PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK: I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR EVERYONE ALL OVER THE WORLD AND I FOUND A WAY TO DELIVER THROUGH SINGING- Uche Aghulor, Classical Singer, Recording Artist And Choir Director
My Priority Is To Be Able To Grow, Encourage And Support Talent
Says Impacting The Younger Generation Is Part Of What She Intends To Do
Uche Aghulor, Ekuku Agbor, Ika South Local Government, Delta State- born classical singer, recording artist and choir director, has said that she is looking at taking music to the end of the earth.
She also revealed her inner plan to Impact the younger generation, People who are yet to be discovered; particularly in Nigeria as the country has a lot of raw talent; people who are just there, not knowing what to do with their time and talent.
Aghulor spoke exclusively to Ika Weekly Newspaper via a telephone interview, on Monday June 3, 2024, after making her debut in Rome, where she performed solo and choral pieces of notable Nigerian composers alongside the Concordia choir of Notre dame on Sunday June 2, with a similar concert slated for June 15 in London.
In her words, I am looking at taking music to the ends of the earth. I intend taking it to the ends of the earth. For me, music is a way of life. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a culture. It’s who I am. So, at every opportunity I get to sing or express this joy I have for music, I can’t let it go to waste. So, I intend to sing music that people can relate to; music that people can identify. Music that people love everywhere in the world I find myself in.
While promising to connect with the youth and younger generation, Uche said; ‘Well, I know this for sure because I was also there. So definitely, I would at some point, have a concrete plan as to how exactly to be able to get through to these people and support their art as well’.
The Interview:
For a better understanding of our personality of the week, Uche Aghulor, Ika Weekly Newspaper’s personality of the week is a classical singer, recording artist and choir director. She holds her first degree in Adult and Non-Formal Education from the University of Benin, a post graduate diploma in Music from the University of Lagos, a graduate of the MUSON School of Music where she graduated with multiple awards in 2022.
She has featured in notable operatic works including Cavalleria Rusticana, Cosi fan Tutte, Trial by Jury, amongst others. She has been featured in choral performances by the Musica casa and Muson choir in South Africa and Greece respectively. She is a current graduating student of the Master of sacred music programme, Notre Dame U.S.A, a recipient of the Los Angeles Episcopal Chorale Society Scholarship, and a first-place winner at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Advanced Classical Singing 2023 Indiana Chapter.
She recently made her debut in Rome on June 2024, performing solo and choral pieces of notable Nigerian composers alongside the Concordia choir of Notre dame.
Uchegold, as popularly known on social media, aspires to connect to the hearts of her listeners through her music. She is greatly inspired by culture, value and love for God.
Enjoy it!
Ika Weekly; the newspaper has a tradition of allowing her personality of the week to give his or her background. So, can we start from that standpoint?
Answer: I was born and raised in Agbor. I had my primary and secondary education in staff model primary and secondary school. From then on, I proceeded to the University of Benin for my undergraduate education. Then, I proceeded to the University of Lagos in 2018. I did my NYSC in Enugu state, after my undergraduate programme in UNIBEN. Then, I proceeded to the University of Lagos for a postgraduate diploma in music.
I then proceeded to the musical society of Nigeria for a two-year programme in music and I studied vocal performance. From then on, I moved to the United States for my master’s programme.
I started singing from my early days as a young kid in the church. This was around age 12 or thereabout. I have six siblings, plus me, making it seven. I’m the last born of seven children. Majority of us, about five or four of us, were in the choir. We grew up in a Catholic home and that is where I picked up my interest in music and in singing. I started from the church choir, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Imudia, Agbor. I also associated with other choirs around there like the youth choir, St John the Baptist. I interacted with them all.
Then, during my undergraduate programme, sang with St. Albert choir, UNIBEN. From there on, we started singing with many choirs in different places as well. I think that’s pretty much about the background.
Ika Weekly: Thank you so much for this insight. Then, our readers would like to know more about your undergraduate programme?
Answer: It was in adult education.
Ika Weekly: kindly tell, what informed your decision to shift from education to a post graduate Diploma in music?
