Nigerian singer Korede Bello burst into the national consciousness in 2014 with the release of the globally successful hit song “Dorobucci”. This song and the subsequent releases of other hits like “Godwin”, “Romantic”, and “Do Like That” made Korede Bello the man of that moment. But then during the peak of his career, Korede Bello decided to do what nobody expected, and return to school to go and pursue a degree in mass communication.
Now, in a new interview with The New Telegraph, Korede Bello opens up about his decision to leave his music career at its peak to go and study mass communication, as well as how he has been able to cope with the mental health struggles that come with being in the entertainment industry. Here is what Korede Bello said.
Korede Bello
During his interview, Korede Bello was asked: “Right at the peak of your career, you took time to get a Journalism degree. What informed that decision and how has it impacted your career?” Korede responded saying:
KOREDE BELLO: I love education, not so much traditional education but I love to learn how the world works and how the human mind operates. So getting a degree in Mass Communication seemed congruent with what I was already doing professionally; mass communicating art to the world. Writing a headline is not so different from writing a chorus. They both have to be catchy and evoke some sort of emotional reaction. News and Music are both languages of emotional connection. So yes, it is a good thing to be educated on your passion.
When asked how he’s been able to take care of his mental health while being in the chaotic entertainment industry, Korede Bello said:
KOREDE BELLO: I have observed that you can be the richest or the most famous person in the world and yet still be unhappy or unsatisfied on the inside. The internal environment is where true health lies. This means that external stimulation cannot fill the void of internal sanity. Everybody you know is looking for the same thing, to be well. Wellness is true wealth. We chase after money so that we can feel it well.
Entertainment is just another form of medicine. But the ‘doctors’ often forget that they’re human too and also need to pay attention to their internal environment. I see myself as a music medicine man, who is very aware that he also needs healing. I create time for healing so that my artistic creations can heal others. The world is getting crazier by the day because you have to be a little crazier than the norm to stand out. So we need more healers in the entertainment space. So for me, life is about balance. Wellness is a skill you can practice and not just something you pray for. How do I take care of myself? I allow myself to be taken care of.
Queen Dami, the estranged wife of Controversial singer, Habeeb Okikiola better known as Portable has defended him against his former signee, Young Duu.
The upcoming singer had alleged that the Zazu crooner sent his “boys” to assault him, and was badly hurt by the attackers.
Young Duu, who has been at war with the singer after leaving his Zeh Nation label, called on Nigerians to warn his former boss against harming him.
Reacting to his allegation, Queen Dami, via her Instagram page, shared a press statement by Portable’s management debunking the allegations.
His management stated that his allegations were without any substance and were deliberately designed to tarnish Portable’s reputation.
According to his management, Portable is in a good state and is preparing for his Tour in Russia and the UK.
Read the press statement below,
Since leaving his label, Portable and Young Duu have been at war with both parties laying strong allegations against each other. Portable had branded Young Duu as “bad luck,” blaming him for the misfortunes that had befallen the record label.
He also further accused Young Duu of being ungrateful, particularly because Portable had generously purchased a car for him.
Portable also claimed that Young Duu harbored jealousy whenever good things happened to other members of the record label.
Queen Dami defending her lover isn’t surprising as the singer has stood up for her since they started dating.
Months back, Portable had shown how much he loves Queen Dami by defending her against actor, Lege Miami, who exposed the former Queen’s desperation for love.
Lege Miami stated that he was still looking for a suitor for Dami when he learned of her romance with Portable and when he confronted her, she denied it at first.
With evidence, Portable slammed Lege, as he exposed the actor for begging for money from his wife.
Recall that the street singer and father of five confirmed his affair with the Queen after controversial blogger Gist Lover alleged that the mother of one is in a relationship with Portable by sharing screenshots of their comments.
Speaking about their relationship, Portable stated that Queen Dami, was only a fan before the death of her husband, the King.
According to him, things switched up from there as he wasn’t one to have an affair with people’s wives.
Tems was completely disconnected from the world during the detention and found herself striving to adapt to being in prison rather quickly.
Nigerian singer Tems has shed more light on her experience in the Ugandan prison where she was detained for two days in 2020, alongside Omah Lay, after being charged in court.
Speaking during an interview with Angie Martinez, she detailed her experience in the small dingy prison starting from when she was picked up from her hotel.
For the singer, she thought it was a joke at first but when she got to the prison and was handed her uniform, things became all too real and she cried.
Tems said, “I thought I wasn’t gonna come out. I thought I was seeing it for a reason like maybe I was meant to help the people. I was settling in because I adapted real quick and as I was walking in I started to cry because they gave me my uniform and it stunk because they don’t wash it. It was a small room and there was nothing, there’s just the floor they give you blankets and tissues and you’re just on the floor, no bed and I did it for two days. I didn’t even know I was going to get out, I didn’t have any ears on the ground nobody told me anything. Outside everyone was like ‘free Tems, free Omah lay but inside I was just hopeful, waiting.”
Even though she remained hopeful, she did not think she would be able to get out soon. Tems noted that the women she bonded with in the prisons were practically locked up for the most trivial things, and some were kept in by guards who were paid to do so. The prison structure was so that the inmates could not make phone calls unless they had money and she had no money.
The singer noted that she amused the ladies at the prison by winking at them when they stared at her when she walked in. Why was she winking? Nerves, she explained, to adapt quickly and most importantly, to avoid crying.
She said to Martinez, “Once I walked in everyone turned and looked at me and whispering and I was like ‘what have I done? I can’t cry’ and I just started winking, that was my way of adapting. I must show these people that I’m confident so I started being extra winking and saying hi and they were laughing.”
The woman in charge of the women’s prisons went to her to explain the rules and regulations, as well as the repercussions of breaking the rules. The apex punishment was solitary confinement in a small store with no food or water. She was told that she had to kneel to speak to officials and they were fed only once a day. During the two days spent in the prison, she didn’t eat and continued sipping water every day.
On the night of December 12, 2020, Omah Lay and Tems performed at The Big Brunch, which was held at Speke Resort, Wavamunno Road, Kampala, Uganda. After their performance, they were charged to court by the Uganda police for flouting COVID-19 guidelines after lockdown.
Back in Nigeria, all hands were on deck trying to secure Tems and Omah Lay’s immediate release. Her manager’s dad went to the capital, Abuja to see then President Buhari to have the issue sorted and soon enough they were released and sent back home.