makes them pause and listen to the lyrics of her
songs. Thanks to her talent, the Bowen
University graduate of Computer Science
appeared on the acclaimed Cypher segment
during the 2012 edition of the BET HIP-HOP
Awards.
Top acts like Kanye West, Nicky Minaj and
Eminem have also appeared on Cypher.
Ask the guys and they will tell you that the
artiste known as Eva Alordiah off stage is eye
candy they would gladly stare at. Add up her
sexy looks with her rapping prowess and you will
understand why there is a buzz about the artiste
once signed to Trybes Records.
It wasn’t long after the death of pop star, Goldie
that TS Weekend met with Eva for this chat.
She had a close relationship with the Skibobo
singer, which lasted until she passed on in
February. Despite her sadness, Eva was willing to
talk about the person behind the Goldie
persona, perhaps to ensure that fans have a
good memory of her late friend.
“Goldie is an inspiration to me. I modeled my
image and career after her. I also emulate her
work ethic because she was hard working and
she knew exactly what she wanted,” she said. “I
can tell you that as we are in the beginning of
the year, Goldie must have mapped out all the
things she must do in 2013 and she would have
worked hard until she achieved each one of her
goals.
We were scheduled to do a track together. But
we never got to do it. I regret this so much.”
Eva’s expression of grief didn’t stop at the
broken dreams of the artiste whose unique style
and colourful videos earned her the ‘Nigerian
Lady Gaga’ moniker from admiring fans, she
expressed dismay over the remarks made about
Goldie after she returned from the BBA.
According to the rapper, people didn’t know the
real Goldie.
“She literarily lived through the negative remarks
that came her way all through her career. I must
say there was just too much hate coming the
way of such a great musician.
But it didn’t stop her from doing things her way.
She never tried to repackage herself or her
music to suit those criticizing her. “I feel sad she
died at the point where she was repackaging her
career after the BBA show.
She was at the Grammy, she was about to do a
song with Ciara, it is quite clear she was working
to take her career to a higher level when this
happened,” Eva disclosed. Asked to describe
Goldie, Eva waxed lyrical.
“Goldie was not just a dancer or a good singer,
she was not just a pop princess, she was also an
original. She was the quintessential artiste who
loved to create art.” Eva equally talked to TS
Weekend about her career, love life and why
she can make the first move on a guy she finds
attractive.
Enjoy it.
YOU SAID PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THE REAL
GOLDIE. WHAT WAS THE REAL GOLDIE
LIKE?
I worked with her during her Goldie and Friends
tour from Ibadan to Ife. She performed in
schools in that area. It was during the tour that I
discovered the workaholic Goldie. She was a
perfectionist. She wanted her stage attires to
look good. She ensured that her performance is
worth the time of the audience. Her stagecraft
was phenomenal.
It is sad that all people could think of her was
how to misrepresent her art. Yet, she stood by
what she believed in. Here is someone that I
knew for five years and she never changed her
style.
She never thought of changing her style
because some people didn’t like it and I admire
her for this. The Goldie that I knew was such a
warm, sweet, childish and vibrant girl.
NOW TELL US WHO EVA REALLY IS?
The real Eva is vastly different from the one
people know. The Eva people know is ghetto,
gangster and hood. The real Eva is an introvert.
I like to stay at home, cook and just enjoy my
time in the house. I know my fans will like to say
I have cooks and maids who do my chores, but
I wasn’t raised that way. My mum ensured that I
am grounded.
I have been inculcated with the chore values a
Nigerian child needs to excel in life. The real me
puts others before herself. I am highly
emotional. Unfortunately, when I step out of
the house to work, I switch mode and turn to
the gangster and hood person people expect me
to be. I also have to get my boss-look on
because in this (music) industry you have to be
in control of your career. Being in control of my
career is another thing I learnt from Goldie.
BUT YOUR SONG, HIGH, DOESN’T SOUND
LIKE WHAT CAME FROM A CONSERVATIVELY
RAISED GIRL THAT YOU ARE?
The song, High, is an artistic expression. I don’t
smoke or drink. High wasn’t created to promote
the use of illicit drugs or irresponsibility of any
kind.
