Victoria Oruwari

*Thrills fans at Muson Tomorrow

By Chioma Gabriel

She is sultry, sassy, sensual, scintillating and stimulating. Some say she is sexy and cute and that  seems so real. And she is gifted  with a sweet sonorous and sensational voice which has taken her across nations to perform for kings and queens. She also has a flair for songs composition and tomorrow, she will be presented by the Musical Society of Nigeria to thrill  fans in Soprano at the Muson centre Lagos , accompanied by Tunde Sosan. Although she is also physically  blind , she is gifted with a great vision.

This Rivers state born, London-based Victoria Ekenta Oruwari  does not see any physical impediment about herself. She has attained heights which those without  any visionary challenge could not.

“I discovered singing at the age of eight whilst attending the Pacelli School for the blind and partially sighted at Lagos. I  performed  at various national charity events in venues such as the National Arts Theatre, the State House, and the Presidential Villa in Lagos.

“I also performed with the Pacelli Band in a 12-week series aired by NTA Lagos. I  was appreciated for my songs by all who heard them and I was named “The Alleluia Joy Girl” after my  signature tune which was “Alleluia Joy.”

After completing her primary education, Victoria commenced her secondary education at Queen’s College, Lagos where she was featured in the MUSON Centre’s lunch time concerts for young musicians.

“ I eventually left for England where I continued my education. I  attended the RNIB New College, Worcester where I studied for my A levels. The school had a strong music department which was headed by Angela Godsell. I  performed as a soloist with the  school choir at venues such as the Birmingham Symphony Hall, Worcester Cathedral, Huntingdon Hall, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. I also gave recitals at Eastnor Castle and St. Martins Church, Worcester.”

Cobhams...To partner with Victoria.

In 2001, Victoria gained admission to the Trinity College of Music where she acquired her Bachelor of Music degree, then subsequently passed her Postgraduate Diploma with distinction. Her professors were celebrated tenors and Sopranos.

“ I  have also given recitals at Regents Hall, Charlton House and The Royal National Institute for the Blind. I have been asked to perform at various corporate and private functions”.

Victoria’s songs  have been featured in the TCM Musical Theatre at The Blackheath Halls where she performed songs from various shows with the TCM Orchestra.

She currently teaches singing at Acton High School, and is involved as an associate with the Drake Music Outreach Project where she leads  vocal workshops and is actively a Youth Music Mentor. In addition to singing, she is  also into song writing and has  discovered she  has the  flair for this.

Tomorrow, she will give a recital at MUSON’s Agip Recital hall at 6 pm. This recital aims to give Nigerians a sample of what her music is like. She has chosen lovely tunes from the classical genre and famous songs from the musical theatre stage. She intends to beguile her audience with her Music.

“It is my aim to bring classical music to a wider audience. Having trained in this genre, I can now apply that knowledge to already known songs and reproduce them in a classical style. I intend to form a collaboration with Cobhams Asuquo, a well known producer whose ability to transform music is phenomenal.

Together, we intend to create classical music with a modern twist..” Victoria has won many awards including the Mark Plummer Award for Hard Work and Fortitude, The Fletcher Butcher Award for Distinguished Musicianship, the Elizabeth Eagle Bott Memorial Scholarship, The Newman Thomas Commonwealth Award for Outstanding Progress and the Eva Noreen Student Scholarship Award.

“In future, I will be producing albums, writing more songs, and giving more recitals in addition to teaching singing and mentoring.”