead of remaining in the United States?
*ENUOPE: I will still go to Nigeria. It’s like I never left
*NAIJA STANDARD: Can you recall a few moments you were embarrassed or humiliated by American cops or other American citizens?
*ENUOPE: As a law-abiding citizen that knows the difference between what is wrong and what is right, I’ll always thread the part of righteousness. Dallas is a diversified society. The people I have met so far are very accommodating and very respectful. People will treat you the way you present yourself.
*NAIJA STANDARD: If you look back now, will you say you have a regret ever moving to the United States of America?
*ENUOPE: Not at all… I never left Nigeria, I still go back and forth
*NAIJA STANDARD: Finally, what message do you have for other Nigerians back home who throng the American Embassy daily in search of Visas, or sell their family’s landed properties or resign from their well-paying good jobs wanting to come to the United States?
*ENUOPE: My advice for them is to follow their instinct and be very honest with themselves before making such a decision. Again, please do not sell your family land or your property or resign from your job. Plan very well and make sure you secure a job in US before.
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