PHOTO: Woman who Nurtured Wande Coal Stardom – Omolara Ojosipe

For every successful man, there is always a woman, and behind the downfall of everyman too, there will always be the traces of a woman. In the instance of sensational Marvin Records superstar, Wande Coal, there is a woman who is the solid rock behind his musical relevance. The woman, Mrs. Omolara Ojosipe, his mother, recently had a brief chat with us where she reluctantly revealed how she nursed Wande Coal to stardom.
How did you nurse Wande Coal to stardom?
It’s God . He started in the church choir when we were in Redeemed Christian Church, the source of inspiration for his career is God and I always tell him to return all glory back to God. And whatever the challenges that comes along, he should just tell God, “I have not called myself, I didn’t put myself in this position, you did so, God see me through”. So, we have learnt to rely and put everything in God’s care. It’s not any human effort but God. I am not so righteous to have such a star as a son but God has decreed that, whosoever He chooses to bless, He blesses.

How often do you see or when was the last time you saw him?
Oh! That was last month, he’s always busy as you know, he’s always engaged in his career, I have come to realize this and I cope with it but we talk on the phone from time to time.
When he was growing up; was there any trait of him becoming a star?
I am a teacher, he started from school, in any gathering he would be singing and people would be rejoicing, sometimes he would crack jokes to the bewilderment of all and sundry. But I noticed that it was affecting his education and as a teacher, I didn’t like that, you know, so I started to scold him and made sure he had good grades from secondary school. I monitored him through the secondary school but when he got to the university, there is little I could do to have control on him, so that gave him the opportunity to fully delve into his music. Till tomorrow they still see me as a wicked mum because I was so strict with them about their education. When he was younger, he was always saying that he would want to be like Michael Jackson and I always tell him, this is Africa, Nigeria, You don’t expect what works for them there to work for us here. When he started going to dance competitions and he started winning, then I knew he was destined for that
and I asked God in prayer to reveal to me if music was his calling. I didn’t know it would come that early, sometimes when he was going out, I would asked God to reveal to me if he was going to make headway in music and God revealed to me that he’s made to be popular musically. That was the time he won the Hyundai from Hip Hop Awards when he had not even released any record except singles.
Briefly tell us about your name?
I’m Mrs. Omolara Ojosipe, I have been a teacher for 26 years but now I am in the Federal inspectorate section under the ministry of education. I am not supposed to grant this interview because I am in the civil service and I don’t want my face to show.