Veteran songwriter, singer and actress Onyeka Onwenu, who passed away on Tuesday, shared her wishes for a low-key burial three years ago.
In an opinion piece published in Premium Times in 2021, the 72-year-old emphasised the importance of a quiet and private farewell.
Onyeka wrote, “Do it quickly, quietly, and privately,” advising her loved ones to “mourn, yes, but not excessively,” and instead celebrate her life through prayers and cheerful moments.
She further detailed her wishes, “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.”
Onyeka died on Tuesday after performing at the 80th birthday party of industrialist Stella Okoli. She was pronounced dead by doctors at Reddington Hospital in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Born in 1952 in Obosi, Anambra State, Onyeka began her musical journey in the 1980s, releasing her debut album, For the Love of You, in 1981.
She continued to captivate the world with numerous hit songs including ‘One Love,’ ‘Ekwe,’ ‘You and I,’ ‘Iyogogo,’ ‘Dancing in the Sun,’ and ‘Falling in Love.’
