Nigerian actress and musician (1960–2011)
Christiana Uduak Essien-Igbokwe, MFR (11 November 1960 – 30 June 2011) was a Nigerian musician and actress. Called "Nigeria's Lady of Songs," she was known for her songs "Seun Rere," "Tete Nu Na Ula," "Ife," "Hear the Call" and "Give Me a Chance." She was the first female president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and the chairperson and managing director of Soul Train Entertainment.
She sang in Igbo, Ibibio, Efik, Hausa, Yoruba, and English. Her native language is Ibibio.
Early life.
Christy was born in Okat, Onna, Akwa Ibom State. Her mother died when she was 12; she then lived in Aba, Abia, with a friend of her mother, who encouraged her singing career and bought her a second-hand cassette player to record her songs.
Career.
Christy began her musical career in secondary school, singing at clubs such as Unikoko in Aba. She appeared as a regular on the NTA Aba variety shows "Now Sound" and "Ukaonu's Club". In 1976, she joined the cast of "The New Masquerade" as Akpenor, the wife of the cantankerous character Jegede Sokoya (Claude Eke). She released her debut album ("Freedom") the following year. Essien's most successful album was 1981's "Ever Liked My Person?" (produced by Lemmy Jackson).
Christy is known for her feminist activism, as she appeared in early Nollywood films such as "Flesh and Blood" (co-starring with Richard Mofe-Damijo, Ameze Imarhiagbe, and Ekpeyong Bassey Inyang; directed by Chico Ejiro) and "Scars of Womanhood" (co-starring Kate Henshaw, Sam Loco Efe, Justus Esiri, and Francis Duru), both of which addressed child abuse and female circumcision.
Essien initiated the first meeting, which formed the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) in 1981. The association was founded a year later, with King Sunny Adé as president, Sonny Okosun as vice-president, and Essien as treasurer. From 1996 to 1999, she was the PMAN's first female president. Essien has appeared in many national and international shows, and she has composed and performed Akwa Ibom State's informal anthem, "Akwa Ibom Mmi (My Akwa Ibom)", in 1987. Christy Essien Igbokwe released 10 albums between 1977 and 1992, with the eleventh still unreleased after her death until in 2013.
In her later years, she performed with her second son, Chinwuba Kenechukwu Kaka, at the January 2009 Inspire Africa benefit concert and participated in the MTN Musical Festival later that year. Chinwuba Kenechukwu Kaka is a hip-hop artist and producer and the father of her granddaughter Christiana Chizaramekpeleamaka Ijeoma. Essien's album, "Ever Liked My Person?" was certified platinum in Nigeria. A biography titled "The will of God" was produced and sponsored by Exxon Mobil in the 90s to show her life and career so far at the time. Her granddaughter remixes the song "Seun Rere".
Death.
Essien-Igbokwe died of gastrointestinal disease on 30 June 2011 at age 50 at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, Onyeka Owenu, Bisi Olatilo (Veteran Broadcaster), Soni Irabor, Oritz Wiliki, Remi Tinubu, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Aliko Dangote, and Victor Uwaifo, attended her funeral amongst others. To celebrate the remembrance of the late music icon on 30 June 2020, the granddaughter of Christy Essien Igbokwe "Christiana Chizaramekpeleamaka Ijeoma" covered "You're Welcome" from Disney's "Moana".
References.
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