Late Nigerian music veteran, Onyeka Onwenu once talked about how she wishes for to be remembered and buried when she passes away.
The ‘You and I’ hit-maker, reportedly died on Tuesday night at the Reddington Hospital in Lagos after slumping at the birthday party of Mrs Stella Okoli.
In an opinion piece published on Premium Times three years ago, the actress and singer said she wants to be buried quietly without fanfare.
Onwenu said she would want her loved ones to “mourn, yes but not excessively” and to instead focus on celebrating her life with prayers and light-hearted moments.
“Do it quickly, quietly and privately…Celebrate me with prayers, lunch or dinner afterwards. Share some jokes about me and laugh. Make merriment and then go about your business.
If my friends want to celebrate me, they should do so while I am alive, so that I can enjoy it with them, not when I am gone and have no idea about this. That is me Onyeka Onwenu,” she said.
The award winner also touched on broader cultural practices, condemning the lavish display of wealth often seen at Nigerian burials, while calling for more modest and meaningful ways to honour the deceased.
She contrasted her own wishes with the extravagant funeral of Obi Cubana’s mother, which sparked widespread debate across the country.
“I am very uncomfortable with the lavish display of wealth on any occasion, especially in a time of hardship and lack for most others,” she remarked.
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