What I meant by my getting high is that I am
getting back to doing the things that I like,
things that make me high. If you listen to the
lyrics of the song, you will understand the literal
meaning of it.
I talked about how life can get one low and how
happy you feel when you can get back on your
feet. I, for example, have to go through the
hassles of the industry but I don’t stay at the
bottom. I get up and get high up where I want
to be. This is why if you look at the video of the
song which I co-directed and styled myself in,
you get to see two Eva(s).
In one scene, there is the Eva that is low in the
bathtub and in another scene there is the red-
haired Eva who is happy to be making music.
DON’T YOU THINK THAT SOME PEOPLE WHO
SAW THE CIGAR SMOKE AND OTHER STUFF
IN YOUR VIDEO WOULD WANT TO IMITATE
YOU?
It would have been a different thing if I puffed a
cigar in the video. But I didn’t. I wasn’t smoking
and feeling the chemicals from cigar. In fact, the
smoke is a special effect used by the director.
The scene you are talking about has me in a
hooded top with smoke swirling around me. I
was in my dark zone from where I got into
another scene where I was in my happy mode
of making music.
TALKING ABOUT THE DARK SIDE, WHY ARE
ARTISTES INTO THESE KINDS OF THINGS
THAT MAKE PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE
INVOLVED IN THE OCCULT?
But we all know that life can be dark sometimes.
People have their own problems. There isn’t a
single human being who doesn’t have
challenges. For me, it’s the challenges of the
music industry that get me brooding
sometimes. For some people, it might be
marital problems, others may be struggling in
school and that’s why a lot of people can relate
with someone being in the dark side for a
moment or two. I am not into the dark side like
some people might think.
IT MEANS YOU DON’T ASCRIBE TO THE
ILLUMINATI TALK WHIRLING AROUND
ENTERTAINERS?
No. I believe in God. I believe in working hard
and walking with God. I am a Christian and right
now, all I’m interested in is building a good
relationship with Him. There was a time I could
go for weeks without picking up my Bible. All of
that time I used to feel empty, but now I have
chosen to relate closely with God. And it feels
much better.
SO HOW DOES AN INTROVERT LIKE YOU
SPEND HER TIME INDOORS?
I read all kinds of books from the Bible to the
dictionary. I have to read because it helps me
improve on my vocabulary. I need to be good
with words since I write music. I like to cook. I
do a lot of cooking. I have seven dogs that I
love to spend time with. I watch movies at
home. I don’t know why but I have never been
to the cinema to watch a movie. I hang out with
my family. I am not saying I am loner; I am not
a sad person.
But I leave my house only when there is work to
do either at my make-up studio or if it is about
doing music. I don’t go around partying and
drinking.
WHAT KIND OF FOOD DO YOU COOK? ARE
YOU REALLY GOOD AT COOKING?
I am a great cook. I learnt so much from my
mum in the kitchen. I have also learnt stuff
from market women. I know how to make
delicacies from other parts of the country and
Delta, my home state.
The good thing about me is that my use of
costumes makes it easy for me to shop for
foodstuff in any market. People know me with
my crazy hair colours and unique outfits. But
when I step out in everyday wear, they hardly
recognise me.
When going to the market or doing other
regular stuff I transform myself from the extra-
ordinary Eva to the chic Eva.
DON’T YOU CHILL WITH YOUR MAN AT
HOME SINCE YOU ARE NOT KEEN ON GOING
OUT?
Oh!We’ve come to the part where you ask if I
am single. Well, I am single. Valentine just went
by and I was working on the day.
MOST PEOPLE WORKED ON VAL’S DAY BUT
THEY LATER WENT OUT WITH THEIR
PARTNERS. HOW ABOUT YOU?
I went to my hotel room after the show and I
slept off.
WHY DIDN’T ANYONE ASK YOU OUT ON
VAL’S DAY?
I don’t know. I guess they aren’t looking my way
(laughter). I am single and enjoying things the
way they are. Like I said, I want to have good
relationship with God. I think this is the period
for me to better myself and improve on my
craft. I am really excited now and I just want to
concentrate on my career.
WHY DO YOU RELEGATE MARRIAGE TO THE
BACKGROUND WHEN IT IS COMMON
KNOWLEDGE THAT CHRISTIANS BELIEVE SO
MUCH IN I T?
