Silver Omah: Like Daughter Like Mother

Silver Omah: Like Daughter Like Mother

When you have a mother who is into the nitty gritty of music,  including being a singer and owning a music studio, music will naturally be for you an everyday thing.

Ekene Silver Momah whose stage name is Silver Omah was born into music and has remained immersed in it ever since.

The young songstress was indeed greatly impacted by her mother who is a singer and a studio owner. Opting for music as a course and graduating from the Department of Music, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, further enhanced Omah's passion for music.

As an undergraduate Omah was actively involved in musical shows and musical collaborations.

Notedly, during her undergraduate days, she joined a music band named “Ichoku” led by Gerald Eze whose main focus was on exploring Folk Music and adapting popular songs to the Igbo traditional instruments such as the Uboaka and Oja.

In 2021, Omah met Kaycee Oguejiofor while attending a music seminar hosted by himself and Gerald Eze where they educated musicians and music lovers about the music industry.

Oguejiofor took a liking to Omah's sound and decided to sponsor her recordings which aided her career growth thus the young female music star started recording her music professionally in 2021.

A singer, songwriter, and composer, a turning point in Omah's fledgling music career, however, came in August 2023, "when I met Arch. Tobenna Ezeofor (Zeofest), the manager of Zeof Records also took a liking to my sound and introduced me to the CEO, High Chief Jideofor Ezeofor of Zeof Records.

"He too fell in love with my sound and had me record two songs, one of which I released on February 9th, 2024 as my first single named “Price Of Your Heart” in collaboration with Zeof Records"

Omah's musical career got a huge boost recently when she featured in an EP,  "Epiphany".  The EP which was released by Zeof Records, is a selection of different Afrobeat genres.

Ọ̀ràézè Ǹrì, Kingdom of the Rising Sun

Ọ̀ràézè Ǹrì By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Ọ̀ràézè Ǹrì

Kingdom of the Rising Sun

How can you traverse the universe,

When you have chosen not to see beyond your nose? 

They called her the ageless woman of the Igbo Ukwu. The Mother of all the Dibias of Afa divination. 

I came to the peak of the hills of Udi where I found her sitting under an Ugiri tree.

She was sitting on green palm fronds encircled by gourds. I came before her naked and bowed.

"Gini bu afa ghi?" 

She asked  in the language of our kingdom meaning, "What is your name!"

"Onyemachi."

I replied. 

She gazed at me. She gazed into my eyes. Her eyeballs were like golden almonds. She gazed at the windows of my soul. Then she nodded her hairless oval head.

"Hmm. Indeed Onyemachi. Of course, who knows God?"

She shook her head.

"Nobody knows God. They call, cry and shout His name every day and night and yet they don't know Him "

"Great Mother, I want to know Him. I have come to know Him," I said.

She gazed at me again.

With the index finger of her thin right hand she scribbled on the ground what I could not read and did not understand.

"You want to know Him whom they don't know?"

"Yes, Great Mother."

She brought out the bowl of the shell of a tortoise with a short stick of Ofo wood. Then she brought out the four strings of AFA one by one. 

"Open your right palm," she said.

I opened my right palm.

She held it and gazed at it.  She opened her right palm and gazed at it and gazed at mine again.

"The truth is only for the children of the covenant," she said.

"Not all the children of Yebu are called. Not all the ones who are called are chosen."

She picked up the first string of the AFA with her right hand and cast it on the ground.

Our forefathers and diviners said Yebu came with the Afa when he descended from the midst of the clouds in the sky with flashes of lightning and claps of thunder.

Yebu was one of the Sons of God who came down to the Earth. 

Genesis 6:

"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose '"

© Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima. All rights reserved. No copying, duplication, publication and reproduction of the content without the authorization and permission of the author and owner of the copyright.

#God

#Creation

#Genesis

#fathers

#children

#mother

#sons

#daughters

#almond

#tree

#sun

#angels

#thunder

#lightning

#claps

#heaven

#Igbos

#AFA

#Nrikingdon

#IgboUkwu

#Nri

#Ofo

#Yebu

Hilda Adefarasin: Farewell Mother of Nigerian Women

Farewell Mother of Nigerian Women

Mama Hilda Adefarasin will be remembered as one of the greatest women in the history of Nigeria.

She was a household name among all women in the 1980s..

