Nigerian music icon and actress, Onyeka Onwenu has passed away at the age of 72.
She reportedly died on Tuesday night at the Reddington Hospital in Lagos.
TheNiche reported that she slumped at the birthday party of Mrs, Stella Okoli, according to an eyewitness.
“It is very sad. Onyeka Onwenu just performed at the birthday of Mrs. Stella Okoli today (Tuesday, July 30, 2024), and after performing, she slumped.
“She was taken to Reddington Hospital and she couldn’t make it,” the eyewitness said.
Although the family is yet to announce her death.
Born 31st January 1952, the late singer turned politician and rights activist who was dubbed “The Elegant Stallion” by the Nigerian press, was at a time the chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture.
In 2013, she was appointed the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development.
Onwenu’s first album with Polygram, In The Morning Light, was released in 1984. Recorded in London, it featured the track “Masterplan” written by close friend Tyna Onwudiwe who had previously contributed to Onwenu’s BBC documentary and subsequently sang back-up vocals on the album.
In 1986, she released One Love which contained an updated version of the song “(In the) Morning Light from the previous album. Another song, “You and I”, was re-recorded for the 2001 film Conspiracy starring Nkem Owoh and Onwenu herself.
For the 1988 album Dancing In The Sun, Onwenu adopted a more Afrocentric sound and collaborated with veteran jùjú artist Sunny Ade on the track “Madawolohun (Let Them Say)”.
Isaiah Ogedegbe, a cleric, has expressed sadness over the demise of renowned Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress, journalist and activist, Onyeka Onwenu, who passed away on July 30, 2024, at the age of 72.
Speaking in Warri today on August 1, 2024, the pastor further described the Elegant Stallion as “the Versatile Queen of African Pop” because of her multifaceted career. Onwenu was said to have “impacted many lives positively through her remarkable versatility and she truly lived a Christian life that is worthy of emulation”.
Ogedegbe, who noted that “Death is not the end, but the beginning of a new life”, said he believes that the late Onyeka Onwenu lives on in “The Other Side of Life” and prayed for God to receive her soul in His bosom as well as give the bereaved family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. He also said her death was a colossal loss not only to her family, but also to the people of Imo State and the entire country.