Oh yes, marriage is important to God. This is
why he put Adam and Eve together. But I guess
I have to wait till happens. This is not to say I
am the kind that waits for a guy to make the
first move. If I see a guy I like, I will walk up to
him and tell him that ‘I think you’re cute and I
like you’.
Talking about cute men, there are so many of
them in Nigeria. Nigerian men are cute and I
have dated them in the past. But now, it’s not
just working with any guy.
TALKING ABOUT CUTE GUYS, YOU WERE
ONCE LINKED TO MI. WHAT HAPPENED TO
THAT RELATIONSHIP?
I wasn’t romantically linked to MI. I was linked to
him career wise. At some point he wanted to
sign me on his record label because he liked my
music. But things didn’t work out as planned.
Even if you try harder, you won’t be able to link
with any guy. I told you that I don’t gallivant
around the place. I just do my work and I mind
my business.
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF LOVE?
Love is love. I really don’t know how to define it.
Two years ago, I would have said, love is that
thing that everyone should experience. If you
asked me two months back, I would have said
love doesn’t exist. So, what I am saying is that
people’s opinion of love changes with what they
are experiencing when you ask them. In other
words love is love no matter what happens.
HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED TRUE LOVE?
I don’t know which one is true or false love. I
just enjoy the moment and share the time I
have with someone else when it happens. I have
learnt to enjoy the moment because you never
know how long that person will be around. I
know that God placed us here to share whatever
we have with another person. I guess that is
why Adam shared the garden with Eve!
PEOPLE OFTEN TALK ABOUT HOW TOUGH IT
IS FOR FEMALE RAPPERS TO MAKE IT IN THE
INDUSTRY. ARE THEY CORRECT?
I would say it’s tough for female entertainers on
the whole not just rappers. I have been in the
industry since May 2009 and all this time I have
grown. I have learnt a lot in this short time. I
have learnt that you have to be focused on what
you want. The problem most of the time has to
do with female artistes depending on people
(especially men) to do things for them. And
because the industry is so male dominated,
women sometimes get intimidated.
I think it is important for artistes to get into the
industry with a clear-cut vision of what they
want. When you come into the industry there
are so many offers and record deals thrown at
you with people promising you all sorts of
things. But I tell you that I am much better an
artiste doing things my way. It is important that
an artiste understands his/her brand.
This is something else I learnt from Goldie, she
understood the kind of brand she built. She
used to wear long lashes and all other stuff
because it suited her brand. She didn’t bow to
what others felt and I think female acts should
emulate her philosophy.
WHAT DO FEMALE ARTISTES NEED TO DO TO
SURVIVE?
They should create a brand, understand the
brand and constantly build on it no matter what
people say. For me, an artiste really needs to
come prepared for the industry because there is
so much artistes have to deal with.
You have to deal with your creativity, deal with
the business side and you have to fight your
demons that struggle to stop you from being
superb. Then you have to step out to deal with
the haters who don’t see anything good about
your work. It is really a crazy world female
entertainers live in.
It is even more complicated when you
remember that there is only one spot for female
artistes. What I mean is that when you look at
the roasters for shows, there are the guys and
one female. It is never the other way round.
So, the female acts have to first become the
only girl on the bill before they become one of
the big acts around.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR
YOU?
I am ready for the world. I am ready to live my
life. I cannot tell you what will happen exactly.
But what I know is that I will be concentrating
on my work and knowing God better. I don’t like
saying things like I want to own a make up line
or I want to be a big act because God has the
final say.
Nobody can be cocksure of his or her plan.
Goldie, my friend passed on recently and I can
tell you she had such good plans. But now, she
is no more. So, as long as I have the gift of life
and I know that I can get all I need from God, I
will keep looking up to him. I hope I have kids
though!
| Posted: at | |
Shegzan
jossy4reall
arsenal123
TRENDING GISTS 
Watch Touching Video Of Lady Surprising Boyfriend Who’s An Okada Rider
Sports Minister, John Enoh Roots For Peseiro’s Return To Super Eagles
Just in: EFCC Withdraws Suit Against Yahaya Bello In Appeal Court Over Alleged Fr@ud
Federal Govt Suspends Dana Airline Indefinitely Over Safety Concerns