Mama has chosen the International Women's Month for her transition to eternal glory at the grand old age of 98 years.

I wonder if there are still great women like her in Nigeria. 

We should have an annual Hilda Adefarasin Prize for outstanding women in leadership.

Hilda Adefarasin (9 January 1925 – 5 February 2023) was a Nigerian women's rights activist who was the president of the National Council of Women's Societies (NCWS). She left her nursing profession in 1969 to concentrate on professional activities of the NCWS. In 1971, she was the council's treasurer and in 1987, she became the President.

#Women 

#womensmonth

#HildaAdefarasin

#internationalwomensmonth

The Rings of Power

Rings of Power

(An original story by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima)

Kingdom of Nri
circa 4,000 BCE

The oldest monarchy on the continent of Africa is the Igbo monarchy of Nri Kingdom.

Ọ̀ràézè Ǹrì
Kingdom of the Rising Sun

How can you traverse the universe,
When you have chosen not to see beyond your nose? 

They called her the ageless woman of the Igbo Ukwu. The Mother of all the Dibias of Afa divination. 
I came to the peak of hills of Udi where I found her sitting under an Ugiri tree.
She was sitting on green palm fronds encircled by gourds. I came before her naked and bowed.
"Gini but afa ghi?" 
She asked  in the language of our our kingdom meaning, "What is your name!"
"Onyemachi."
I replied. 
She gazed at me. She gazed into my eyes. Her eyeballs were like golden almonds. She gazed at the windows of my soul. Then she nodded her hairless oval head.
"Hmm. Indeed Onyemachi. Of course, who knows God?"
She shook her head.
"Nobody knows God. They call, cry and shout His name every day and night and yet they don't know Him "
"Great Mother, I want to know Him. I have come to know Him," I said.
She gazed at me again.
With the index finger of her thin right hand she scribbled on the ground what I could not read and did not understand.
"You want to know Him whom they don't know?"
"Yes, Great Mother."

She brought out the bowl of the shell of a tortoise with a short stick of Ofo wood. Then she brought out the four strings of Afa one by one. 
"Open your right palm," she said.
I opened my right palm.
She held it and gazed at it.  She opened her right palm and gazed at it and gazed at mine again.
"The truth is only for the children of the covenant," she said.
"Not all the children of Yebu are called. Not all the ones who are called are chosen."

She picked up the first string of the Afa with her right hand and cast it on the ground.
Our forefathers and diviners said Yebu came with the Afa when he descended from the midst of the clouds in the sky with flashes of lightning and claps of thunder.
Yebu was one of the Sons of God who came down to the Earth 

Genesis 6:

"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, ² That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

***

Read another original fiction by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima in "Camouflage: Best of Contemporary Writing from Nigeria" distributed by Amazon.

The Glass Shatterer

 The Glass Shatterer

An original Story by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

He was born dumb, but his glass-breaking wail registered at 105 decibels, almost as loud as a jackhammer shattered glasses to smithereens.

What is the power behind his glass shattering voice?

Ugoma had been barren for over a decade and became the object of derision mocked by her mother in-law and scorned by her drunkard husband who often beat her at the slightest provocation whenever he was drunk. He was cheating on her by sleeping with other women to have children, but none of them got pregnant and he blamed it all on the miserable Ugoma, he and his mother called a witch.

Eventually Ugoma got pregnant in the twelfth year of their marriage and rejoiced. "HALLELUJAH!" Olu ebube Jehovah!" She exclaimed in her mother tongue of the  Igbo language that it was the wonderful miracle of Almighty God. But her husband and mother in-law and others called it a strange pregnancy. He even accused her of sleeping with another man. But Ugoma's joy became sour when she gave birth to a dumb male child. Her husband and mother in-law and mockers laughed at her and called her child, imbecile.

One stormy night, her husband returned home drunk and because she was still not done cooking what he was expecting to have for dinner, he pounced on her,  beating her mercilessly. Their son who was now almost a year old suddenly screamed as he wailed and the  deafening sound of his piercing voice shattered the glass cups, glass bottles and class windows in the entire house. His parents shaking in fear and trembling in shock as they gazed at him. He hugged his mother and glared angrily at his father who was dumbfounded.

What happened next?

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

https://shadowandact.com/author/MichaelChima

©The Glass Shatterer. All rights reserved. No copying, duplication or reproduction of any part of the content and context of this story without the authorization and permission of the author. Plagiarization will attract litigation.

