Posted by By BISI OLALEYE on
If talents were to be measured by physique, perhaps Yinka Davies would not be popular today. But having been gifted with the voice of a Nightingale, and a creative valve that has churned out many compositions, Davies remains one of the best singers of her generation despite her petit stature.
If talents were to be measured by physique, perhaps Yinka Davies would not be popular today. But having been gifted with the voice of a Nightingale, and a creative valve that has churned out many compositions, Davies remains one of the best singers of her generation despite her petit stature.
Besides, Davies has tasted the bitter pill of broken melody in the affairs of the mind, she has two children that she cares deeply for and she was once a queen of the stage before she discovered her strength in music.
She was also involved in an automobile accident, which almost crippled her. The accident kept her out of circulation for close to four years, and ultimately robbed her of a plum position on the glitteratti scene.
Having gone through all the pains, Davies has nevertheless emerged stronger and better. Her firm belief in God and humanity is so encouraging. And there is no dull moment with her. Not even disappointments from lovers could dampen her spirit. She explained these and more to Daily Sun in a recent interview:
Background
My name is Elfeda Oluwabukola Olayinka Davies. I hail from Lagos State, Ebute-Meta to be precise. I am a performing artiste.
I started as a back - up musician to Alex ‘O' in 1990. By 1992, I'd done an album with Lagbaja and Colours (a group under the management of Bisade Ologunde). I did another album called Colour of Rhythm and after these, Lagbaja came on again and we recorded Side by Side. From then on, things started flowing for me, musically.
Automobile accident
Later however, something dastard happened and this shortchanged my aspiration. I had an accident in 1994, which almost brought my budding career to an end. It was fatal and I thank God I am alive today, after all. By that time, the album had been out and people had begun to hear about it. So, by 1995/96, we did Let's get together, Honest Work, and Collaboration. Apart from Alex O, I did a rap for Sir Shina Peters; I also did back-up for Blackky, Esse Agesse, Mike Okri and quite a number of people that I cannot even remember now. Then, I was in the studio doing jingles.
Coming into music
(Soft laughter) You wouldn't believe it. Nothing tangible. It was just fun. It was just something that I love doing, something that gives my soul a great lift. Music is something that makes me feel on top of the world. Music actually gratifies my spirit. I enjoy being in a musical frame of mind so much.
My kind of music
To an extent, there is no single name for it. Really, I think I am fusing all sorts of ideas together to get an original one to satisfy my spiritual gratification and those of my soul mates. So, I tend to call my music Fusion and I don't want to call it any other kind of name because I am yet to arrive at a particular name for it. But, as at now, it is more of blues. More blues, because I infused it with a lot of emotions and feelings. So, a lot of blues are infused into it. It is a soul-stirring kind of music.
My album
That album was not released for quite a number of reasons, one of which is finance. It was well promoted on the airwaves, but not commercially, because of limited funds.
Future project
I'm yet to delve fully into my creative pouch for the Whao! performance. But, you just wait a bit. You've not seen anything yet. I am still working at that, but very soon, I'm set to blow the minds of a lot of people including my ardent fans.
Those who listen to it would understand that, this is exactly Yinka Davies' style and others will have a proper understanding of me.
Reaction to the accident
I'm a positive minded person and I always look at the positive side of things. When people are healthy, and all seems to be going well, they live it up. The same thing is applicable to me, my life was fun, I was partying everyday. My house was always lively with music and people always come and dance and we made merry. It was celebration all the way.
In retrospect now, people can call such lifestyle irresponsible or casual attitude to life. So, when the accident came, it made me reflect on so many divine gifts that I'd taken for granted; that I'd treated so casually, with levity. Take for instance, this fractured leg, it saw hell because I wanted to damn the consequences and live life to the hilt. I want to look fate in the eye or look without blinking at whatever caused the accident. So, I was using it to dance on the street. Sometimes, I raised my clutches and was having fun. Living with that stubborn spirit did not allow me to learn on time that there is a high value to every healthy path of our body and life.
And now, suddenly, it dawned on me that I need to slow down. I didn't see all of that before then. Well, that is growing up for you. So, today, I think ideally, that I'm grown up now, and must have to view life differently from the previous perspective of an unending ball game of music, dances, laughter and fun.
Coming back to music
I went to Abuja, not Aso Rock anyway. That place is so dry and empty. Nothing is happening in that place. I went to Nicon Hilton, sang with Piano, relieving myself of all kinds of stress. I was there for two years and eight months.
It was during that time that I was able to bring up a band in Lagos called Five and Six you know, Five (Aarun) and six (Eefa) (laughter).
Five and Six
Well, you see, my band men are always together, drinking garri, gisting on the floor, always doing things that are unusual. So, my younger sister just looked at them one day and made a comment in Yoruba that: Ogbonyin rin papo gbogbo yin. Five and six" i.e. (Birds of the same feather, Five/Six) And so, the name struck me like a thunder bolt and today, we have Five and Six; just like that!
Between me and father of my son
Please, leave that aside. That is my personal life and I don't expect people to try to run it for me. As for the expectation of people, I am just hearing that for the first time from you. Really, I don't expect people to think that way, like because we made a baby together, we must stick. Oh, come on now, this is a new age. Well, I won't discuss my private life on the pages of a newspaper, no matter how fast selling. For me today, the most important thing is being there for my two boys, which I try to be. My first child is exactly like the father, while the second one, Niyi is different from that hue. But whatever the case, I try to be a good mother and to me, that is the most important thing.
