I’ve disappointed critics of my musical

I’ve disappointed critics of my musical
career – Ego
on october 26, 2013 at 6:00 am in showtime people
*Ego
BY IYABO AINA
Singer Ego Ihenacho Ogbaro believes music has
made her a deeper person. The petite lady was the
only female vocalist with Lagbaja’s band until she
left to pursue a solo career in 2007. She has
backed-up for the masked musician on several
tracks including ‘Konko Below’ and ‘Nothing For
You’ but her soulful wailing in ‘Never far Away’, a
track in Lagbaja’s ‘Africano’ album, remains
indelible in the minds of fans. Ego spoke with
Saturday Vanguard  recently about her life after split
from Lagbaja
Enjoy .
Who was Ego as a child?
I was a very stubborn child and I am still very
stubborn(chuckles) because I always wanted my
way. It was my way or no way. Although I was a
lively child, I didn’t let things get to me or weigh me
down. I easily get angry and I think I am just
myself.
How has it been since you left Lagbaja ?
I always knew that I wanted to sing and it was just
a matter of time before the dream manifested.
What I wanted to do was totally different from what I
was doing with Lagbaja. It was the same music
thing but in a different way. Yes, people would have
their doubts and not even know what direction I
was going.
It was a step that I had to take, something I had to
prove and had to show the world that I knew what I
wanted and I was moving in the right direction. So,
it’s natural for people to feel that way and have
doubts. So far, it’s been good.
How long did you work with him ?
I worked with him as a solo artiste for 12years and
I learnt a lot from him, like hard work and not
compromising.
At what point did you realise that you were going
make a career out of music?
I have always been surrounded by music from my
childhood. I’ve always loved music but I took it for
granted. When I left secondary school, it was more
of  a hobby for me. I joined Colours Band which later
became Lagbaja’s band. It wasn’t until then that I
began to take it serious. I started going for shows
and I was making money from it, so I was like okay,
this is something I enjoy doing and I am making
money from it; it’s not a bad thing. It was at that
point that I began to take it serious and I said to
myself, ‘let me give this a shot’.
Do you have your own band as well ?
Yes , it is called Indigo.
What inspired you to form a band ?
I am a live performer, so there was the need to get
my own band. This is one of the problems that most
artistes face today. They find it very difficult to
perform with a live band. It is very important to play
with a live band. I first look for those that can form
the band with me.
Though, I am not taking anything away from those
that use live band; but I just feel that when you use
a live band, it’s fun. You can improvise and express
yourself. You are not much of a musician if you
cannot sing with a live band. I always knew that I
was going to use a band. As much as I like singing
my own songs, I like singing other people’s song
and this was how I even started. Let me state that
this is totally different from miming. We do this at
events such as weddings, corporate events and
other events. It is the same band, that is, Indigo that
also back me up whenever I want to sing as Ego .
What are your likes and dislikes?
Basically, I like real people, down to earth people,
intelligent people and the ones that can push me to
get a better result. I cannot stand people who are
fake but people with fantastic sense of humour.
Since you parted ways with Lagbaja, have you
released any album on your own?
Yes , I released an album this year titled First Step
but before that,  I have released three singles and
two videos and I am very encouraged from the
feed-back.