#God

#Jehovah

#Igbo

#scream

#mother #Sound 

#mystery 

#pregnancy 

#Marriage 

#cheating 

#domesticviolence 

#miracles 

Marcelina Ekwutosi Omagie: Celebrating 100 Years of Doing Good

Marcelina Ekwutosi Omagie: Celebrating 100 Years of Doing Good

- By Chief Ingram OSIGWE

When you look at Mrs Marcelina Ekwutosi Omagie aka Nwaezebuona (daughter of a king is precious jewellery ), you don't just see a woman who is one of the rare persons to have lived through a century. No! Her cheerful mien and sharp wits belly her age. Rather, who you see is a beautiful soul, a strong, resilient woman who, every day,  inspires you to endure and overcome every trial and tribulation of life.

Yes, Mrs Omagie is a centenarian. Not many, especially in this part of the world with short life span, are blessed with longevity. But she is. Mrs Omagie will be 100 on April 9. God has been good to her, she enjoys good health and uninterrupted grace in her 100 years on earth.

As mama turns 100, her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren will be rolling out the drums to celebrate a woman whose longevity is seeped in quality of life for according to Martin Luther King Jnr, "the quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important"

Though mama has no biological children of her own, she has spent the better part of her 100 years on earth mentoring the young and old and contributing tremendously to the goodness of humanity, growth of the Catholic church and tranquillity of the society.

It is, therefore, no surprise that a plethora of individuals, groups and organisations who have benefited richly from her fountain of love and who see her as a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great great grandmother will be celebrating Mrs Omagie's 100th birthday 

One of such organisations is the Stella Maris Catholic Church (outstation), Onitsha.

According to snippets from  Mrs Omagie's chequered life history, a time came when she immersed herself in the work and worship of God and then discovered that life and everything therein was all vanities. Mama thus decided to bequeath all she owned, including the land on which Stella Maris Catholic Church now stands, to God and the betterment of mankind.

On the day the church was dedicated, the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Valeria Maduka Okeke declared that even though mama has no biological children all members of the Stella Maris family are her children and would always celebrate her as their matriarch.

This explains the elaborate birthday events the church has lined up for her.

Born on April 9, 1922, in Onitsha, Anambra State, to the family of His Royal Highness, the late Eze Timothy Williams Obiosa Ibuaka and late Catherine Ibuaka from the present-day Delta state, mama, as a kid, spent much of her time in the service of God through membership of various societies in the church including the Block Rosary and Mary League.

This was after her baptism at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Onitsha, now Basilica of the Most Holy Catholic church.

Her dedication to the church and things of God was to lead her to insist on becoming a nun.

However, her mother thought otherwise and persuaded her to get married. Thus on December 26th, 1944, mama sacrificed her desire to become a nun for a married life when she tied the knots with Solomon Omagie.

The marriage did not produce children and following a series of challenges arising from that, mama travelled abroad where she combined the work of God with furthering her studies.

In Rome for example, mama served the pope for many years as an altar girl. She was also active in the choir where she was noted for her exceptional appearance in African apparel.

In the field of education, Mrs Marcelina Omagie was one of the pioneer Nigerian lecturers at the then University College, Ibadan, now the University of Ibadan. She was in the employ of the University till 1975 when as a Senior Lecturer,  the then Nigerian leader, General Yakubu Gowon pleaded with her to proceed to the fledgeling University of Maiduguri to help solidify its formation.

The elegant, flowery chapters of mama's life, especially her contributions to the growth of the Catholic faith in Nigeria, will not be complete without mentioning her role in the formation of the Catholic Women Organisation, CWO.

She was one of the Catholic women in Nigeria who in 1964 met and birthed the CWO.

April 9 is indeed a date to keep for mama's birthday will be a celebration of a salutary life well lived and still living in the service of God and humanity.

The commercial city of Onitsha will come alive as all roads will be leading to Stella Maris outstation, Onwugbenu street, GRA, the venue of mama's 100th birthday celebration.

According to organisers of the event- Nneoma Lady Maria Ihionu, Dr Dorathy Ezenwanne and Barr. Lizzy Anyaonu- mass to herald mama's birthday celebration will be officiated by His Grace, Archbishop Valeria Maduka Okeke, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha.