Nigerian high-life veteran
singer, dancer and composer, Bright Chimezie who is popularly known as Okoro
Junior, has disclosed he is still flourishing, despite his relocation to the
village after being on stage for about 35 years.
The Zigima Sound boss, spoke on the gains and pains of his
living in the village and his planned relocation to Lagos.
- On if he is in any way making moves to relocate from the village to Lagos:
It is now about 12 years since I relocated to my country
home actually, but I am planning on relocating to Lagos soon. I am working on
it but it would be a gradual process. You would have noticed that I have been
doing a couple of shows in Lagos lately. That is part of the process.
Henceforth in terms of regular shows, our presence would be felt more often
than before in Lagos.
It is part of the process of re-launching the brand in the
city. But the Zigima brand is like an institution, and moving it entirely from
the East back to Lagos would not be a tea party, just as it was, when we moved
down East from Lagos. I was controlling a 16-piece band, and you know what that
means.
- On whether the drastic relocation to his home town had paid off in any way:
I don’t know how I would have felt, as someone that promotes
indigenous culture, if my 25-year-old son cannot speak Igbo. It would have been
torturous. It was drastic like you stated because, I took my family home when
my children were still very tender. If I had not done it that time, I would’t
have been able to do it again. So, I didn’t regret it. Today, my children can
speak Igbo fluently. They know their roots, my people, our culture and
everything. So, our relocation has paid off tremendously. Having achieved my
goal, we are now set to start the process of returning to Lagos.
- On how his family felt when they stopped enjoying Lagos life following his relocation:
They were being exposed to ultimate up-town life because we
were living in an elitist environment, which was at Omole estate; and I needed
to expose them to their real culture – to keep them abreast of the situation
back home. It was not easy but it was a decision that I made as the head of the
house. I was pained when I noticed that they were finding it so difficult to
flow with me whenever I spoke Igbo to them. So, I silently started planning the
movement in 2007. I later explained my plans to my wife and she saw reasons
with me. But I must confess that it was not easy at all.
- On the lessons he learned and Inspiration he got when he relocated to his hometown:
From my relocation exercise, I can say it has inspired me to
write and make a new song, which I plan to use as a come-back when I relocate.
The song is almost ready and the working title is Asusu Ejiri Mara Gi (Identity
Language). The truth is that Igboland is a gift to the Igbos, so are Yorubaland
to the Yorubas and Hausaland to the Hausas. To that effect, every tribe should
appreciate their language, and parents should also strive to ensure that their
children speak their language. The advantages are unquantifiable and my
children are already reaping the advantages, courtesy of my drastic relocation
back home.
Source
The SUN
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