Goldie

NOLLYWOODGOSSIP was just sent Goldie’s interview with The Daily Independent. Read:

You came into the scene in 2007, how has it been like since then?

Well, it has been a learning experience, it has been a growing experience and we have learnt a lot more ever since. I know a lot more about the business than I knew when started way back in 2007. We have done a lot more work; we have done a lot more collaboration and we have known a lot more people. A lot has changed in my mindset especially with the way I do my work now. Before, I was more of a visual person and that is why when I am in the studio recording, I think about how the video of the songs will come out. I hardly think of how the stuff will be distributed or marketed. I do not think of the managerial aspect, but all that has since changed now. I now understand that the business is more than shooting damned good videos. That one needs to work with the right people managerial-wise. Though, I am an introvert and if I have my way, I will like to remain indoors all through, but I have since realised that in this profession of musicianship, one needs to interact, mix and mingle to spread the gospel of one’s music. I have learnt that I am doing when it is absolutely necessary.

Why did it take a while to release the follow-up to your first album?

For you to release quality job, you need to spend time to perfect whatever you want to push out there for people to invest their hard- earned money on. I needed to give my fans a perfect job and the only way to do that was to take my time in putting the job together. That was why it took me awhile to come out with another album.

How long did it take you to finish the recording of the songs in the album?

I started recording tracks for this album since 2008 and released it in October 2010.

You are a unique personality, especially on stage, how easy do you think it will be for you to maintain it for a long time?

I don’t try to be anybody else but myself. Because I am myself, I will always be what I am and I will always set my own trend. I don’t follow trends. I don’t wear things because people are wearing them. I wear what makes me feel comfortable, I wear what I am. I am who I am in terms of my stage persona and my video persona. That part you see is actually me inside somewhere. It is not as if I look at some magazines and say I want to be like that. In that respect I will always set my own trends and I will always graduate and progress, be a better version of myself as time goes on. Like fine wine sort of, you get better with age.

How is your album being accepted?

There is a lot of positive word about the album out there. I would not want to say some things so it would not look like I am blowing my own trumpet. People I don’t even know have come up to me to say they did not know I have such a whole range and variety of tracks. Even on some online blogs, where I have the movie reviewed, some albums that I thought would have higher review than mine, my album is rated higher than theirs and these are people that had hit tracks in 2010 as well. They are bloggers that I don’t even know. So things like that encourage and motivate me to work even harder.

People call you Nigerian Lady Gaga because of your wired looks, how do you feel when you hear people call you that?

I am humbled when people compare me to Lady Gaga; I think she is a very hardworking artiste. She won’t be where she is if she is not hardworking and she is very creative as well, so if they compare me to Lady Gaga in terms of my hard work and my creativity then I humbly appreciate and accept it but I am Goldie.

Did you choose the name’ Goldie’ because you love gold colour?

I love gold colour but the name Goldie was given to me by my friends because of my skin tone. If I stay in the sun, my natural hair will go reddish including my skin. You know those kinds of people that you see from afar and they are like red hair like albino; that was how I was when I was younger. When I got to the UK, my friends nicknamed me Goldie because my skin tone kind of evened out. Now I don’t like the sun at all. I am bronze now because I don’t stay in the sun anymore.

Is there something that you don’t get from music because of your gender?

No, because I am an introvert, I don’t really go out. I spend a lot more time at home writing music, trying to create concept for my videos and my songs. There really isn’t any time. I have a lot of people that want to see me and I might not have the time. Right now, I am so music- oriented that if it does not have anything to do with my music or my music business, I might not have time to focus on it. Even if people wanted to give me something because I am female, they would not see me to give me because I don’t have the time. So right now, it is all about the music for me.

Have you been denied anything because you are not a male musician?

I used to think that we have not had female headlining shows in Nigeria and I used to feel very bad about that. We have female artistes with big songs and they are never show headliners. For example even when Weird MC had Ijo ya, I don’t think she headlined any show. I think she was always in conjunction with male artistes even though her songs were everywhere then. I used to think they would say because female artistes do not have a hit song or they cannot pull the crowd but right now I don’t know what to think. It is a challenge that I think that we female artistes need to work on because we do work almost as hard if not than our male counterparts. We dance in heels and they wear snickers, so our inability to headline shows is a challenge.

Is there anything you regret for being in music?

I will say that there are hazards in any job; there is always late night, there is always lack of time. The only thing that I don’t like is when people carry rumours that are not true just because you are popular. You hear these rumours and you wonder where they are coming from because most of the people that say these things do not even know you, they just assume because you look a particular way in your video.

