I remembered growing as a young child, my mum always reprimand me when I go wrong with Christy Essien Igbokwe popular track ” omo mi sere ti e dare ooo” the song did not just get me back on my feet but remained evergreen on my mind.
Some years later, my mum called me to see the woman behind the song she usually sing for me, and with desperation I ran to see this beautiful and energetic woman called “Apene’ jegede Shokoya’s wife in the popular NTA comedy series, the New Masqurade, that was the first time I ever saw Christy Essien.
She is no doubt a distinct woman as she stated her music career at the age of 16, she was the first female president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) an organization she help found in 1982 .She was honored Nigeria Lady of songs awards 1984, international achievement award Mexico 1983 world song festival award, Los Angeles queen of music internatonal awars . She also was also honored as the most outstanding achiement in female uplifting with Assciation of theatre Arts practitioners Lagos 1983 among so many.
Essien-Igbokwe, started singing while in secondary school, released her first album, Freedom, in 1976 at the age of 16. She followed up with other albums such as ‘Patience’ and ‘Time Waits for No One’ in 1978; ‘One Understanding’ (1979) and ‘Give Me A Chance’ (1980). She got married to Edwin Igbokwe at age 19, a marriage blessed with four sons.
Among so many side of the great artist is that she sang in Yoruba, Hausa , Igbo and in her native ibibo and made great hits, She was involved in private business, politics of her home state, Akwa Ibom, and she was also run a non-governmental organisation,” Essential Child Care Foundation”, which is involved in child welfare needs and rights.
Overall the great legend had 10 albulms in the market and was actually in the studio for the next one, when God says her time was up, sources also has it that Essien was a drop up, and I has vowed to go back to school for a degree in Theology, but nope afterall she was given a National Honours Award (MFR)
Born on the 11th November 1960, Christy was said to be sick for three days and died at the wee of Thursday, her last performance was at the grand finale of the recently concluded Nigerian Idol talent show which was held on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at the Dream Studios, Ogba, Lagos.
She graced the stage with the two finalists Naomi Mac and eventual winner Yeka Onka as they performed ‘Sun re re‘. trust me she brought joyous tears to my eyes to watch perform so well that day. Rest in Perfect peace Christy and my regards to our lost icons hopefully in heaven
