Ruby Gyang is a singer under MI’s Loopy records. She tells Ademola Olonilua about her life, career and fashion taste.
At what age did you start singing?
I have been singing since I was a little
girl, when I was about five years old. I started in church like most
people. I sang all through my primary and secondary school. Singing is a
part of my life. It is what I knew I was going to end up doing. I would
say I have been singing for 25 years.
How would you describe your genre of music?
I call it afro-soul. It is the fusion of
African musical sound and soul music which is what I grew up listening
to courtesy of my father.
How has the acceptance level been?
Surprisingly, the responses have been
good even though Nigerians prefer fast tempo songs. I released a single
track in 2011 which was just an experiment. The song was very slow and a
year after, people began to love the song. What I have found out is
that even though Nigerians like to party, they also have their
reflection moments. I have noticed that as long as people can relate to
the song, they would love it.
What role did your father play in building your career?
My father was a music lover. He had a
turntable in the house and he had a collection of soul music records. It
was what I grew up with and I loved it. As I grew older, I found out
that I still enjoyed that song so it was very natural for me to continue
in that line. My father is late now. He had a surgery and he passed on.
My father definitely gave me my sound.
Do you believe he would be proud of you if he were alive?
Yes, I believe so. When I wanted to live
in Lagos initially, he was not too excited about it. He wanted me to get
a job. I studied economics and he wanted me to be an analyst. I was in
Lagos for about two years before he came over to see what I was doing
and before he died, he gave me his blessing. He listened to some of my
songs before he died. Sometimes he would call and tell me that he was
listening to my songs on the radio. There was a time he took my poster
to his class. He was a lecturer. He took my poster to school to show
that I was his daughter.
What was growing up like for you?
It was very academic. School was a very
big deal in my family. My mother was very much involved in church
activities. She is a pastor, so we sang in church. Our lives revolved
around church and school. I am close to my mother. She has always
supported my career. Even when my father was not supportive, she was
there for me. She always assured me that she would talk to my dad to see
reason with me. My mother is the one with the musical talent while my
father had a great musical ear.
Your mother is a pastor. MI the owner of your record label, has evangelist parents. Is it a coincidence?
In Jos, the only place to play music is
in church. The industry is not as developed as it is in Lagos. That is
where we all started from. That is where I met his parents. We were in
the choir together.
What is your relationship with Jesse Jagz?
Jesse was actually the one that
introduced me to MI in 2002. We dated for a while and we have a child
together. We are not together presently but we are still very good
friends.
Do you think you guys can be together anytime soon?
No, I don’t think so.
Why can’t you get back together?
There is a tendency for people to think
that because you have a child with somebody you have to be with the
person. We were very young when we had the child and we grew up
realising that we wanted different things in life. Because of our
daughter, we have remained good friends.
It is believed that the only reason
you are on MI’s record label is your relationship with his younger
brother Jesse Jagz, is it true?
It is not true. In 2002 when I met MI and
we started the Loopy Crew, we would sing and perform in churches,
schools, and basically anywhere we could. As the year went by, I proved I
had the talent. When MI moved to Lagos, he told me to wait a bit so
that when he got his footing in the industry, he would come back for us.
If I got signed on MI’s record label because of a baby I had for his
brother without talent, I would not be in the news. My talent speaks for
me. People would always talk.
How do you keep in shape?
I wasn’t a fashion conscious person. It
was when I got into the industry that I started paying attention to
fashion. I just like very simple fashion statements. To keep in shape, I
work out. For instance, I promised myself this year that I would take
my health and fitness very seriously.
What clothes are you comfortable in?
I love to be in jeans and polo shirts. I
try to separate my showbiz life from my personal life. When I am at
home, I wear jeans and shirts but when it is time for performances, I
transform to clothes that suit the occasion.
What are your favourite colours?
I like two colours; red and black. I like
black because it is sexy, mysterious. It is a strong colour; not a
colour for the faint-hearted. You cannot be shy and wear black.
What is that fashion accessory you cannot leave home without?
I would say my lip gloss. I cannot leave the house without my lip gloss.
Does motherhood affect your fashion sense?
Yes it has. I have a very outspoken
daughter. Sometimes she says to me, “Mummy cover your chest.” She asks
some questions when I wear certain clothes and expects a reason for my
action. For me, I want to set a good example for my daughter and because
of that, I think twice about a lot of things before I wear them. Also, I
am conscious of what I wear because of young girls who look up to me. I
want to set a good example for them as well.
What is your take on ladies that wear skimpy and very revealing clothes?
Most of us in this generation grew up
watching television and we are greatly influenced by it. We see girls on
the television wearing skimpy dresses and when they do that, men look
at them amorously. The attention from men is nice but it is the wrong
feeling. For me personally, I feel less is more. The less you reveal,
the more appealing you are. A sense of mystery makes you more
interesting and a lot of girls don’t understand that.
What is your fashion weakness when shopping?
I would go for trousers. I love trousers a
lot. That is the first point of call for me when I walk into a shopping
mall. I also love blazers because I think they can go with anything.
Were you a tomboy while growing up?
I loved to climb trees and ride
bicycles. I did not like wearing female clothes. I hated girly dresses
especially the one with a ribbon. I was always rough and loved to be
free. I was very adventurous, competitive and loved playing with the
boys.
Do you see your daughter going into entertainment?
She is very artistic. Jade draws, sings,
raps, writes songs. She is extremely artistic and she is not shy about
it. I would not force her to go into entertainment but if she desires
to, I would support her all the way.
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