Despite her early death, with over ten musical awards that includes ‘Best Female Video’, ‘Best Female Musician’ and ‘Best Use of Costume’ and also credited with hit singles like ‘You Know It’ and ‘Say My Name’ among others, Goldie came, saw and conquered the Nigerian music industry with grits that made her one of the most iconic female pop performer of all time.

(23rd October 1981 – 14th February 2013)

Words by Sesan Adeniji

Years before the consciousness of sexual equality, in an era where women who justifiably exhibits creative independence and supremacy are resisted, she withstood one of the most vicious scrutinizes ever experience by any female artists in Nigeria. Despite being bullied in some quarters of the media, misunderstood and her talents unfairly evaluated, Susan Oluwabimpe (Goldie) ran her race and left footprints on the sands of history.

Some artists are gifted with abilities to become great vocalist like 2baba or Waje; others are exemplary entertainers like D’banj, while some are designed to become textbook performer with intuitive artistic craving like Goldie. Just as everyone uses his or her unique selling point to ascend to glory, Goldie did same thing. The energy she put into her music to score hit singles is awe-inspiring.

If visuals (music videos, still photos and showmanship) remain key elements for iconic artistry, Goldie up the ante for every pop female musician in Nigeria to follow. As someone not bound by rules of the game, she introduced groundbreaking styling – costumes, hairstyle and makeups. Her visuals remain some of the best by any female musician till date.

It’s amazing how sometimes iconic inventors and their inventions were once tagged ridiculous. Like the Wright Brothers were laughed at – they endured skeptics who sometimes come in colour of friends and relatives as they attempted to create the airplane, So did Goldie stomached criticisms while trying to fly the flag of pop princess in an era where none existed. Her Pop entertaining sensual sassiness was misunderstood and met with hypocrisy. Her realness as one of the housemates at Big Brother ‘Stagegame’ 2012 was envied and misconstrued. But despite all, she excelled in all she attempted.

Tributes

Clarence Peters

(Cinematographer and Record Label Executive)

It’s so sad that most people did not truly know Goldie at all. Goldie was a creative genius

“Goldie never came out to say she wanted to become the best vocalist; all she aimed for was to become one of the great performer in the music industry. In all my years as a cinematographer, when it comes to filming music videos, she was one of the most creative I have ever worked with. She always put in three months of work into planning her music videos. There’s no one at her level till date.

After deliberating ideas, she will come back with storyboard, locations and styling that’s always outside the norm. She’s not one to do the ordinary – her ideas are so great, at one point during a planned shoot, we had debates on how achievable all she had planned out. In terms of production, those were years where the thought of a female artist to go overboard is only for the insane. Goldie was a creative genius in her own rights. I miss her.

It’s so sad that most people did not truly know Goldie at all. She’s one of the well trained and groomed lady I have ever met. She’s that kind of girl you take home to you parents and before you know it, everyone falls in love with her. She’s so respectful and energetic. She was everything you want in a girl. In dealing with her, I learned how to handle female artistes during all my production process. With the available resources in the industry today, if Goldie was still alive, she would have created the unimaginable. It’s sad that most failed to understand her. She was magic” – Clarence Peters

Eldee

(Artiste, Music Producer and Record Label Executive)

I didn’t think I was going to be devastated when she died. I went through the funeral and all maintaining my composure but I eventually broke down one night. She was a true artist.

“I actually did not remember exactly when I first met Goldie, what I do remember is that she was always very kind and friendly. I had met her a couple of times at events over the years and she was always very warm; so when Kenny Ogungbe reached out to me about possibly working with her, it was an easy decision for me.

I’m one who was always choosy about the artists I work with, not from the talent perspective but from energy standpoint. I don’t care then if your music wasn’t so great, if you had the right vibe and energy, I’d work with you. In the same vein, you can be Jay Z but if your energy is wrong, I’m out. Goldie was genuine; she had a positive aura to her.

I remember the first time she came over to vibe on the song; she spent half the time carrying my daughter Temi who was still a baby then. She came up with the concept of the song and she was trying to sell me on the idea because she thought I was a bit more conservative but soon found out that “emi gaan gangster ni mi”…(lol). I am somewhat conservative but I’ve always seen music as an art that should allow me to freely express without the need to conform to societal or moral standard. It’s all entertainment and as long as the audience understand that, we are good.

So she said she wanted to create a song about snatching someone’s man and I obliged. I made the beat and came up with the chorus, and then I wrote down the lyrics to both verses and begged her to follow my lead. She said, ElDee I came to you for a reason, just tell what to do and how you want me to do it. She was easy to work with because she understood the character I wanted for the delivery of her vocals. She was patient, and meticulous. Whenever I said, “we can use that take” she said No, let me try it again. She really wanted everything to be perfect. She was a true artist.

