The music industry is blessed with lots of talents who are doing great and making the country proud, rocking the social scenes home and abroad. Year in, year out, the industry produces top-notch music stars that can hold their own anywhere around the world.
Temitope Elizabeth Onifade with the stage name, Queen Madiva is a typical definition of the said talent. She is a fast-rising entertainer. She is young pretty, vibrant and energetic. Aside from that she is the master of the craft, plying her trade under the management of Saabt Entertainment, her performance is so enticing that many refer to her as the true queen of the stage as her stage name implies. She is already gaining more ground in the industry as she has become the toast of many socialites and celebrities who constantly book her to entertain them at their events.
Recently, Queen Madiva stormed City People Magazine and she was graciously received by the Publisher, Dr. Seye Kehinde and his staff. During a quite revealing cross-section with City People Magazine, the pretty singer spoke extensively about her formative years, her music brand and how she has built it over the years. Below are excerpts.
How are you able to build your brand to the level it is now?
Well it has been God and God only. It has been God and a lot of hard work, commitment and I’m grateful to God.
Like how many years have you been on?
Well if I would count, I would count professionally; it should be close to 10 years.
Tell us about the growth of your brand, from the very beginning and at what point did you have a big break and how have you been able to keep growing the brand?
First and foremost, I appreciate God for the grace of being alive, for the grace to be able to showcase my talent. It has been really tough from the beginning though I started with Afro Pop. We go to the studio to record, drop singles, shoot videos and at some point, I was like see Yemi Alade. At the time she dropped ‘Johnny’, I dropped a song that I felt; this song is in competition with that particular song. At some point, I felt like should I quit music or what? When I was in school, I have always been in what I will call a ‘one-woman band’ because we created a group of 4 guys; a keyboardist; me, the vocalist; a backup artist and sometimes we used strings. So I recalled my school days and I feel I can do this. I just woke up one morning and I decided to start doing my songs live. I was trying to do something different actually. I was trying to perform my original songs live. So when I get to that peak I can always perform to that live standard professionally and that was how my live band started. Over the years, it took me a long time to get used to the live performance thing; hailing people, getting money because I started with my own money. The money I sorted for a presentation I put into music. All in all, I thank God and we bless God for the growth. And where we are today, it has not been easy for us to get there.
Tell us about your place of birth and your growing up?
I was born in Oshodi. I grew up in Agege before we now upgraded to where God want us to be.
The Schools attended?
My primary school was D and D Nursery and Primary School then I moved to Folbim High School and from there I moved to Government College, Agege. From there, I went to the University of Ilorin where I studied Physics. And with this Physics, God said NO! That it’s broadcasting and music.
How did you come about that as a Physicist finding yourself in broadcasting?
I am a Science student. When I was in Secondary school, I was very brilliant. At a point, someone said she’s talkative. I was always here and there. I was the assembly prefect from my JSS to my SS class. So when I was going to write my exams, I performed well and they said she has to be in Science class. I really wanted to be in the Art Department or the Commercial Department but my academic results made me be in the Science class. So when I finished, I wanted to do biochemistry, my mother wanted me to do Medicine. I did Pre-Degree anyways and after the exams, I found myself in the Physics Department and that was how I had to study Physics.
Growing up in Agege and Oshodi, does it have any influence on your brand of music?
Not really, because if you see me perform some songs, you would feel maybe this girl just came back from London or American or Canada you know. Growing up in Agege does not affect my kind of music. Growing up there is just where God wants because that is where my parents were, not anymore anyway. And even growing up at Agege, when I tell people I grew up in Agege, they would say it’s a lie that ‘you are looking posh.’ Anyway, we really don’t go out. I hardly go out because my mother was over-protective because she knew the environment we lived in then.
How did you come about the name MADIVA?
The MADIVA came up in the studio when I was recording a particular song. We named the song ‘Playboy’. The song is about, you know, how guys break the heart of ladies. The name I started with was Mo Delicious. I had wanted to use my Oriki ‘Arike’ at some point but when we Google checked; we discovered that I think there was a lady using the ‘Arike’ name. I wanted a different, unique name and I don’t want to use my real name. So we were in the studio and I was laying my name. I was using Mo Delicious and the producer was like the name is too long and I agreed with him. Then I came up with I’m a Diva, I’m a Diva and he was like that is better. We now sat down and we were like I’m a Diva is long like MADIVA; like I’m a Diva and that’s how the name came up. Then when we started live band, someone randomly came to me and say wow! You sing well. When you meet me in person, I’m a shy person. It makes me sit down in a corner and folding my arms and you would say this is a gentle girl. But when I hold the microphone and mount the stage, you would say wow! She’s really a queen. That is how the Queen came to MADIVA and we have Queen MADIVA.
Most people who sing your kind of music come from the Celestial, Cherubim background; do you have that kind of background too?
First and foremost, let me burst your bubbles; I actually grew up in a Deeper Life church. I’m a Deeper Life member. If you see my mom and when people see me and see my mom, they are always surprised. You know how Deeper Life choir is. Let me say that was where I got to know music because then I played the Violin. And when you play the violin, you need to know the rudiments of music. The Deeper Life Church would make you do Sopranos, make you do Auto, make you do Tenor and I learnt the rudiments of music in that church. When I got to the University, I migrated to The Redeemed as per school life and all. So I have never been a Celestial member but I like the church, it’s a very good church but I’m not a Celestial member.
So what next is coming from MADIVA?
We are working on a new album. I have a party experience more like a mixtape but we have all sorts of songs but I’m presently working on my Solo album like the original album, songs from Queen MADIVA. I guess the management has some other plans like organizing an inter-state tour and international tour. They know what next to do for Queen MADIVA.
How do you see the highly competitive nature of the industry and how are you coping?
There’s one thing I tell people out there and there’s one thing I tell my band members; the sky is big enough for us all to fly. The moment you see life in that aspect, you don’t have to worry about anybody. When you believe in you, when you see you as you, nobody can be you. You are you. So out rightly, I believe we all have our different styles. God created us with different styles, different talents, and different ideas. It might be similar but there’s a particular uniqueness that God created everyone with. So it has been like that from the beginning. You even thank God for our own time but I don’t know if they still do it because I don’t have the experience that when you want to sing you vomit blood.
We’ve had different stories. So we thank God that at least in our time there’s nothing like that but the competition is so strong. But Queen MADIVA is like a One-Man-Mopol. I’m me and God is with me. I really don’t care about who is competing with who and I’m not in competition with anybody. And I will never be because you cannot be me and I can never be you. That is my philosophy of life.
Who are you looking up to as a role model in the music industry?
First and foremost, I look up to God because God is the giver of talent. Sincerely, I started with Afro Pop. Then I used to say I like Beyonce’s performance, I watch her a lot and that was what inspires me to start life music. In the African space, every successful woman in that field are people I look up to because I want to get there, I want to supersede them. Though not in a bad way but I’m always looking up to climbing that ladder of success to get to where they are.
Who would you like to have a collaboration with, in the nearest future?
See I want to have collaboration with everybody. When we are coming in the car on my way here, I just felt why not do a collaboration with a Tiwa, a Seyi Shey, a this, a that like having all the female musicians I’m one track. It might be longer because I think we have about 10 female musicians. And I’m looking at the opportunity of having them all together in a song with me.
So I want to have collaborations with every successful musician, with every female musician. It’s not easy being a female not to talk of being a female musician. Coupled with the beauty, God help us.
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