A Rising Star

With the thoughtful support and encouragement from her parents and her project manager, the emergence of talented child singer, Iseoluwa Abidemi on Nigeria’s music scene is a step in the right direction to nurture her creativity and inspire other up-and-coming talents, writes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Sparkly and beautiful, she gesticulates as she responds to questions. Standing opposite a coterie of guests who had converged during the unveiling of her first official single album and video at her family home in Shimawa, Ogun State, her countenance is bright and resplendent.

To the delight of her listening audience, her self-titled song was said the first of many to be released. And to think she’s just 12 and the first of three kids, privileged to be from a home where parentage is valuable, arouses positive feeling of some sorts.

This so because not too many teenagers are like her, especially in this clime where many female children are school dropouts left to fend for themselves, doing all sorts of menial jobs from street hawking to house cleaning.

In her precocious wisdom, she tells other kids who are not opportune or given the kind encouragement she has received from her parents, but would like to be like her: “Never stop trying, keep going, be as bold as you want to be and never be discouraged.”

For Iseoluwa Abidemi, hers is a peculiar case – a destined child, gifted with a sonorous voice to propagate the doctrine believed to be of great importance: the gospel of Christ. To her, “I want to show the wonderful works of God and His existence through my music. So I am not going secular because I want to sing the gospel. I want to use my music to influence my world positively. I also want to study Law though music is my passion.”

An amazing singer, Iseoluwa favours soul singer Asa and Nathaniel Bassey as her role models. And she has catapulted herself into the limelight following the release of her maiden album. The child singer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rotimi and Gloria Abidemi, reminds one of former child star, Benita Okojie.

Like Benita, Iseoluwa is a testimony that untapped talents abound among young people. Interestingly also, with her emergence on the music scene, one is of the belief that she is set to fill the space left by Benita long after the ‘Osemudiamen’ crooner went off the music scene.

A former student of Emerald Primary School, Ogun State, now in form 9 at Chrisland High School, VGC, Iseoluwa, being a budding talent in church and now out with her first official single album titled ‘Iseoluwa’ produced by Jmetz, may well be said to be in good stead.

Jmetz is an arranger, song writer, bass guitarist and a music producer who over the years, has worked as church music director and with various musical bands. He has worked with a couple of studios as co-producer/studio engineer before establishing his own music studio called Jmetz Production which has recorded a couple of artistes in Nigeria.

Narrating her journey into music, Iseoluwa said, “I’m a young girl whose musical talent was discovered at age five by my mum, who also is a singer herself in church. I became a prominent singer in my school choir at Emerald Primary School, Ogun State, taking lead and back up roles. My tender voice, when discovered, was subjected to vocal lessons by my music teacher Mr. Frank.”

According to the young artiste, “At age 11, my mum, dad and Mr. Frank, my teacher, saw the need to encourage me to explore my musical talent by recording my first single titled ‘Iseoluwa’ meaning the work of God. The song talks about the greatness of God through his wonderful works.”

Her visibly elated mother, Mrs. Gloria Abidemi, at the event, pointed out that she discovered her child’s talent a very long time ago. “When she’s carried away, she starts scribbling and singing out what she is writing. Although music is her passion, it still has to be education first.”

A promising child with an aspiration nurtured by her supportive parents and her teacher, after hearing how beautiful her voice sounded in her first single, her parents decided to support her further by sponsoring her second song titled ‘Joyous Praise’, which is a collection of praise songs sang in a distinct and different way.

Her project manager, Frank Harrison-Uke, at the unveiling, said, ‘Iseoluwa’s work has been encouraging. He observed that after the likes of Tosin Jegede and Benita Okojie, there has been no kid star and this has made the children to adopt adult’s music. Adding that ‘Iseoluwa’ is young and needs to be promoted.

To him, it is one thing for an artiste to bring out a work, but it is another thing for the work to be sustained. “We have been able to put things together and we have drawn a plan. She needs to be on the faces of the people therefore we want to ensure she is very busy with music we would work on different programs at different times.”

Iseoluwa appreciates God, her parents and the producer who worked tirelessly to see the birth of the project. “I thank everyone present at this conference, I thank my parents as well for the opportunity. I also appreciate my producer, Mr. Frank for the encouragement. I want to go far in music and I want to also excel at my studies.”
With the young gospel artiste making her entry into the music scene, it is expected that the right plans and strategies are maintained to take her to the next level in her academics and music career.