I didn’t think I was going to be devastated when she died. I went through the funeral and all maintaining my composure but I eventually broke down one night. I don’t think I’ve cried about many deaths in my life”

Denrele Edun

Goldie’s BFF

It always happens.

The morning of every February 14th.

I wake up after a night of crying, that day of loss, and I have one moment…one beautiful, solitary moment when everything is right in the world. Because THAT is the moment before the moment when reality crashes into me like those trailers in the wrong lane speeding at me in a nightmare.

And I’m suddenly awake and without air.

It is close to impossible to breathe because I remember. And of all things I know in the world at that moment –I don’t want to remember.

My friend GOLDIE died 6 years ago on Valentine’s Day!

I started to write about her this morning, but found myself at such a loss.

For 36 hours, I’ve been struggling to find the right words to describe my friend – to tell you about her, to explain why this loss has always been so tragic. And, I can’t seem to find them. Any death of someone so young is a tremendous loss, I know.

GOLDIE was special. Dare I say extraordinary.

How do I describe the most selfless person I know? How do I explain the multitude of ways she made me better, or how she never missed an opportunity to encourage me, tell me she loved me or supported what I was doing? How do I begin to recount the dozens of organizations she helped, the people she inspired, the lives she touched?

You were a treasure, my friend.

When I last wrote about GOLDIE, it inspired music from a stranger. That’s the kind of soul stirring she motivated.

She was THAT good.

I am better for having known this beautiful soul. I will always miss her.

I’m not sure how to do this. How can I try and describe someone so special in plain old words? And, how can I possibly sum up the feelings and memories I have for GOLDIE in one tribute? It’s almost impossible.

I’ve received so many messages this week and have heard from many people from many places saying “there are no words” – well, there are. There ARE words.

There are words of happiness about the treasured time we all had with GOLDIE, albeit too brief. There are words of beauty to describe her individuality and how she always looked. There are words of sorrow to try and communicate what we are feeling now she has left us.

But maybe most of all there are words of strength, of hope, of power, of resilience and of tender love. Words that can bring us all together, to cross these choppy waters and come out the other side, better for it.

For me GOLDIE was a fiery spark full of love and determination. She was beautiful, smart, challenging, empathetic and encouraging. She always looked to grow; to better herself as a person and a professional. She was aware and spiritual.

She was a great listener with time for friends from all walks of life. She was as selfless as she was determined and left her mark on so many people. She was the best thing to happen to my life and strengthened me every day we spent together.

GOLDIE was from a certain mould of woman like so many of you reading this. She was like both our mothers, our sisters, our sisters in law, and many of our friends – a strong, positive and certain woman. No inch given but a powerful respect and warmth in every encounter. She was the powerful type of woman that we see challenging our society today and I deeply loved that about her.

I’m so scared of losing all those memories. I worry that as time passes my mind will shed those precious gifts. But I know that even if it does, she’s in a part of me that nobody can ever touch. There’s a Central Bank shaped compartment in my heart that will hold her ‘til the day I die.

GOLDIE inspired me, pushed me, supported me and helped me to grow. That growth won’t disappear – it just needs to lean on ME now, where it had leant on her previously…

So what would GOLDIE want from us today? Aside from more smiling…..

– A celebration of who she was and a sharing of our happy memories of her.
Let me leave you with a Roald Dahl quote.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like,
so long as somebody loves you”

So I’d like you all to know this; That I love you (Heck yeah, I have so much LOVE to give) and that GOLDIE loves you. And that sometimes, that LOVE is all we have and sometimes it is all that matters.

GOLDIE INTERVIEW( 2012)

Give us an insight into your family background and how was growing like.

My parents were very strict. Well, actually my dad was. He took the *sparing the rod/spoiling the child* adage very literally. He was also very religious to the extent that despite his banking job, he took up a role as acting pastor in our parish church back then.

Being the 1st born, a lot of responsibility was thrust upon me at a very young age. So I really had no time for play, for party or friends. It was church, school, or alone in my room doing my homework. So I found ways to entertain myself *laughs* in the time I would supposedly be doing my homework by drawing, writing, composing songs… *laughs*

When and how did music start for you and how did the name Goldie come to be?

Music has always been a part of me. As a kid, I used to compose songs for every occurrence in my vicinity. I had a song for when my dad would come back home from work, I had a song for Sunday, the only day we ate jollof Rice in the house, *laughs* I had a song for our grandmother then, especially when she would scold us. (Sang in secret of course) I even had a song for when NEPA would take the light. *Laughs* Naturally I became part of an informal group in the UK while in school. A pop rock group where we wrote recorded and performed tracks at every opportunity. Covers? And our own music. When I got back to Nigeria, I couldn’t see myself doing any other thing. Music and performing just came naturally to me… Goldie was a nickname given to me by my friends in the UK. I had this love for anything shiny and gold. I would wear gold rings on all my fingers and a couple of toes. *Laughs* plus my natural hair colour must have had something to do with it. (It’s a reddish brown, which turns gold when the sunlight hits it).