Wedding bells
Very soon! I hope that tallies with the plans of God. But as a human being, let me say, whenever it comes, is it.
A millionaire yet?
Please make it billionaire. I want to count in billions. Yes, in the sense that you are richer when you are wealthy in health, in action, in words, in the measure of goodwill flowing towards you from people and most importantly, being overwhelmed by the glory of God. Just like the Bible says in I John 1:1, "Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper in health and be in health as your soul prospereth." That means, I will continue to prosper because I am healthy. So, I am a billionaire.
Peculiar dress sense
As long as any ‘sister' or ‘brother' is not offended by my dressing, I think it's alright. And I am sure that I will not overdo some things, I will not deliberately poke my nakedness in the face of society. However, it is all in the heart. The heart is of hallowed consideration in all we do. If my heart, I mean, the conscience kicks against anything, I take to the warning and desist from it. My dressing has nothing to do with what is in my heart. I don't think I am enticing anybody and if I do, well, I hope it is in the decent manner of female coquettish nature. If I entice anyone, it means the person is a fan and he or she must tell me how it feels to admire beauty.
My style
Between me and Lagbaja
I didn't fizzle out of Lagbaja's music. It was the accident that made us drift apart. I was out of scene for a year and half owing to the effect of the accident. And work had to go on. A lot of work was on ground and I didn't get back to work after the accident until four years after, which another act was already in the show. Really, I understand his predicament because one cannot for the sake of one person allow his job; the main source of his livelihood and his life on hold. Remember, ‘Oh, bladdy, Oh, bladder, life goes on!' So, there are no hard feelings on both sides. We are both professionals and we understand the rule of the game quite well.
Music in my family
Oh, don't mind them. (laughter) They are into music too, Apala music precisely. I am happy about it, but I have advised them to go back to school and complete their education first, if only to add value to their music when they eventually settle down to take music as a career. Furthermore, it's so nice to have critics with some cogent knowledge of music from your own family.
Inspiration
I get inspiration from every design and handiwork of God; everything God created inspires me. Believe it or not, your sitting here, discussing with me inspires me. I feel the love of God emanating from a pretty lady with a fine hair do and I am inspired to do something glorifying the Father for the awesome power at His disposal. He could have made you an ugly dwarf you know and for giving you such refreshing beauty is an inspiration. If I like, I can do something on that, and it will come out superbly beautiful in celebration of your mould as a creation of God.
Albums
I am working on my second album. It was supposed to have been released since July this year, for financial constraints. But this time around, I am believing God for the realisation of the project and it will come out to the glory of my Father in heaven. Whether anybody likes it or not, the world will marvel when it finally hits the airwaves. Sister, won ma'gba! (People must bow).
The album is titled Black Chiffon. It comments on the pain one went through at that time, the uncertainty, and the torment of not knowing what the future holds from then on. Black Chiffon is all about holding out a flash of silver lining behind every cloud of whatever hue.
Mentor
God is the only one that I can think of. Apart from him, there is no one that can compete with Him for that singular role in my life. Therefore, it is Jehovah patatata (Jehovah, the all-in-all) that is my sole mentor.
Acting
I have always been an actress. I have always been a performing artiste in terms of acting, music, dancing, every artistic inclination, name it. Actually, doing things depend on one's desire. For me, I believe people are just experimenting on the various field of art. So, I see nothing wrong in what they are doing.
My lifestyle
I am not a jewelry or materialistic kind of person. But the fact that you don't see me wearing jeweleries does not mean I don't like it or that I cannot afford it as people sometime imply. Whatever the world is running after, is not what I will run after. And whatever I consider doing, is not what you may consider doing. People love jeeps and I love Lada.
The other day, I told Zulu Enebeli about my love for Lada. He cursed me, saying "Your Papa and Mama. Heh! Of all the motor wey dey for inside this world, na Lada motor you wan drive. Poor you." I told him that I meant Lada Limo! He just laughed and laughed until his eyes were steaming with tears. He said I had no class but I do, really, I do. But Lada just happens to be what I love, forget the fact that people run after Hummer Jeep or what else do you have around.
Nigerian music industry
The music industry is growing. And artistes are doing well, except that the new set of singers doesn't have serious mentors. And I don't blame them. Even before them, who are the artistes that they know? I guess it was only Fela. And after Fela, who else? Fuji and Juju are now being relegated to the background for Gospel music, which in most cases, are produced by foreign artistes. So, the only people that can influence them right now, are the foreign artistes, so you cannot blame them for singing music that are western-oriented.
One cannot really blame them, because what do you want them to sing, whose act do you want them to follow apart from the foreign artistes they watch on TV or videos all the time?. We don't have any musical festival in Lagos. None to the best of my knowledge; so what they get is what they copy from.
My children
Well, I have two fantastic sons - Dayo and Niyi. Dayo is older and he is 12 years old while Niyi is about 10. They are very dear to me. I don't mean to provoke any jealousy here, but truth must be told; they are my life.
Sexy part of my body
Oh, that's personal but I'll answer all the same because it has to do with God's special grace as bestowed on women.
It's every part of me; from my head right down to my toes and nails are sexy.