Singer
Soul E, in an interview with JAYNE AUGOYE of the PUNCH, speaks about his music
career and rumoured secret marriage, his romance with Queen Ure and lots more….
Soul E’s romance with Queen Ure is one subject that many people will not forget in a hurry. Although both parties have moved on with their lives after their highly celebrated relationship crashed seven years ago, the former appears to be the most affected. This is because the public has refused to leave him alone.
In
an exclusive interview with E-Punch in his Lagos home, the singer, who
recently tied the nuptial knots with his long time lover, Linda, confessed that
scars from his failed relationship are threatening to take the shine off his
present joy.
Visibly
angered by some of the reports making the rounds online, Soul E throws a few
jabs at his critics.
He says,
“Since I got married on January 2, I have been the subject of several
allegations and speculations on the Internet. A popular and controversial
blogger, Linda Ikeji, painted me in a negative light just to tarnish my image.
She said I married a banker and that my wife was older than I am. This is not
true. I am three years older than my wife. So, I don’t understand why people
still call me a gigolo. The blogger even went as far as re-editing our wedding
pictures to suit her pupose.”
“We have
been together for six years. I met her shortly after I left Queen Ure. Mind
you, we broke up one year before members of the public knew about it. My wife
and I run two different travel agencies which she currently manages. I never
married secretly.”
Although
pained by the fact that his personal history was misinterpreted in the
media, Soul E shrugs it off, saying that he considered the entire episode as
part of the burden of being a celebrity.
“My
experiences made me grow a thicker skin. I have never been married before. Ure
and I had a relationship like every other person, it just didn’t work out. I
don’t know why people keep writing that Soul E remarries second wife. Where are
the pictures of the said marriage to Ure and why nobody is asking questions? ”
he says.
When the
singer made his debut on the music scene, at the age of 22, he was full of
promise. Initially he was so successful that he was tipped to give 2face Idibia
a good run for his talent at the time. But, just as his fans longed for more of
hit songs like ‘Soji’ and ‘Soul E Baba’, his career took a nose dive.
He
explains, “I have been off the music scene for over three years because I want
to come out different. I don’t like it when fans put me under pressure. If I release
something that falls short of their expectations tomorrow, the same fans will
criticize me.
“I hope to
re-launch myself into the entertainment scene this year with a new album
entitled ‘Take Over’, in March. Last year, I dropped an album. ‘The Message’
was released last year. The target were churches because I made a pact with
God.”
As though
reliving his past glory, Soul E reveals that he still enjoys some of the
goodwill that trailed his debut album, many years after.
“You will
be surprised to learn that I still go on tour with my first album. When you do
an evergreen song, it keeps you there, whether you are on top or not. I am not
in the industry for competition or full time.
“Music
still gives me money. I just returned from a tour of South Africa three months
before my wedding. I have a 12-man band called the Soul Squad Band. I am not in
music for competition. Last year we travelled to 8 African countries including
Ghana, Zimbabwe and later breezed in to Australia,” he says.
Looking
back, Soul E is thankful that he hit the limelight before dropping an album.
His take on the Nigerian music industry is as blunt as his
responses. The dark-skinned artiste hardly minces words when he says, “The
quality of the music is nothing to write home about. Our industry has so grown
that even if you sing Kokoko and you have the money to push it out, it becomes
a hit. That is not the way music should be.”
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