How did you transform from the Goldie of your early music career that many didn’t take serious to that Mega STAR GOLDIE of today?

*Laughs* its always been the same Goldie. Y’all are just catching up… Its just that at the time, I was the only one doing what I was doing which was *pop* music. As at that time in 2007 when I came on the scene, the industry was really male dominated. Apart from Sasha, weird mc and Muma G, there weren’t really any recognised females as such. I was that change in the industry that people naturally fight. I had blonde hair, long lashes, I was bold with my choice of wardrobe, unapologetic, in your face, I think it was just too much for people to come to terms with at the time. Most thought I was a flash in the pan and was doing music for the fame. But as time went by, they began to see the passion. By the time I started working with kennis in 2009, it was a done deal. What I will say is this. I am here today through force of sheer will, hard work, perseverance, prayer and innate talent.

What drives you as an artiste? What motivates you to come up with all those hit singles and those fantastic videos

 

I’m driven by success…I’m driven by the will to excel; I’m driven by my passion and the love for my craft. I’m driven by the need to entertain. I’m driven by nature…

How have u been able to survive all the misconception and controversies around you?

I have been able to survive all that because I am not that person. A lot of the stories and rumours going round about me are fabricated and have no substance to them. People make up stories when they don’t know the real you. They want to be that voice of authority on “Goldie” hoping that their rumour peddling will force me to speak thereby shedding more light on who and what I’m really about. *Laughs* unfortunately I’m too private a person for that. My religious and strict upbringing sees to that on a daily. The reason why they might appear believable to some though, is because of my outre outlook when it comes to my pictures and my videos. Were there any truth to these stories, I wouldn’t still be in the industry, I wouldn’t be having this interview with you. A lot of people meet me for the 1st time and they’re like “wow” you’re so much nicer in person and I’m like “huh?” Was I horrible on tv before? *Laughs*

For once can you shed more light into this issues?

What’s your relationship with Prezzo, are u guys dating? We are friends. We support each other. I think he’s a great guy and an extremely talented human being. No one knows tomorrow regardless. I wish him well.
B: What the issue with Jmartins? Myself and Jmartins have a song together titled *Give it to me* its one of the singles on my naughty Singles compilation off the Africa Invasion Album. We were to shoot a video in SA for the single. We managed to shoot only 2 scenes in 6. As to the rest of the story, I plead the 5th amendment. *Laughs*
C. The rumour that you once marry. There are rumours and there are facts. And a rumour will never be a fact until I come out and say otherwise. I am not saying otherwise so far, *laughs* so its still a rumour…

How did u lose weight to become a sexy brand?

I stopped eating plenty pounded yam and egusi soup… *laughs* come on! What do you mean? I wasn’t that over weight…*laughs* maybe it was baby fat…*laughs* err. Or maybe I just started working out and eating better…

How did you make it to BIG BROTHER and what are the positives and negatives of participating on the show?

I got a call in february, from one of their reps asking me to participate in the show because they had checked out my profile and thought I was best suited to be one of the reps from Nigeria. I discussed it with Mr Kenny Ogungbe and he felt it would be a good platform to expose my brand and my music further across the continent. There are no negatives to being on the show. I believe it’s all about how you handle the publicity and notoriety it gives you and use it to your advantage.

What is the new works u working on?

 

I’m working on a project tagged the “Africa Invasion Album” where I aim to work with 12 Top acts across africa. At the moment, I’ve worked with 3. Navio from Uganda… J-martins from Nigeria and Ay from Tanzania. We’re in talks with other top acts and we hope to launch the album summer 2013 in Lagos and across the continent. God willing. The 3 naughty singles are Miliki, Give it to Me, and Skibobo. You can download them online at www.goldieharvey.net

What are your highest and lowest points musically?

I will answer this question philosophically…*laughs*
You know? Most artistes are naturally creative people. We get very emotionally attached to our works. We crave acceptance, we crave appreciation, and we crave love; especially as regards our work. And sometimes when this isn’t forthcoming, we tend to get a little melancholy, sad and dejected. We ask ourselves what’s the point?
We retreat into our shells, but then the passion brings us right out again; keeps us going. I have 13 awards for my artistry to my credit so far. Each time I win an award, best believe it is majorly appreciated. An unsolicited award one of the best validations of excellence an artiste can receive; that and being paid major bucks for being on stage… *laughs*

What your advice to up coming female artistes?

Work hard at your craft. Be the best you can be. Rome wasn’t built in a day so be patient but don’t lose focus. Work with the right producers, Pr people and record company. Many people will not believe in you so its important you believe in yourself. As you climb up the ladder, be humble and don’t get complacent. Let your music and your craft be your homie, lover and friend. Remain close to God…