Women make more of the world’s population and as such are active participants and contributors thereby making the world a better place for all to live. But the truth is a lot of girls never get what they truly deserve.

Empowering a girl child is to raise strong women leaders with great personal power and an independent spirit. There are no limits to empowering the female gender

Nigerian singer; Olasunkanmi Alonge who just released an epic body of work “Body Language” is one of those who is so passionate about the girl child.

In an interview with Daniel Adaaja of Simple Magazine, she talked about her project “The Girl Child Empowerment,” the entertainment industry and more.

Read excerpts of the interview below:

HELLO SUNKANMI, IT’S GREAT SPEAKING WITH YOU. FOR SOME OF YOUR NEWER FANS, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND BACKGROUND?

My name is Olasunkanmi Rehanat Alonge. Born into a Muslim home, a family of 7 including my mom and dad. Growing up for me was fun, it was adventurous. I’m the type of girl that loves to try new things, a troublemaker, I don’t like anywhere boring. Anywhere that it’s happening, that’s where you will find Sunkanmi.

I’m not an introvert, but one way or the other life made me one, I just love to be where it’s happening.

HOW DO YOU BEST DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC?

My music is a combination of all genres. I will say my genre should be called Sunkanmi music genre, as I love to try all genres depending on my mood and feelings at the time.

WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH MUSIC AND WHAT WAS THE DECIDING FACTOR THAT LED YOU TO PURSUE MUSIC?

I tell people, I did not choose music, music chose me because I grew up knowing that for every time I get in trouble I can take solace in music. I’m always singing my way into trouble and out of it. I really didn’t see it as a talent until when I was 16/17, when I felt like there are some things I do that others can’t do and I recognized the talent.

BEING AWAY FOR A WHILE, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE BETWEEN YOUR SONG WITH OLAMIDE IN 2015 AND YOUR LATEST PROJECT?

Let me start by saying big ups to Olamide. That was quite an experience; working with Olamide was like a dream come true for me. That time was a growing and learning process for me, to an extent I felt like I was moving too fast. I learnt a lot working with Olamide and from that experience I have been able to grow more skills and working with him has been quite an adventure from that time to now.

WHO IS SUNKANMI WITHOUT MUSIC?

Sunkanmi without music is a socialite, fashionista, dancer and performer.

WHAT LED TO THE THOUGHT AND BIRTH ON YOUR EMPOWERMENT PROJECT “THE GIRL CHILD”?

For the Girl Child Empowerment, that’s a project that I’m really taking to my heart, I tend to just be there for a girl in need, I feel girls need more empowerment. I don’t want to be a feminist but to anyone reading this, its very necessary because for everyday that passes, one girl is being taken advantage of for no just reason.

She wanting to chase her dreams doesn’t mean you should take advantage of her. I feel very bad about the situation, I know I’m not God or the government trying to change everybody’s life but I feel in my own little way I should be able to reach out to another girl that is in need. That’s all about that project. I just want to be there for any girl that comes my way; I want to help another girl.

WHAT INSPIRED “THE GIRL CHILD PROJECT”?

So many things let me start from the challenges I’ve been having in the industry. I’ve had a few challenges where people have wanted to take advantage of the fact that I really want to chase my music career; I wouldn’t want to go into that. It’s not just the music sector; it’s in all sectors. Ladies have always been taken advantage of for reasons I don’t know, but I feel like we deserve better.

BACK TO THE MUSIC, YOUR NEW PROJECT ‘BODY LANGUAGE’ IS A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?  

“Body Language” is a title of a song in the EP. I decided to name the EP “Body Language” after series of A&R sessions where people kept saying they loved the song, that it gives them memories of Fela Kuti and vibe of Sade Adu. And I was like for just one track I’m being mentioned alongside Fela and Sade then this should be it. That was how I came bout naming the project Body Language.

The track “Body Language” was inspired by the beats produced by Young John, when I listened to the beats I fell in love with it immediately and was like wow, this is some Afrobeats vibe.

YOU BRING TOGETHER SO MANY DIFFERENT STYLES ON YOUR EP “BODY LANGUAGE”. TELL US WHO YOUR INFLUENCES ARE?

Yes. I mentioned earlier Baba Fela inspired “Body Language” but later on people were saying they saw Sade Adu in it. I really love Shade, I’m a big fan of her music. I’ve been hearing people say I sound like Sade Adu because I sing effortlessly without energy and it still sounds nice. I get inspired by every winning artiste out there because there is this formula they use that I’ve not used that I feel like if I can apply it to my music I’ll win too. Shout out to every artiste out there doing good.

WHEN YOU WRITE YOUR SONGS HOW DO YOU DECIDE THAT IT’S COMPLETE?

Before I write any song, I listen to songs, sometimes when you write you might run out of inspiration and start writing nonsense; sometimes I question myself when I write then I just give it a break, I know that I’m tired because sometimes the brain gets fatigued, and you’ll just need to chill out so I just rest for a while and get back at it later. Sometimes I’ll just listen to songs that I like, sometimes I don’t even plan to write, I will just sleep and wake up, the melodies that I wasn’t singing, I will sing it out because music to me is spiritual. Once I have a very beautiful melody I will now think of a story to tell that can catch my audience, once I love the story that is it.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE RELATIONSHIP AMONGST ARTISTE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?

I feel at the end of the day everybody want’s to make end’s meet for his or her family. I feel like everybody is good. At the end of the day everybody is in one healthy competition or the other. No bad blood. Everybody want to become number 1, which is not possible. It’s all healthy competition, no bad blood at all.

HOW CAN WE DEAL WITH HOW FEMALE ARTISTES ARE BEING TREATED IN THE INDUSTRY?

I feel ladies need to celebrate one another more. We need to come together because if we are looking outside for love there’s no way we can get it. I feel we just need to love ourselves more and empower ourselves which is why am trying to bring out that foundation of mine.

WHO ARE SOME OF THE ARTISTES YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH?

Wizkid, Adele, Sade Adu, Drake, so many of them.

DO YOU THINK AFRICAN MUSIC IS GETTING THE RECOGNITION IT DESERVE?

I feel like we’ve not really starued, we’re just getting started. I feel like African music is rich in melodies and percussions. When you hear our beats iu’s rich even without singing on it, you want to dance. The sky is not the limit for African music; we’re about to start.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION?

People’s wins motivate ue. Anytime I see my neighbor winning I get motivated, I feel like it will get to me. I fuel like my turn is almost here, since God has remembered my neighbor it will get to my turn soon enough.

WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

Knowledge aides functionality. With knowledge you don’t need to force yourself on anybody, you will be needed, people will need you for one function or the other so always get knowledge. Once you’re knowledgeable you can never be useless. You’ll always fit into one thing or the other.

YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY?

There are so many happenings in the country, I feel like at the end of the day, God gat us, because there are so many things that have been happening in this country that I don’t understand anymore and I feel like it’s only God that can come to our aid, no man can do that. We should keep praying for a better Nigeria.

WHAT WILL YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR?

I will like to be remembered for my good deeds, my music. I will like to be remembered that I came and left a mark.

FINAL WORDS TO FANS?

To my new and old fans, I love you all, and no matter how bad, keep learning new things everyday because at the end of the day, knowledge hates functionality. You’re valid.

Watch full interview here:

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

Words @girl_producer
Interview @danpowertouch
Photography @bolurinvisuals2
Videography @popslim4real
Assist @adei_tola
Hair @omo_iya_ikale
Styling @angelina_ellah
Creative Director @rayokasali
Executive Director @adedamolaedun