Why I Posed Nude -Waje

Aituaje Iruobe, aka WajeBy Tony Ogaga Erhariefe
As controversy continues to trail her new video, I Wish, sexy singer, Waje, has explained the reasons behind her decision to feature in it in her ‘birthday suit’. In an exclusive chat with The Entertainer, Waje, who recently joined Globacom’s expanding league of brand ambassadors, said that her decision to bare it all was to highlight the plight of women who are victims of heartbreak across the globe.
“It’s a form of art. Music is a language, which involves a lot of expression and to be able to express yourself properly, you have to paint a picture for your viewers to understand. I Wish is the story of a vulnerable woman which was the picture I wanted to paint; a woman heart-broken, helpless and vulnerable. I wanted to draw attention to the plight of heartbroken women. I wanted to be as close as I could to nature for that video hence the nude scenes,” she disclosed.

Born Aituaje Iruobe, it would seem she was destined to make it big in music that has opened a lot of doors for her. The graduate of Social Works from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) started singing at an early age and that earned her scholarship, courtesy of late Benson Idahosa’s of Church of God Mission.

“Music has always opened doors for me,” says Waje, who hit the limelight after she did one of the verses on P-Square’s massive hit, Do Me, in 2007. “Throughout my secondary school, I never paid school fees because my singing got me a scholarship from the late Bishop Benson Idahosa. By faith, I even saw more happening back then; I saw myself bringing back home a Grammy. I have always known that God will bless me through music. There is more to come because I am here to stay. I am currently collaborating with Coca Cola on a project. These kind of things make you want to work harder because you see that your hard work is paying off at last.”

Debut album

After releasing a couple of singles and videos, Waje, who just wrapped up Glo Slide ‘N’ Bounce tour that took her to major cities in Nigeria, finally dropped her much anticipated album, a 14-tracker entitled, WAJE (Words Aren’t Just Enough).

“The response has been great! We are still in the promotional stages. I feel that for every artiste, the first six months after your album release should be dedicated to promoting the album. I am planning a state-by-state tours in major cities in Nigeria; something like an ‘Unplugged WAJE’ kind of concert, so basically it’s going to be my own thing,” Waje states, adding that the reviews have been quite encouraging.

Glo ambassadorship

Today, Waje is living the dream of most Nigerian entertainers as she has joined the league of entertainers who are brand ambassadors for wholly Nigerian owned telecoms giant, Globacom. For the young girl who had her first taste of stardom on P-Square’s Do Me, how does it feel?

Her response: “It feels great and good because Waje is known for excellence. I guess that’s one thing I’ve successfully preached over the years. My not having an album all this while was just because I believed my fans deserved more than just mediocre music and Glo understands that as well. For me, it’s the right time going into a partnership with a brand that understands my vision, which is not just being an artiste but also embodying the notion of giving back.

“A lot of doors have been opened. Now brands are beginning to see me as marketable and that’s the high point of any artistes’ career – that point when you become a business and not just singing as a hobby. So right now, Waje is a businesswoman. I struggled initially in my career until I met a team that helped me understand that I just can’t stumble into success; there must be a plan. Everything we have been doing ever since is to position me in a certain way so that people can actually see the commercial value; Glo was one of the first brands to latch onto it.”

Whitney Houston’s influence

The singer who has had the greatest influence on Waje is the late American pop star, Whitney Houston. This much she admits, describing Whitney as her role model. According to Waje, she broke down in tears when the news of Whitney’s death filtered to her. “Whitney was my role model and she still is. She packed so much emotion into her singing. I tried singing like her but it wasn’t easy. As I have grown older, I discovered other role models but she remains the central figure for me; may her soul rest in peace. She invested in a lot of people with her music and I happen to be one of them.

“I cried the day Whitney died because I realized that the world is so unforgiving especially when you’re successful. It dawned on me that the more successful you are and the higher you get, the more unforgiving people are. Yes, she may not have made the right choices but there were certain things that made her go the way she did.

“I have learnt that life is not easy and if you don’t have family and friends actually loving you, you might have a tendency to lose your way and make certain mistakes. I felt sad that when she died, people said a lot of stuff that did not make sense. As far as I’m concerned, Whitney touched so many lives through her music.”

Giving back

Today, Waje says she is already giving back courtesy of her NGO, Waje Safe House which she describes as a haven for those rejected by society. “Waje Safe House is a shelter for those who are sick, hungry and broke; it’s a place the infirm can call home. I decided to do a project where I could collaborate with any other NGO quarterly and Waje Safe House does exactly that. Right now, we have worked with two NGOs. Currently, I am investing my time in a little girl who walked up to me at Osun Osogbo show and told me she wanted to do stuff with kids living with autism,” the musician remarked.

Greatest challenge

Waje has been singing professionally since 2007. What’s been her greatest challenge? Her eyes lit up as she responds: “Being a female singer in a male dominated industry, things have got better though. Many times people just feel like females who are into music do it because it’s a hobby. They see P-Square and they know it’s a business. They see MI and they know it’s a business but when they see me or any other female singer they’re like ‘wow she can sing! But it’s a hobby.’

“But no, this is a business for me. There are few of us who have been able to break the jinx and let people realise that as talented women, we put in a lot of hard work and this is business for us. More girls are coming up now. However, I don’t dwell on those challenges. I see them as stepping stones and this helps me hustle the way my fellow brothers do.”

Motherhood

The proud mother of a baby girl opens up on motherhood and how she makes sure she spends quality time with her daughter whom she describes as the greatest thing that ever happened to her. My daughter is the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and motherhood is a lifestyle. It’s not something you do because you have a child but because it’s part of you. You just have to do what you have to do and be there for her and take care of her as a mother.

“My first job is being a mum and my second job is being an artiste. When it becomes too challenging because of my schedule, my mum comes to my rescue. She is in Lagos so I take her over like when I’m touring every weekend. I make sure I spend quality time with her. Sometimes she joins me on tour. I am trying to raise her in a balanced environment and make her realise that her claim to fame is not just being Waje’s daughter,” she says laughing.

So, who is the man in her life?

“There is nothing to talk about. I’d rather concentrate on my career,” she declares, a serious note creeping into her voice.

Advice

Having seen it all and done it all, Waje has a word for young people who want to thread her path. The singer says youths should be focused, hardworking and prayerful, adding that the satisfaction one gets from doing stuff on your own could never be quantified. “I don’t need any one to tell me ‘Waje well done’ because I go hail myself,” she says in a mixture of English and Pidgin laughing.

On a serious note she continues: “I’d just say that people should love their jobs regardless whether it is entertainment, cooking, banking or engineering. Love the job enough to work hard for it. With time things will get better. It’s a natural principle about life. Don’t ever throw in the towel. Who knows? You might throw in the towel just when it’s about to get better so you must learn to persevere. God honours his principles because the Bible says, ‘a labourer is due his wages,’ so love the job enough to work hard because if you have love, every other thing is added unto you. I am one of those people lucky enough to have been carried along by others but I also worked hard.”

Dreams

Ask what her dreams are and Waje’s visage splits into a grin as she responds: “I want to win a Grammy. I want to perform on the stage with the likes of Beyonce. I want to hold an African concert.”