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Music Icon, YINKA DAVIES Tells City People
She is clearly one of Naija’s most respected musicians. Mention the name Yinka Davies within and outside the music circle and you would see the multitudes of acknowledgement that will follow. That is how great and revered this outstanding talent is. Yinka Davies is a music icon. If truth be told, only very few singers in Naija today can hold a candle close to the astonishing Yinka Davies. This is because she is incredibly talented. She has got a great voice, one that is unique and in a class of its own. But, what perhaps stands Yinka apart from the rest is the fact she can sing and deliver in astounding fashion several genres of music. Whether it’s pop, highlife, R&B, Jazz, folksongs, gospel, traditional Yoruba songs, she will deliver any of these genres and get a standing ovation, like she always does, at the end of her performance.
Yinka Davies has been in the music industry for over 3 decades, specifically 36 years and she is still going strong. She is in her 50s and still has a great deal bottled up inside her to offer the thousands of Nigerians whom she has brought immense joy to with her awesome talent and amazing voice. Despite having been in the industry for about 36 years, Yinka is far from spent. Her energy levels, her desire to enchant her audiences with captivating performances have never waned one bit. She is still the same old adorable and energetic Yinka Davies. She remains her hyper active self, always smiling, always dancing, always eager to get on stage and grab the microphone. Hers has been an illustrious career laden with several awards and recognitions. But, despite, all of these, Yinka has remained humble, preferring to lavish accolades on other artists rather than allow others acknowledge her humongous talent.
A couple of weeks ago, at the recently held City People Music Awards, Yinka Davies was among the many artistes whose significant contributions to the music industry were recognised. Shortly after she picked up her award, City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) had a brief chat with the enigmatic Yinka Davies and she took us through a bit of her journey into music and wait for this – how she became a born again Christian! Enjoy.
Yinka Davies is a very likeable person and a hugely talented singer as well. Many artists do not have both but you do. Not many people would meet you for the first time and not leave with very strong impressions of you. What part of your childhood shaped you this way?
Only God can take the glory for that. I cannot take that glory. I can’t even tell if it’s from my mother’s or father’s side, and which ever side it is from, it also means they both must have God which means I too must automatically have God dwelling in me. Everything you have mentioned, I don’t even understand how they came about, but I just thank God for allowing me to exhibit his beauty to the people who are receiving it. So, it’s not me, it’s him, ‘thank you, Daddy!!!” (screams excitedly)
Whether you’re on stage, singing, acting, you are an all round entertainer who comes alive anytime she is on that stage, and that’s something we don’t see often, even with some of our commercially successful artistes. How did you evolve into becoming who you are today?
I gate crashed everything, to be honest with you. It wasn’t like I planned any of these. I don’t think I wanted to be a musician per se. Yes, I knew I could sing but I was not looking at it from the point of making a career out of it. I was more into painting, drawing and carving. For me, I loved painting, I loved drawing and I loved carving. So, going to the national theatre at that time and seeing people moving on stage and doing interesting things, and I was like, what is this one? This is not bad! Like my art works are moving. That was how I became an actor. It was like seeing my artworks moving on stage. And I said, oh, I like this idea. And that’s how I became an actor. I gate crashed practically everything I became today. It wasn’t like I planned it. I didn’t even understand what I was doing. I still don’t understand what I’m doing (laughs). Thank you, Lord, for your love.
How do you feel when you enjoy so much love, so much recognition from talents who have become quite successful themselves, but then, they still say to you, you made this happen, you and your contemporaries paved the way for us, how does that make you feel?
Yeah, the questions are like two folds, a two in one question. But let me respond this way: don’t be ungrateful, stay in gratitude at all times. Two, don’t let it get into your head because they don’t belong to you, the gift is not mine. The Lord gave it to me, so he owns all that, thank you. He owns all that love, he owns everything. All those accolades, they’re not mine, so I honestly can’t take them. Thank you City People for giving me the award but the award is not mine. It’s just one of those many things that you say somebody recognises the fact that you’re doing something good, and I appreciate it but I must remain grateful. However, how I got it, it is only the Lord that can take glory for that.
One of the reasons why you continue to astonish many with your talent is the fact that Yinka Davies can sing R&B, hip-hop, Jazz, even folksongs, gospel, you name it, Yinka will deliver once she gets hold of the microphone. This puts you in a class all by yourself, but the thing is, you rarely flaunt your incredible talent, instead, you prefer praising the talent of the next person, why so?
You know something, I was talking to God this morning, I said, Baba, the kind of power you give to every individual, father, you are too good o! That’s what I was telling God this morning around 2 am. I said na waoh! I saw some work and I was like, ehh, baba! See, when you see the kind of talents God has raised all around us, you can’t begin to carry shoulders and think you’re all that. Nobody is indispensable, brother. However, the glory of God upon your life, I can never match it because it’s yours. You are to express him in such a way that people will say, ‘wetin? God, I hail o!’ But don’t let it get to your head.
Let me ask you a rather unusual question, in the last couple of years, you have consistently glowed like never before. In fact, you’re looking more beautiful than you looked 20 years ago, how have you been able to do this?
Come on, mehn, don’t I look good? What are you talking about? Every single day, I am renewed like the eagle. Thank you very much, I appreciate it. Can I run away now, I want to go and congratulate some great people in here (laughs). But, seriously, I thank you for the compliments.
Who are some of the successful artistes today that you have tremendous respect for the depth of their talent?
I will tell you the truth, I appreciate all of them, why? Because we didn’t give them a template to work with. Look at this generation of singers in here, I do not know them, never heard of them until today (referring to Yusuf Olatunji and Ayinla Omowuri’s children who are also musicians present at the event). Now, I knew their fathers, I have loved the music of their fathers, but I do not know that their children are this grown and are already taking after their fathers in music. That’s why I sang the song, The Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston moments ago. It’s amazing. These ones are not children anymore. They have come into their own. They have become masters of their craft. I don’t even know to say anymore. So, what is most important is lay it all bare and let God take over from there for you. Just throw in your template and say, baba, I know you always have a better template for me, so I throw it in and look away.
Yinka Davies has had a fantastic career. There have been so many high points. If you look back, which moment would you say has been the biggest for you?
(Smiles) Humnn…the only highpoint that’s coming to my head right now, if you don’t mind if I tell you the truth, is the day I became a Christian. That’s the highest point for me. I have never felt like that before in my life as we speak. There’s no elixir, there’s no drug, there’s no alcohol, that has measured up to that feeling. The day I became born again was the most unexpected day of my life. I was ready for some serious rocking, and no party was complete without me, I am the party. Till tomorrow, I am still the party. But there is a greater party. That’s why there is no stage, no hall, no arena, no auditorium, let it be O2 Arena, let it be anything, it can never surpass that feeling, no matter how great. This Jesus is the only way for me. No elixir, no cocaine, cam measure up to that feeling, my brother.
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