Nigerian singer, Nwakaego Ogbaro popularly known as Ego has opened up about her experiences following her departure from Lagbaja’s Africano band in 2007.
In a conversation on Chude Jideonwo’s podcast, Ego revealed the difficulties she faced and addressed long-standing rumours about her relationship with the masked musician.
The singer dispelled speculations that they were romantically involved and even married.
She explained that her exit from the band was entirely her decision and not a result of a fallout between her and Lagbaja.
She said, “We did not fight, there were no issues, I believe in my instincts a lot, and that time, it was telling me to move. And in all honesty, I felt there was nothing more I could do to top what I had done at that time. So, I said it was time for me to move on. I sort of knew what I wanted, I wanted a band of my own, you know, I just wanted to do my own thing, my own kind of music, that was it, and I went to him, we talked and he was happy, though it’s bittersweet, and he said, ‘I knew you had this leadership quality, I knew you are one of those people that would end up having her own band’, and he was very supportive.”
Asked whether there were days she ever thought of going back to the Lagbaja band, Ego said, “Yeah, I will explain why I said yeah.
“I wanted and I craved that comfort where I don’t have to make certain decisions, where all I needed to do was just sing, dance and just get my pay, where the responsibilities were just not mine. There were days like that where I craved that, because it was hard: you’re dealing with people from different backgrounds, you’re dealing with a lot and you have to make it work. There was a time I actually called him [Lagbaja] and said I know I probably gave you a hard time, but it’s now I understand what it means, and he was like ‘Okay,’ and I said, ah, it’s not easy oh, it wasn’t easy.
“So, there were days I felt like being part of a band again, and just touring, being on the tour bus, you know, there were days like that.”
