•The WUNMI OBE Interview
Tunde and Wunmi Obe (popularly known as T.W.O.) are accomplished musicians. They are also well-rounded entertainers. Their “Adupe” song was a hit a while back. But then Covid-19 came with its challenges.
Now, the band is planning to release new songs. In this interview with City People’s Contributing Editor, IYABO OYAWALE (08033564055), Wunmi Obe talks more about their new plans and how the “Adupe” song came about.
What has T.W.O been up to?
At a point, Covid happened and that put a stop to a lot of things and with it came to a lot of distractions but currently, we are getting back to the studio. We are trying to get back to the studio and give our fans some of the music they have been craving. A lot of people have been asking us “when are we releasing something new?” that’s what we are currently working on.
Does that mean we should expect an album or a single soon?
We’ll start off with some singles. It would eventually culminate into an album.
You have been on the scene for over 30 years. How have you managed to remain relevant over the years?
We thank God. It takes a lot of things. In the first place, it is about passion because if you keep on thinking about only the money that one is making from music, one would have probably given up a long time ago. The passion is there. So, regardless, we continue to do what we love to do best. Also, to the glory of God, we are pretty versatile. I will not be exaggerating if I say that we are versatile in the sense that our talents and gifts are not limited to music alone. There are other things that we do like you know we do comedy skits. I have a personal interest in fine arts. I am a pencil artist.
I do a lot of drawings which I also put out there and we try to keep up with what is going on amongst our peers in the industry and this has enabled us to stay relevant.
The “Adupe” song was a real hit and I am wondering how did the inspiration for that song come?
It came from my husband. He had said we needed to do a song like that and he now dreamt and the chorus “O ti see se o” came to him (laughs). And he is somebody that when he receives an inspiration immediately he wakes up, he will pick his phone and record it so that he will not forget.
So, it was one of those songs and he started working and that was how we were able to put the song together, got ourselves a good producer and invited his brother, Segun Obe to be a part of it. At that time, we had our 3 children and we had just moved from the place where we got married to a slightly bigger place. From a bungalow to a duplex. We were counting our blessings. You know what I mean? Things were looking good. We were just grateful and willing to show this gratitude.
In all things give thanks regardless.
How has it been like working with your husband?
(Laughs). It is been so long. We have been doing this for so long and I am just used to it. It comes naturally to me. In the evening, we discuss family matters, music matters, and showbiz matters. You know sometimes some people would say “me I can’t o office-home, everything the same person, no no, I can’t o”. The truth is that is not how it works for us. It is not as if we leave the house we go to the office together, come back, go home. We also do other things.
So, it is not that difficult. It is an aspect of our lives that we do together and as they say, two heads are better than one. We discuss, we strategize on the way forward. It’s been good.
So, how would you describe your husband as a business partner?
He is okay. He is reasonable. He is a team player and there is mutual understanding and mutual respect in the business. But at the end of the day, when we have arguments and stuff like that, I end up deferring to him (laughs). Mainly, our relationship as business partners is different from our relationship as husband and wife. It is a business relationship so everybody brings what they have to the table, we can argue it out and stuffs like that.
It’s been good and he is been a great colleague (laughs). He is been a great partner. There’s nothing like having someone in your corner where we are all working towards the same goal. We bring in our own strengths and we have different strengths so it helps us.
The T.W.O. band is over 30 years, how has it been running the band?
It’s been good. It’s been great. It is the same band. We have rehearsal studios in the house here. We call them from time to time but during that Covid, we couldn’t really do much, we couldn’t do much at all. But whenever we have engagements or anything like that, we would call everybody and we would rehearse. We also keep in touch via our Whatsapp group. Once you have a good relationship with your band members, they would always be there for you.
So, how has it been being married for 24 years? Am I right?
Yes, we will be 24 years on 26th of June this year.
Wow! Wow. How has it been? A celebrity marriage for that matter. You guys are role models.
(Laughs) Well, we thank God. We have been married for 24 years but before then we’d been together for like 10 years and you just get used to each other. You also have to tell yourself. It is not as if it is perfect. There is no marriage that is perfect. It is how you handle it.
If you have decided that I am in this thing for the long haul, you work at it, you keep working at it no matter what. These are two different individuals from two different backgrounds, families, everybody coming in with their own ideals, two adults coming in with their own dreams and aspirations.
We all have to learn to compromise with each other. We have to learn to make sacrifices. Everything cannot go 100% your way. You have to learn to accept some things from the other person and vice versa. So, it is a lifetime negotiation of how things should be between the 2 of you.
So, how is life at 52? Am I right about the age?
Yes. I thank God. As far as I am concerned age ain’t nothing but a number but I thank God that He has kept one this far. This one that the life expectancy keeps dropping and stuffs like that (laughs). We thank God for good health and a sound mind.
I am really grateful that our children are growing. They are doing fine so what can one say but thank God that at this age, we can do all the things that we love to do. We are not in a situation where we say ko sa gbara mo, we have to retire. No, there is nothing like that.
The children must have all graduated by now?
Well, not all of them. One is just about to finish secondary school. The second one is in the University and the third one is pursuing her Master’s degree. We thank God that they are doing fine.
What are the challenges you face in your music career?
That is simple enough. You know music has really changed. The kind of lyrics out there leaves much to be desired. Our challenge is to stay true to our craft and music, knowing fully well that there are fans who appreciate our music and decent lyrics. Music that you can play for any age.
Aside from music, what do you do for a living?
As an Entrepreneur, I have a small restaurant called Iya Ibadan Local Cuisine, I also have a hair salon, there is Kopykats Entertainment and Kopykats Business Concerns. All these things we do. I rekindled my passion which I have had since my teenage years, which is drawing. I do a lot of that now. I even have an Instagram page for just my drawings, my artwork. That is also there. Not only that. We have also come back to our skit making. All the things we used to do on the Charly Boy Show. We are working on coming back. So, we have our hands full. Especially now that Covid has subsided.
That means you are really busy. What’s a typical day in your life like?
Earlier today, I was coming back from the office. I have 3 businesses in the same area and first of all, I have to be up to make sure my son is set for school.
He is not a baby o, he can sort himself out but I just love to be up to make sure everything is intact.
From there, you now have to go and oversee your businesses. And it is not easy, to be honest. You have human resources to deal with. We have staff who are mischievous and you just have to monitor so they will not drain your business. By the time I come back, my son would have been back, I oversee how far in the house.
Get back into mother and wife mode.
How would you describe yourself?
It could be sometimes difficult to understand me. I may come across as hard and aggressive but the way my husband describes me is that I am like an egg that has a hard exterior but soft inside. I am that sort of person. I am pretty extroverted. I can blend in easily. I am very versatile and I am somebody who likes putting smiles on the faces of people. I like to see people happy and comfortable around me. Do unto others as you’d like them to do unto you. I live by this saying.
What are the names of your children?
Roxanne, Ricardo, and Andre.
