Christy Igbokwe did not reign, as it were, for an aeon. She did not record so many albums. She did not sit on top of the charts for decades. Her stay on the bestsellers’ list was for a moment.
But the multiple award-winning actress, musician, performer, writer, philanthropist and entrepreneur was a superstar, by every definition of the word. And like many others in her generation, she became a shining star, celebrated for her genius, by dint of hard work, dedication, consistency, and humility. As a teen star, she was cute and charming. Yet she was decent and discerning, living with integrity, despite her huge fame, and making meaningful music that made it difficult to believe she had little real-life experience. With her music and acting, Christy made the stage desirable to many. And it’s no surprise that she rose to national acclaim and remained a true national star until her death.
Christiana Uduak Essien-Igbokwe was married to her widower Edwin Igbokwe for over three decades. She had four sons and many god-children, mostly daughters. Christy’s fluency in Yoruba, English, Igbo and her native Ibibio earned her an appeal that cut across tribal lines. Although she was not Yoruba, she had a special preference for the western Nigerian language and drew heavily on the culture and tradition for her lyrics and music. Many still remember her, fondly, from her role as Apena (wife of the cantankerous character Jegede Shokoya played by Claude Eke, who passed in 2002) in The New Masquerade). As an actress, she also featured in two Nollywood movies ‘Flesh and Blood‘ and ‘Sacred of Womanhood‘ in the early days of Nollywood.
Christy hailed from the Onna Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Her career began as a teenager in Aba, where Pal Akalonu discovered her. Her work on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Aba, included appearances on Ukonu’s Club. Her role as a dramatist peaked with her interpretation of the character’ ‘Apena’ in the television serial Masquerade.
The founder of Punch newspapers, Olu Aboderin, through his Skylark Records, encouraged Christy’s move to Lagos and supported her personally and professionally for years. She met her husband Edwin, who was a secretary at The Punch (he would later become GM), during this period. They wedded in 1981 and remained married until her death on June 30.
The late Christy broke the rules without being a bandit – defying the powers that broke celebrity marriages; staying out of scandals unlike many of her female colleagues and contemporaries; remaining very private and domesticated, despite being a relatively affluent celebrity with the means to afford to be ‘spoilt’. The only thing, it would seem, that threatened to drag her in the mire was the protracted brouhaha with Godswill Akpabio over printing machines installed by Christy Essien’s company. But following her death, even Akpabio has heaped praises on her, supporting burial activities and being physically present throughout the ceremonies.
Amongst many other achievements, Christy Essien-Igbokwe was the first and only female president of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN). The Federal Government of Nigeria also inducted her as a distinguished citizen with the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR). The late musician had 10 albums to her name and was working on releasing her 11th before her passing. But her biggest achievement would be the overwhelming outpour of love and support from her colleagues, fans, friends and government at all levels following the announcement of her death.
Her final public performance was at the finale of the 2011 edition of Nigerian Idol, where she performed and mentored the finalists. Before then, she appeared at the Inspire Africa Benefit Concert in January 2009. She performed alongside her son Kaka and the MTN Musical Festival, a musical show of old and new-breed musicians in 2009. She is survived by her husband and four children, including, Samuel who inspired the song, ‘Lucky Samuel’ and Kaka, a budding musician. Her albums include ‘Freedom‘, ‘Patience‘, ‘Time Waits for No One‘, ‘One Understanding‘, ‘Give Me a Chance‘, ‘Ever Liked My Person‘, ‘Taking My Time‘, ‘Hear the Call‘ and ‘It’s Time‘.
