(Rising Moon is a 2005 Nigerian drama film directed by And...)
Rising Moon is a 2005 Nigerian drama film directed by Andy Nwakalor and starring Onyeka Onwenu. The film received 12 nominations and won 6 awards at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2006, including the awards for Best Picture, Best Visual Effect and Best Editing.
2005
Half of a Yellow Sun
(Half of a Yellow Sun is a 2013 Nigerian Historical fictio...)
Half of a Yellow Sun is a 2013 Nigerian Historical fiction drama film directed by Biyi Bandele and based on the novel of the same name by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The film is a love story that follows two sisters who are caught up in the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War.
Onyeka Onwenu is a Nigerian multi talented personality that is famously known as a singer. She is also a songwriter, actress, journalist, politician, and X Factor series judge. She is nicknamed "Elegant Stallion" by the Nigerian press. She currently serves as the Executive Director/chief executive officer of the National Centre for Women Development.
Background
Onyeka Onwenu was born on the 17th 0f May 1952 in Onitsha, Anambra State into the family of D.K Onwenu, an educationist and politician. She is the youngest daughter in the family. She lost her father at a very tender age of four in an autocrash.
Education
Onyeka started her early childhood education in Nigeria then moved over to the United States where she earned a BA in International Relations and Communication of the Wellesley College of Massachusetts and a master's degree in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research in New York.
Onnyeka Onwenu began her career as a staff of the United Nations in New York where she lived and worked for many years before returning to Nigeria in the year 1980. She did her mandatory one-year National Service (NYSC), at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
Onyeka began her music career in the year 1981 while still working at the NTA. Then she released the album "For the Love of You".
In the year 2013, Onyeka was named as one of the three judges on the Nigerian version of The X Factor. She later joined politics and became a member of the People's Democratic Party. She was appointed the Chairperson of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture. On the 16th of September 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Onyeka the Executive Director/chief executive officer of the National Centre for Women Development.
Onwenu has featured in numerous Nigerian movies and in the year 2006, she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress. In the year 2014, she acted in the movie Half of a Yellow Sun together with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton.
(Half of a Yellow Sun is a 2013 Nigerian Historical fictio...)
2013
Rising Moon
(Rising Moon is a 2005 Nigerian drama film directed by And...)
2005
music
For the Love of You
1983
Endless Life
1982
IN THE MORNING LIGHT
1984
One Love
1986
Religion
She is a devout Christian who puts all her trust in God. In an interview she had some time ago, she told the interviewer that she grew up in a Christian home and they seek God's face in anything they do because they believe it is the only way to succeed in life.
Politics
Her political views are seen in her works. She is a grassroots mobiliser, an advocate for women empowerment and gender equality.
She serves as the Good will Ambassador for The Leprosy Mission of Nigeria and Friends Africa, a non-governmental organization which galvanizes support from the private sector, Governments and Civil Society for the battle against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Africa.
Onyeka was promoting safe-sex long before it became popular to do so and before Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS population became unmanageable. In both “Wait For Me” and Choices” the lyrics focused on family planning, sex education and birth control.
Views
Touching lives through music is her common philosophy. Also, she believes music is a wonderful the genre which can be used to uplift the soul of the downtrodden especially the women folks in Nigeria.
Indeed, her desired to improve the standard of living of the people at the grassroots moved her to venture into politics in 2002, where she contested for the chairmanship seat for Ideato North in Imo State, and lost her first try.
Quotations:
“The First Lady Should Be Thanked Instead Of Being Chastised, She Has A Wonderful Heart.”
“If protesters came to the First Lady, she would have led protests.”
"I use my voice to give God glory. When He knows where you are coming from, He will give you strength and He will also keep giving you ideas. You will continue to grow from strength to strength. That’s what I am all about."
"I may have started singing from the womb because my mother was a singer and I was born singing. My mother taught me how to sing while I was three. She would take me around the town to raise money for orphanage homes. She also taught me some songs and would do duets with me. Surprisingly, my mother wrote, “Ochie dike Nne.” She was a fantastic singer and a fantastic actress. That was how I grew up. I inherited singing and I also inherited the work ethics and the commitments to use my talent to help the society that has made me what I am today. So, it has always been with me."
Personality
She is described as an industrious and hardworking woman.
Physical Characteristics:
She is from the Black race, and always carries a low-cut style of hair cut.