Another day…

Writing isn’t exactly my favorite thing to do, even though I have written, published and launched at least three books in my mind. Same goes for singing, I have launched at least two solid albums; and by “solid” I mean complete album with appreciable singles rocking the airwaves of Nigeria and winning me awards at home and abroad – including Cambodia and Sierra Leone (as insignificant to entertainment as those countries may or may not be), star studded collaborations including Naeto C, HHP from South Africa and Angelique Kidjo… yes indeed, my dreams are real and big. I have even seen myself cross over to Nollywood and eventually Hollywood; sharing ideas with Diddy Dirty money and gracing the red carpet as one of Africa’s finest alongside Beyonce.

Unlike writing though, and thanks to my days in Jos and my moments at regular TARUWA events since I first hooked up with Lydia on facebook (after years of fraternization from Jos), I actually know what it feels like to sing. Yes, I have been privileged to grace the stage at several open door concerts, small staged gatherings, and even the Benson & Hedges roadshow where we walked away with state and regional wins and made it to national level… and eventually third place with some good money to go. In my head, I still have albums released, and I have made reasonable attempts at it… well, I’m still on course so remember this name.

I wrote my very first blog for publication about a month and two weeks before this piece. I had asked myself to beef up my articles for the blog, taking note of events I wanted to share with everyone and yet because writing is really much more in my head than on my fingers, I got here this long while after. Like every other dream in my head, I have this massively successful blog that is read by people all over the world and is frequently visited and contributed to by the many visitors I receive. It would be reasonable to call me “Josephine” at this rate since my imagination seems to take me beyond borders and so far into reality. One dream I know I have sneaked in on straight from my head, is my pursuit at becoming a publicist – somehow, I think the desire to achieve this was as original as my conception.

How often do we live in our heads, conceiving dreams and seeing visions; yet doing nothing to actualize them? We are often caught in the middle of distractions, distractions of all kinds – complacency (of which even the best of us find ourselves guilty), activity (good or bad, money making or time consuming and energy draining), ambition (the point where all we live for is hope and no real substance or development of substance to actualize it), day dreaming (silent killers that engage our thoughts and consume the time that could be used for more productive ventures)… I am stuck somewhere in the middle of identifying more distractions.

Interestingly, I find these distractions are overcome by one magic – ACTION. It’s simplest to dream or think up something, simpler to decide on what move to make, and just plain simple to act on the thought; notice the depreciating superlative descriptions in the steps involved. Before I bore you with grammar, I started writing this follow up article because I needed to act on my dream; you remember from the third paragraph I am meant to be “blogger extraordinaire” in some near future? I am guilty of the distractions; I even find myself a distraction, funny as it is, this is possible and true.

I am tired though, of sitting still and dreaming big. So forgive that I have very little gist and plenty motivation, I would sound better… another day

Miss; Hemba!!!

This whole blogging thing sef*

So, once upon a time I heard that there were writers, there were singers, there were columnists… and then there were bloggers*

Ok, here’s the deal; I no too sabi speak heavy grammar… but the small English wen I know, I dey use am well; plus I dey construct ma sentences well to the best of my ability. I couldn’t place my hand on what a blog was though, even though I knew a blogger was one who blogged, pardon my tautology. My search for the meaning of blog started, and all the English-Oxford-Yale-King’s dictionaries didn’t exactly work. Don’t get me wrong yeah, they defined the word, but I didn’t quite follow after all; In the meantime however, I had started writing as a columnist in a weekly publication called HORIZON EXPRESS

My column started without definition, and somehow continued so. I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to be narrowed to one subject matter so I let my fingers roll on the keypads of my laptop, and wrote as freely as I wanted to. In the beginning, I talked about life… then love, then fashion, and then again music. I spoke about events, politics, culture, arts and crafts and when I got bored I wrote a short story. I even went as far as borrowing from an already published story of mine, written sometime in 2007 when I was lending my voice to making bored people happy with music and noise; easily identified as radio. A colleague of mine challenged me to it… I didn’t write again after that until 2009.

In addition to writing, I started to read more from the internet with a conscious note for blogs. Then I came across interesting write-ups, different bloggers dem… and Nkiru caught my attention, thanks to Lanre Lawal of blarquebrothablogspot.com; like him, she was a fresh read. Another interesting one was Linda’s…she probably needs little or no introduction ay? Then it hit me… “I had been blogging the whole time, this whole time oo”. The whole blog idea was off random news and stories right? That is exactly what I had been spending all my time doing. I recognized the difference however, as simple as I may be painting the blog idea, is embedded in the craft and delivery of the one who is dishing it out.

I am kind of bored at the moment, even though I have my hands full in the interim. I am currently working with a couple of entertainers and doing what I have dreamed of hitting and surpassing Jay Z, Beyonce and Oprah point with – Publicity; going in and out of the studio to record and talk music, visiting corporate offices for support and still maintaining position and holding forth at work with my day job, I have joined the “blog community” with all pleasure thank you very much.

I am an easy writer, a chit chat with a moderate pace of wit, and a young lady full of life and love. I make a living engaging people on other people’s behalves; and this I must add, is on every level. I get opinionated about the slightest of issues and love to ask questions and most importantly find the answers and share them. There’s going to be plenty of sharing here so brace yourselves; and open the doors to your hearts make I enter (kpo kpo kpo kpo)

Once upon this time; here am I a writer, a singer, a columnist… and from today, a blogger*

Miss; Hemba!!!