THE Glo X-Factor 2013 has come and gone with sensational rapper, DJ Switch (Obianuju Catherine Udeh) beating two other finalists, Ethel Eshun and Vicky Gomoti to take home the grand prize of a whopping 24 Million Naira and a Sony Record Deal.
In a recent Interview she opened up about her life,Winning and on alot of personal stuff..
Excerpts
"A lot of people would want to know about your childhood?
I’m the last in a family of eight. My dad is late. He died about four years ago. I went to John F. Kennedy Nursery School, Fountain Primary School and Federal Government College, Warri, Delta State. Then I proceeded to the University of Port Harcourt to study Geology. I graduated and worked briefly at Halliburton as Log Analyst. But I have always wanted to do music.
What year did you graduate?
2006/2007.
Where did you do your National Youth Service?
I served in Enugu State.
At what age did you graduate?
Guess, please?
I think you were 23.
I look it, right?
Yes.
I’m actually older. I will leave you to guess. You look like someone who does a lot of research. I want you to investigate and if you get it, I will buy you Glo recharge card.
No, I want a car gift?
A car? I haven’t even bought myself a car (laughs). I will buy you a Glo recharge card.
Thanks, but just give me an idea of your age?
I will, I graduated from the University of Port Harcourt at 21, 22.
Let’s still go back to your childhood, was it really rosy or tough?
My childhood was good. I give God all the glory for the kind of family I had. My mom and dad were good. Eight children from the same mother.
Five. Now, you see the influence. Remember you had asked why I act like a Tomboy. My dad experienced some rough times in his business. I was stubborn, I also wanted to do music. I was told to study first, show that I can. If I excel here, I can then go to music. I did and my family supported me. My family never discouraged me. If you give them a good reason you want to do something, you would have their support. I had a good childhood. It was just the normal challenges every family faces when there is maybe a recession.
Did your mother at any point oppose your music career?
At some point when it seemed it wasn’t working, she said why don’t you go back to work? I told her no, instead I am going to be a DJ. So, I started DJaying. But it wasn’t a serious opposition.
Where have you lived before now?
I have lived in Warri, Abuja, Lagos and sometime in Enugu State. I have also lived in Port Harcourt and Bayelsa State.
Where were you living before you won Glo X-Factor?
I was living in Abuja. Right now, I live in Lagos.
We even learnt you are moving to Lekki?
Haba, who told you? I have a feeling that you are a very, very sharp man, seriously. By God’s grace, yes.
In terms of education, do you have plans to go further since you sound intelligent? Like some Nigerian musicians now flaunt their M.Sc, P.hd and other degrees. So, what more for you?
This is what I believe. Intelligence, education are things of the mind. First, you need to have the basic background which I have. Thank you for the compliment. I’m actually very, very intelligent because I study a lot. I want to learn. The only way you can know someone who knows what he/she is doing is if they are willing to learn. The minute you believe you have learnt everything, that is when your intelligence begins to drop. So, getting Masters, Ph.D is not my dream. I’m not going to lie to the public about it. I’m only going to keep learning to improve myself as a human being. Honing my skills so I can give it back to the same audience who believe in me. And the only way I can do that is to learn more.
If you were not a singer or geologist, what else?
The truth is it will still be related to music. I would probably have been a full time DJ.
.jpg "Glo Xfactor Winner DJ Switch")
Back then at The Pulse, you used to wear this stethoscope, would you have loved to be a medical doctor or nurse?
No. It was our identity in the band, The Pulse. Wonderful guys. I always say God knows the best. So many things I have been into, I call it the school of life. God has taken me through the school of life. And I haven’t graduated. He keeps fine-tuning me, teaching me every day. The group thing didn’t quite work out. The stethoscope was just a representation of the name. It was like, we are going to feel your pulse with the kind of music we bring to you. It was more like an urbane kind of band. When we sing for you, you will feel the pulse.
Like I said, it was a tough decision. It’s a long story. If I start narrating it now, it would mean that I’m unhappy or ungrateful. When you know God and love Him, the next thing you would find yourself to understand is that everything that happens to you happens for a reason. I met those guys for a reason. I was in that competition for a reason and today I have started seeing part of the reason I passed through that in the first place. They are wonderful guys. They are all doing something for themselves now. And they are doing very well.
What year was that?
2008, I think.
Do you miss them?
Oh yes, but we keep in touch. I and Dubem, Tunde, Moses and Sammie, the drummer. They are all doing very well. It feels very good. I used to say I was born into a family of eight like you know. So, joining five guys wasn’t a new thing to me.
Can you please tell us more about your journey to stardom?
It has been bumpy. Nothing good comes easy. You must work hard for it. Whether you feel you are pretty, intelligent or gifted, you must work to get to the end of your dream. You can’t just keep visualizing it. You must actualize it. You have to work for it and actualize it. I fell in love with music when I first watched Michael Jackson perform. I wasn’t singing from my mother’s womb (laughs). When I was in school we had this thing we called Slum Book, where we were asked what we wanted to be. Some said I wanted to be a doctor, engineer, pharmacist, but I just wrote, I want to be a star. A friend of mind called me recently and reminded me what I wrote. In the course of this journey, I have done different things. I have tried to be in some talent hunt shows, came out with the band as a winner.
Later, I started DJaying, things were really bad for me. But I didn’t give up on that dream because I believed in it. My true happiness comes when others are happy at what I’m doing. It has nothing to really do with, I’m going to make millions now. I try to give people joy. I always ask my fans, are you ready because I’m ready. So, for me, the journey to stardom has been difficult but it has been worth it because I’m a better person, more experienced and in tune now.
