The last time first time I met her was at Wole Oni’s studio. I had just interviewed Oni when this chocolate skinned beauty clutching a flute strolled in.
Before I could say Jackie Robinson I was interviewing her. That was over a year ago. Last week, I ran into her again and realized that in the short space of a year, a lot had happened in her career including playing major gigs and sharing the stage with top musicians and recording a couple of collabos.
In this interview with The Entertainer, the act popularly known as Ebele the flutist, who says she has found joy and fulfillment playing the flute spoke on her music and why she has fallen for the flute.
Excerpts:
Wole Oni has been producing your songs. What’s it like working with him?
Wow! It’s nice and exciting because he has that touch which I want; he can interpret my sound. I am an instrumentalist who doubles as a singer so I needed someone who could interpret my sound. He fitted into that mould so well I featured him on a track Oga Mma.
The flute comes across as a masculine instrument. Why did you choose it?
It for me started when I was age 14 or 15. I was exposed to a musical background as a young girl so it started as a hobby. My mum and dad sang in church as well. There were some Filippinos who came to Nigeria and trained us. There was this Filipino lady who introduced me to the flute. I just loved watching her play. What inspired me was that she was also a versatile pianist. Before I knew it my hobby became my passion!
What does the flute mean to you?
The flute is like a bird. It’s a solo instrument yet very classic and complex and that’s why it’s not so common. But the beautiful thing about the way I play the flute is that I’m able to interpret it across various genres. I want to make the world realize that the flute could be as dynamic as the sax. My dream is to elevate the flute to the level of the sax. If you listen to my-soon-to-be-released album, I work in different genres with emphasis on the flute; my flute is my best friend.
Majek Fashek once said if reincarnation was for real, he’d like to reincarnate as a guitar. Would you want to come back as a flute?
The flute is the voice of the bird. It’s an instrument that I use to express myself. Some things are so deep I just can express them with words; it’s the flute that helps me to express them. My fans understand this and I realize it’s a big expression mode for me. Maybe, I wouldn’t mind coming back as one.
The flute is more of a masculine instrument…
That’s what people say but I totally disagree with you. What a man can do a woman can even do better. And that’s because when a woman is committed, she goes all the way; I am a professional.
Who are your role models when it comes to playing wind instruments?
Mike Aremu is just amazing. He plays his sax very well. That’s why I featured him in Jawa Chineke. I normally tell people I want to be as expressive as Mike Aremu when I play my flute.
Tell us about your dreams?
I dream of a time when you’ll start seeing flutes everywhere. People are already getting acquainted with the flute thing already. Before now nobody wanted to hear the flute. Sax was the main thing but now things are changing; I am promoting the flute experience.
Tell us about your album promo singles?
I have three tracks on YouTube and the response has been wow!
How has the journey been in the last one year?
Fantastic, very fantastic! The level of growth and acceptance has been awesome!
When is your album dropping?
God willing, before the end of this year.
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