How my wife trapped me – Veteran singer Jimmy Solanke

– Children called him Uncle Jimi Solanke the story teller

– The master story teller tells the story of how married his much younger wife

– He also reveals why he left engineering for the arts

Olujinmi Adesoye Solanke, Jimi Solanke for short or uncle Jimi Solanke, is one Nigerian in many fields. He is a prolific playwright, renowned poet, peculiar folk singer and a gifted fine artist. He warmed himself to the hearts of many through his various children’s programmes, especially Storyland which used to be very prominent on government and privately owned television stations in Nigeria. Ironically, while growing up, he was fond of dismantling and putting objects back together at the slightest chance. So it was easy for his relatives and associates to conclude that he would grow up to become an engineer.

What attracted you to arts?

I am sure it is destiny because as a child, I was to become an engineer. Then, I used to repair, dismantle objects and put them together. I used to do movies using candles, have other children watch while I played the role of a narrator. I never knew I would end up as a performing artist. I used to make a sukunobia for Muslims then. It involves visiting houses to beg for alms with my Muslim friends. It is a first square thing with a candle stand built in it. All these while, I did not know the implications and my main target remained engineering. My uncle who had a casting company then made me the assistant technical officer just to build up on my dream and to make me understudy the job.

At what point did you retrace your step?

I had issues with my uncle and left the house to stay with a friend and then, my vision for theater arts became clearer and linked up with the likes of Tunji Oyelana, Yomi Obileye, Yewande Akinbo and other top artistes. Within the shortest period of time, I started singing and getting recorded by Roy Chicago, Rex Williams, having credit as a song writer. I later got involved in drama.

But why did you pitch your tent with the kids?

I got drawn to them, especially when I travelled to America

Your wife is obviously much younger than you. How did you meet her?

I met her when I came back from America. As soon as I returned, I started having shows here and there. My first show was a children’s show at the University of Lagos and Lagos State Television. People came, and it was that show that we transported into Family Face until NTA asked me to come and do a workshop which actually made me popular. Before then, I was still working at department of dramatic arts when suddenly, I ran into her. Somehow, I was very angry at talking or having affairs with her but she was different. I had a lot of them coming to visit me in my house but the first day she got there, she showed her uniqueness-all the leftover plates that other girls used, she washed them without showing hard feeling. I was surprised that a young lady like her could do that. She didn’t even eat out of what she cooked. She cleaned the whole living room and the entire house. When she was coming the second time, she insisted on stocking the house with all the food stuff and the likes. As far as she concerned, we were wasting our money on irrelevant things. She was not only furious about her findings in my kitchen, she was disappointed. She only found cartons of beer, empty crates of soft drinks and containers. There was nothing inside. The Saturday after, she forced me to the market, bought some food stuff and cooked food for us to eat. She doesn’t eat outside, that was her reason and so, we went to the market and before I could mention Jack Robinson, we had bought stove, gas cooker and even fridge which cost about N13, 000 in those days. I am talking about 1983. From then on my house took a new shape, it became a place where I could come back to eat, have clean and already boiled water to drink and my life generally took a better turn. I thought this was getting serious and was actually helpless. That was how I got trapped. It was like caging a lion, she was so special. Even when other girls were inviting her out to the club, she would not listen; eventually she was the one that stayed.

READ ALSO: Monalisa Chinda has known 2nd husband for 27 years 

How then do you unwind?

When I am not doing anything, I prefer sitting down in my studio, writing play and generally doing some creative thinking. I am not the kind of person that just sits down in idleness. I prefer staying in the house than going out, I love having something to do at every given time and it may also interest you to know that I am an indoor person.

The post How my wife trapped me – Veteran singer Jimmy Solanke appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM.