Busola Oke is like the next door girl, who has paid her price in the music industry. She found her way into stardom with the hit track Eleyele few years back and many wondered what’s happening to her since the release of the album. In this interview with ORUKPE NELSON, she explained what she has been up to, her music and family. Excerpts…

What has been happening to you all this while?

I have been going in and out of the country. At a point, I had to relocate permanently to London to give birth to my children, but I am back to Nigeria now.

Your monthly lovers show at Rodizzo club is the talk of the town now, how did you conceptualize the idea?

Night out with Queen Busola Oke at Rodizzio is all about keeping in touch with my fans and music lovers around, the show comes up once in a month and it is also a way to promote young talents and upcoming artistes, the show is all about showcasing both known and upcoming artistes.

You featured Artquake and LKT in one of your songs, what was the experience like?

Featuring LKT & Artquake was a very wonderful experience; I personally love that track ‘Ejeunjo’ (let me dance) so much because of its unique style and the way the two artistes interpreted the song was really professional.

Apart from being an artiste, you own a record label, are you going to be signing only gospel artistes?

First and foremost, I’m an artiste and I have a record label and it’s a way to contribute to the growth of music industry in Nigeria. ‘Royal Water Records & Entertainments Ltd’ is strictly for business, if we see any artiste who is worthy of being in the label, regardless of his genre of music we’ll gladly do that. I recently signed in an artiste for the label who sings juju gospel known as Segun Royal.

Can you share some of the challenges you confront at the beginning?

Everyone knows that nothing good comes easy and being an artiste, facing challenges is compulsory. Sincerely, I have been through ups and down in entertainment which has no limit has human beings. It’s natural but how you handle the trial times is what matters. Some of the challenges includes; piracy, bad marketers and promoters and lastly substandard music.

If not music, what else would you have probably be doing?

If I wasn’t an artiste, I would have been a big time designer, own a clothing line of my own and also made my catering business a household name by now but my career is gulping a lot of time.

A lot has been read about Busola Oke, but how soon do you think you can achieve the feat Eleyele hit made?

Everything in life depends on God and the individual’s ability and struggle. For me, Busola; I am doing all I can to attain my dream place in this chosen career and to make my fans proud of me but with God all things are possible I am working very hard to become even better than what is expected of me.

I would like to clarify this, are you a gospel artist or an inspirational singer?

I am a professional musician; I do different kinds of music. An inspirational singer sings reality songs and he or she sings from a natural source, something that will move you or remind you of something that is real, something that will touch your soul and also pass a message. But, a gospel artiste is like a minister of God; his or her song might either be preaching the gospel or praising and appreciating God through Songs.

You are famous for your Eleyele hit; do you think there is still market for your kind of music locally and internationally?

Thank God for Eleyele but my kind of music is the original African beat and style, it’s not of the western world or imitations, it’s real and anything that is real makes way anywhere and everywhere but at the same time I am not the best, my music is not the best and there is still room for amendments and more improvement.

What would you say inspires your compositions?

My composition comes from my natural inspiration, from God and my everyday life, I compose from reality.

Do you write or compose all your songs yourself?

I write and compose all my songs.

Apart from music, what does Bukola Eleyele do?

Asides music, Busola Oke ‘Eleyele’ is a professional caterer, a cloth designer and an event planner.

What is your advice to young women of nowadays?

My advice to our young women is for them to be focused, learn to be strong, be determined and believe in themselves and not in anybody.

Share the weirdest thing a female fan had told you?

I can’t believe I am finally sharing this, one day a female fan called me and said Busola Oke what is it about you that my husband is going crazy for? “He even told me that I must learn and know how to sing all your songs and also wear your hairstyles, Busola Oke who are you? What planet are you from? What is special about you?”  I was so shocked and short of words.

Any regrets?

I have no regrets, the only pain I have in my heart is that my father died early, he didn’t enjoy the fruit of his labour but I thank God he was convinced about my chosen career. He initially wanted me to be a lawyer, but I ended up studying Mass Communication. When I told him I have chosen to be a singer, that initially caused a lot of rift between us but he soon realised this was my destiny before passing away.

Have you ever been betrayed and how did you feel about the experience?

Betrayal is inevitable, so it’s not a big issue anymore. Everybody knows betrayal is the most common thing on this planet, so, people get betrayed all the time but intelligent people always handle it wisely and being a professional, you should always be ready for the best or the worst.

It is generally believed that marriage takes female artistes to the back seat, how true is this?

For me, my marriage is not affecting me in anyway but at the same time, as a cultural person I must also put my marriage into consideration in everything I do but I don’t see how it affects me as a person because my husband is my biggest fan and also my biggest promoter because of his encouragement both morally and financially when it comes to my career.

How do you combine being a mother, wife and artiste?

With God all things are possible, they are three different things and it all plays out easily because God made it easy. First, music is my talent, marriage is ordained by God so that makes it perfect and lastly, being a mother was a gift from God and playing that role is a natural duty which I personally define as a compulsory exercise. Being a mother is very interesting and noble cause, it’s the easiest of all responsibilities.

As a beautiful lady how often do you get advances from men? 

Like Jack Robinson; I mean every seconds, every minutes every day and time to be realistic this is very common and I must say I am used to advances from the opposite sex but, as a focused and determined person, it’s easy to handle.

Doesn’t your husband get jealous?

Oh my God! Can you show me just one man that doesn’t get jealous? Only if the person is Jesus or Prophet Muhammed!

Can you let us into the man in your life?

My man is an introvert, he doesn’t like publicity he loves his privacy I don’t bring him into my career and he doesn’t bring me into his business as well, he is not a showbiz person. He is a businessman.

How did you meet?

Our meeting was divine but I don’t want to talk about my husband, the most important thing is that I love him and he loves me too.

If given a chance to change something about yourself, what would you change about yourself?

OMG! That’s a huge question but I will be factual, if I have my way I would love to still be a Lawyer I owe that to my father but I know I may not be able to practice law because of my chosen career and because I am not getting any younger but only if…

What is your philosophy of life?

My philosophy of life is that love is thicker than blood; that was my father’s philosophy of life; I believe and I have confirmed that it’s very true.

What drives your passion?

Good music and good people.

How would you describe yourself in three words?

I am a goal getter

What are your plans for 2015?

2015 has been a very busy year for me because I have a lot of projects on the table. For example, releasing the album of my first artiste Segun Royal, my personal video (Emimimo) launching of my foundation and clothing line and finally introducing my New Music Concept.