Have such been done to you, which of the rumours can you point out?

They once rumoured that I have three kids. Children are a thing of joy. I don’t think if I have children that I will hide them. God that gave the children will be upset with me because God gave them to me for a purpose, to take care of them and show them love. So when someone says that I have three children, I say ‘wow, and can I hide them?’ People come to my house every time, we rehearse and choreograph and I have three children in my house and they have never seen them. It is really wired. Things like that are hurtful.

But that is a good rumour. Are you upset about that?

I am upset when people try to bring my personal life into my work. Because I think as an artiste, I have put a lot of myself out there already. My dad doesn’t like walking on the road and you refer to him as Goldie’s dad. When people are trying to find out about your father, where is your mum, how is your younger ones. I don’t want my family to suffer because of the choice of my career.

But that is the prize you have to pay?

Yes, but not members of my family. They don’t have to pay the prize because I am already paying; my personal life is invaded and I don’t want their personal life to be invaded too. I have sacrificed my personal life for my career.

If they carry rumour that you have three children, don’t you think they are wishing you well? Most Christians (I believe you are one), will claim it.

I want it, but I don’t want innuendos and suggestions about my personal life to overshadow my musical career. I am selling music. I am not selling three children or husbands or money. It’s business. You don’t hear things about Dangote’s children and wife; people only talk about his businesses and companies. So why can’t they talk about my music and leave it at that.

Where do you aim to get to with your music?

Well I will just keep working but in all businesses that we do, we all wish to spread out our wings. We start small, but bit by bit, we cover our region. I am passionate about music. I love what I do but eventually we would want to spread the message that we have talents that can appeal to more mass market than people originally thought in Nigeria. Generally, I think every artiste’s dream is to appeal to people across the world. We are in a global world, just like the American,

the British and other countries music sell to us, we also should be able to sell to the world as well.

Gold has fetched you quite a number of awards, which one do you cherish most?

All the awards are equal because of the fact that you are getting appreciated for the effort that you put in. It is one thing for your family, friends and people out there to like your music and another thing for the industry to recognise your work. The awards that I have got from my ‘You know it’ video and single are something for me to cherish.

Which is your most memorable live performance?

Every performance has been great for me. I was the one that opened the Hip Hop World Award Show. People, who had not seen me before, had the opportunity to see me at the show. Then You Know it video has not been shot. Also Kennis Music Easter Fiesta that was shown on different TV stations was also another one. I will say that the most memorable one was my performance at the Nigerian Television Fashion Show in December last year. I was dressed up as a mommy and I performed that way. I was wrapped all over in bandages.

Is there a part of the society that you would like to invest in aside the music you are doing at present?

I have always had passion for education. If I am able to make enough money from my work, God willing, I want to open a school primary and secondary schools that will cater solely for the kids that I know have some special talents but don’t have funds to go to school. I want to be able to impact on people’s lives with education because it is a very powerful tool.

So can someone say that Goldie is a bookworm?

I love books and knowledge. Anything that I am not learning from, I get bored with it. Not necessarily reading but just to sit down with someone that is more intelligent than I am and learning from him. Knowledge is very importation to me, I like to know.

Which book are you reading right now?

The Fiftieth Law of Power by Robert Green, it is a book about overcoming your fear.

Can you tell us what your growing up was like. Were you one of the few children that liked playing pranks on other kids?

When I was growing up, I used to be very mischievous. There were two bad habits that I had. I still have one of the bad habits. My dad said I used to be very imaginative. He did not allow me to have toys. The only toy I had was a teddy bear and he took it away from me when I was seven. When my friends and my cousins came to the house and power went out, before the generator was switched on, I just went to them and pulled down their trousers and skirts. The second one has to do with after visitors that came to see my parents had gone, I did something that might be called nasty but would not want to mention it. But you get older and you cannot do things like that anymore.

Your being the first child in your family, does it come with a lot of responsibilities?

Yes I am the first; I have five siblings, three brothers and two sisters. It does come with a lot of responsibilities. My immediate younger sister was four years younger than I am. I did not have any friends. I come from a very religious background and we weren’t allowed friends apart from the church and the school, so there was nothing social to occupy my time. I had no sister, my only friend was my mum and all she liked to do then was read and watch TV. Whenever she was watching Maggi Kitchen, she would tell me to be writing down every recipe the presenter was listing for the menu and I had to be fast to meet up. By the time my younger sister was old enough to talk, I was already a little mature in so many things. The whole experience has really shaped me into what I am today. That is one of the reasons I don’t know how to copy or follow trends because I have always been used to my own company, used to myself.