Elegant starlet, Ibeh Chidinma known by the showbiz moniker, Chidexy, is going places with her velvet voice and stunning stage presence. The songstress, fondly addressed as Queen of the Coal City, speaks to LANRE ODUKOYA about her fledgling career and romance.
Just a few weeks ago, you released a single titled My Baby, what do you want the song to achieve?
It’s basically a party song and the message there is about love, but not in the R&B sense of the word. I’m trying to encourage people falling in love, those who feel loved and those who are just beginning to love someone somewhere because love is a very beautiful thing.
Was that your debut single?
No, my debut song was titled Chocomilo and that’s because a lot of people call me that name. The second one is entitled ‘Jolly’ because I released it as a birthday package for my fans. I released it on April 4.
Does that mean professionally you began music this year?
That’s not correct. I started professionally last year, but I allowed my first single to be released in January this year.
What was your earliest influence into music?
I realized that music is something I’ve got a great passion for, that’s the only thing I can do without complaining and getting tired. I sensed it’s a gift from God; a lot of people are using it, why can’t I use it? I grew up listening to Brandy, Beyonce and, at a point, I started listening to late Kefee’s songs. Her Branama album was fascinating. Though she’s gone, her music makes the memory of her fresh.
Now that people already started calling you Queen of the Coal City, how do you intend to live up to the name?
When they call me Coal City finest or Enugu finest, it’s humbling and flattering enough at the same time, but I just laugh over it. I was into modelling. I was doing it until I left for music.
How long did you do modelling?
I started in my 100 Level at the Enugu State University where I’m still a final year student of Estate Management. You straddle exciting career paths, music and modelling, these are industries where women have been abused.
Have you found yourself in situations where you had to trade your body to get what you wanted?
I came into both industries with the knowledge of what you’re saying. Yes, they happen and often too. The truth is that I don’t put myself in a situation where it becomes a do-or-die affair for me. I don’t express desperation in anything at all. That is why I don’t go into contests.
Instead, I do runways and facial modeling. I also do ushering at big gigs when they come up. I’m very sensitive about it because I don’t ever want to come really far in a contest for somebody to start asking me to use my body to cross the rest hurdles.
Last two years, we went for Calabar carnival and I was even in singer, Flavour’s music video for the famous song entitled ‘Golibe’. But in beauty contests, the girls are mostly desperate to use anything possible to wear the crown. Sometimes, it’s not about the most qualified person, but the one who can dare anything. It should be about merit and not through the back door. That principle has been drummed into my head more than a million times and it has helped me all the way.
Are you currently in a romantic relationship with anyone?
I really wish I could continue to ignore this question that trails me everywhere I go. I’m doing my radio tour right now and I just returned from Abuja and I’m going back there, everybody asks me the same thing. The truth is that I’m not seeing anybody for now.
Why are you still single?
I used to have, but not anymore. We couldn’t work out our differences. I’d like to face my career for now.
How long did you quit the relationship?
We ended the relationship sometime in April this year.
What if the guy comes back to tell you he’s ready to work out your differences?
I’m not ready now. I’ve grown past that and I believe there are better people out there for me. The problem is that girls try to manage and patch the rot in relationships instead of letting go when it’s not working.
When did you have your first kiss ever?
When I finished from my secondary school, we went for a friend’s birthday party and there was this guy everyone knew as my very good friend in school and we finished as platonic friends. I was the MC at the birthday party because I was also the Social Prefect girl back in the school.
We were at the point of Devil’s Mail Bag where you’d pick a paper from a bag and do whatever it instructs you to do. Then I called the guy, my friend, and was asked to choose one from the bag. The question in what he picked was, ‘choose a girl and give her a kiss’. I suspect that everything was a set up because as the MC, I was to be exempted from any task. But he insisted he wanted to kiss me.
I could bail myself with some money- it was optional. But I paid N200, he countered it with N500, and I raised it to N500, he countered it again with N1,000. I begged and cried but he wouldn’t listen and that was how he forced a kiss on my lips publicly.
So which was the first consensual kiss you had and when?
It was the same day by the same guy. He was to drop me off at home and he would be travelling the following day, so we ended up having another kiss.
That means the guy was the first person you loved?
Yes, that’s correct.
With Tiwa Savage, Omawumi, Yemi Alade and the rest making the industry fiercely competitive, what would you be doing differently to have a breakthrough?
First thing I have that I don’t know if all of them have is God. He’s the only one that makes dreams come true. And I also have the kind of energy that can stand up to anyone and anything. If you listen to my song titled ‘My Baby’, you’d realise that the song is in a class of its own.
It might sound too demanding to ask if plan for your debut album is underway…
Cuts in) No, you’re not far from the truth. I’ve been working on a lot of songs, but I’m not releasing anyone now. By God’s grace, I will be dropping an album next year.
Who are the star acts you look forward to collaborating with?
By God’s grace I’m having collaboration with Patoranking on the song, My Baby, I’d also like to work with Yemi Alade because I love her energy and I’d like to do stuffs with Chidinma for one reason- it’s going to shock everybody because on that set, everybody must be looking for who Chidinma is from Chidexy, we look so much alike and I’ve heard that a lot. We also sound alike.
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