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Answer: Well, I’ve always loved music. Like I said, I did music much earlier on. So after my NYSC, I could have proceeded to do my masters but I knew I had the passion for music and the talent for it. I just needed to nurture it further. So, that was the point. After my NYSC where I decided that okay, I need to start studying music professionally. I need to nurture this talent. Luckily, I had supportive parents and siblings.
Ika Weekly: Again, many thanks. Where are you looking at taking this music to?
Answer: I am looking at taking it to the ends of the earth. I intend to take it to the ends of the earth. For me, music is a way of life. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a culture. It’s who I am. So, at every opportunity I get to sing or express this joy I have for music, I can’t let it go to waste. So, I intend to sing music that people can relate to. Music that people can identify. Music that people love everywhere in the world I find myself in.
Ika Weekly: Thank you. Now, do you see yourself, in the future days, departing classical music to another aspect?
Answer: Well, I can’t see myself departing from this aspect of music that I am. I’m into classical music, I’m into choral music, I’m into sacred and gospel music. I think these are the things that I will continue to do now and in the future.
Ika Weekly: After the educational aspect of the musical training, do you see yourself repatriating that musical knowledge back home?
Answer: Of course. Impacting the younger generation is part of what I intend to do. And there are various means of doing that which I shall share in the near future. The fact is Nigeria has a lot of raw talent. People who are yet to be discovered. Like people who are just there, not knowing what to do with their time and talent. I know this for sure because I was also there. So definitely, I would at some point, have a concrete plan as to how exactly to be able to get through to these people and support their art as well.
Ika Weekly: So that’s part of your game plan for the future? Talent hunt and development focused on the youths?
Answer: Yes. Also, I have a lot of interest in people living with disabilities. I have a lot of interest in them.
Ika Weekly: So, in a nutshell, do you envisage yourself establishing a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)?
Answer: Yes, I do.
Ika Weekly: Growing up, particularly in this music line, did you enjoy nurturing from people ahead of you?
Answer: That is a tricky question. I’ll say that my family was very supportive. I’ve been very privileged to meet very nice people, to work with, very nice and supportive people. But I’ll say, most of the work comes from me putting in the hours. Like there is no shortcut.
Basically, I always have to do the work and then people now say ‘ohh, okay. Let us support you’. So, I have been very opportune to meet very amazing and supportive people; family and friends, in the course of my career over the years. And I also have to point out that God has always been my guide. All the way.
Ika Weekly: How do you intend to repatriate your music back home and marry it with what is on ground in Nigeria?
Answer: The truth is you can’t exhaust every aspect of musical landscape in Nigeria. It is very diverse. For every genre, it’s different. For every congregation, it’s different as well. So, if you’re talking about the Catholic space, it’s different. And if you’re talking about the Pentecostal, it’s different. It’s multifaceted sort of.
But my priority is not to change what is obtainable in this congregation or that congregation. My priority is to be able to grow, encourage and support talent. And choirs as well. Choirs however, whoever. This can be in the form of educational advanced consultancy, support, getting them the resources, they need for their own projects.
Ika Weekly: there is a saying that the end result of every talent is reward, which is largely more of financial than moral. In all these, how do you intend to translate this God-given knowledge to reward? How do you intend to translate it to financial gain?
Answer: Well, there’s a popular biblical saying that says that we plough the fields and we scatter but it is watered by the Lord. For me, that has meant that there has always been a source of sustenance. Music is not just something I do for myself. It’s a source of livelihood. It’s just like any other career. There is the financial aspect to it. It’s not just singing and singing.
There is also the management, the inflow and outflow of cash and things like that. So yeah, it’s a whole process. Also, I am not just a singer. I am also an educationist, a choir director. These are like jobs that are stable. So, in time, after all of my studies and all of that, we are also increasing our chances of upscaling in our educational sector as well.
Ika Weekly: There’s this information that you went to Rome to perform. How true is that assertion?
Answer: Oh, it is very true. As a matter of fact, they just finished the concert yesterday, June 2nd. We did a concert of Nigerian sacred and Folk songs.
To be continued. Watch out next week for the concluding part of this interview.