Medicine & Music: Nigerian born artist ENE says these two are symbiotic in her journey
A DUNIA MAGAZINE Q & A
DUNIA MAGAZINE: What area of Nigeria are you from? And what are the core values shared by the people
Ene: My parents are from Benue State and my ethnic group is called Idoma. As is customary in Nigeria, you are from where your parents come from and your values and belief system are based on where they come from. That being said, I was born and raised in Zaria, Kaduna where the native ethnic group is Hausa. My parents however made sure that we visited our hometown frequently to learn our culture of origin. Idoma’s believe in Unity, doing good to your fellow human being, respect and collective effort to build their villages/towns.
You are a medical doctor and also an artist… what an incredible combination. How do they play off each other?
Ene: I always had the heart of a musical artist and wrote songs and performed since I was in elementary school. However the decision to become a physician was really because I also wanted a career that made a tangible difference in people’s lives. I love listening to people’s stories. As a physician, my patients open up to me and tell me their deepest worries, life’s experiences and secrets. I think that is probably what I enjoy the most. The human spirit is strong and it is amazing what people are able to conquer in their lives. Medicine has given a lot of depth to my music and lyrics. I am able to write from a place that I would never have if I was not a physician. I am able to feel emotions that I never would have felt if I did not see people in their most vulnerable state. I always wondered how the two would “allow” each other to play their role in my life. Amazingly, it has been a symbiotic relationship of sorts.
How do you stay motivated?
Ene: I think that staying motivated involves momentum for me. When I slow down I find that I’m less motivated. I find that keeping up the momentum of things and tracking productivity in anything I do helps me to stay motivated. I also focus on the vision and my intentions. When my intentions are true and my vision is clear then I am more motivated to keep going.
What informs your music, and what’s the creative process like for you?
Ene: My music is really inspired by the resilience of the human spirit. It is also inspired by my personal struggles, challenges, triumphs and failures. Life is an interesting balance of good and bad, ups and downs. I find that my songwriting speaks about challenges and how we have the power to keep going, keep rising up and keep believing in a better tomorrow. Sometimes writing is a spiritual process. Sometimes I wake up at night with a song, or cannot go to sleep because of a song in my head. Those songs write themselves sometimes in 15 minutes. Other times, I sit on my piano at home and play for hours and the songs pour in, sometimes two to three songs in a few hours. I don’t have one formula. I try to be as authentic as I can be while also adding musicality to the songs.
What does success mean to you and why?
Ene: Success to me is peace of mind, a healthy body, a loving spirit despite life’s experiences. Success for me in music would be using my music in a global way as a tool to bring awareness to the challenges faced in Africa, global poverty and providing educational resources for children who are less advantaged.
You created ‘Dunia song’, DUNIA Magazine’s theme song, performed during last year’s Congo Walk and this year, you’ll be performing at the 3K Run/Walk for South Sudan women, what drives the need to give back in this way?
Ene: I am an African woman — that is the core of who I am. I am an African woman whose parents somehow had the rare opportunity to get an education (both of my parents are the first in both of their families to complete elementary school, and both went on to finish college, my father had a PhD). I realize how that dramatically changed my life’s trajectory. Someone somewhere (mainly European missionaries) went out of their comfort zone, to an underdeveloped village in Benue State Nigeria, in the 1950s to bring education. Another generation later, I am a product of their good will and philanthropy. So I want to give back so that hopefully I can also help someone who does not have the opportunity.
Dunia song is really an African woman speaking to the world. She is asking if we really love her. She is asking how we can stand aside when she is in so much turmoil. In fact the song was written in between seeing patients. It was one of those 15 minute songs. It came and I could not shrug it off and had to write it right away. I hope the song moves the human spirit and causes us to act in a very tangible way.
– What’s in the future for ENE?
Ene: I am building my artistry and completing my first full length album. I have an amazing Band with not only talented musicians but just good hearted people. I am building my fan base in the south. We are gearing up for a European tour next summer because of the response we have gotten online from the European audience. We also hope to tour Africa in the near future. I also continue to practice medicine and hope that daily I can continue to make a difference on a one-on-one basis with my patients. I also hope to use my medical expertise in Africa through charitable organizations. In the future I hope to be still singing and enjoying it and encouraging people to be their best and not give up hope
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Connect with ENE
On her Youtube channel
Twitter:@EneTunes
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