My dad is a very good cook – Jessica Bongos-Ikwue

Weekly Trust: How would you describe your father away from the public eye?
Jessica Enupapa Bongos-Ikwue: My dad is a very simple, humble, generous man. He’s extremely intelligent and has a very interesting outlook on life. He also has an interesting sense of humour. He is very philosophical in his thinking but the thing that stands out about him the most to me is how hard he works. He’s definitely the most hardworking human being I know and is also a bit of a perfectionist.
WT: How does he unwind?
Bongos-Ikwue: I think working helps him unwind. But he also likes to watch the National Geographic and the Discovery channels a lot. He also appreciates really good food.
WT: What are his favourite pastimes?
Bongos-Ikwue: One would be driving alone through cities. It is something he loves to do. Another is performing live in front of an audience.
WT: What is it about childhood with him you still treasure and wish to continue?
Bongos-Ikwue: He played a lot with us and he had special nicknames for my siblings and I. He still uses those nicknames. Whenever he took us out for car rides, he would try and get us really excited by driving with his hands off the steering for about three seconds. Those were fun times. We would squeal with delight and urge him on. He always made out time to spend with us even to play games which usually involved singing.
WT: What are common words or lines he regularly uses?
Bongos-Ikwue: Oh my God, he always repeated, ‘communication is the only English.’ Some other times our ears were filled with ‘The only religion is work, the only sin is laziness.’ Whenever we asked him to go to sleep while he’s working late in the studio, he says ‘Sleep? How do you spell sleep?’ (Laughter).
WT: What is a habit or skill he has that many don’t know about him?
Bongos-Ikwue: He’s a really good cook. He makes the best corned beef rice and pudding. Wow, his cooking is quite an art. Every now and again he cooked for the family and it was always so yummy. The usual suspect at such times is his legendary corned beef rice. It was his specialty. He made it quite often.
WT: What would you say he passed on to you?
Bongos-Ikwue: Humility, perfectionism, proper work ethics, not being afraid to express my creativity and always to put passion before money. Mediocrity is never an option is something he thought us very early.
 WT: Does the public have misconceptions about him?
Bongos-Ikwue: I don’t think they do. At least, I hope not.
WT: Growing up, when you are naughty, what reaction of his did you dread the most?
Bongos-Ikwue: And my oh my, I was never naughty. Sometimes, I was also a bit of a goody two shoes. I made up for all of these by always being top of my class. So we never had any issues at all. However, when he blinks his eyes a lot, it means he’s displeased about something.  
WT: What is he like when he is composing or working in the studio?
Bongos-Ikwue: Very focused, very keen about getting the vocals and instrumentation right, and he gets excited when he feels a song coming to him.
WT: What does he enjoy the most about his career?
Bongos-Ikwue: Playing live to a large crowd and the people’s genuine appreciation for his music. I think he also really enjoyed being a part of Bongos Ikwue and the Groovies back in the day as well.
WT: As his children, did you see him as a celebrity?
Bongos-Ikwue: We didn’t. We were aware of the fact that he was, but it didn’t change anything. He was just our good ol’ papa.
WT: How has being his child impacted on or influenced you?
Bongos-Ikwue: I learnt a lot of values from him and I believe he passed on musical genes to me. Maybe if he were not my father, I may not be a singer.
WT: Do you consider yourself as good a singer as he is?
Bongos-Ikwue: This is a difficult one to answer. But he tells me I am a good singer.
WT: What are his philosophies about life?
Bongos-Ikwue: The only religion is work; the only sin is laziness (laughter).
WT: Could you share your experience being a back-up singer with your dad?
Bongos-Ikwue: It was a great experience. I learnt a lot musically over the years from singing back-up. My sister and I have been singing backing vocals to his songs for nine years now. We’ve also recorded our backing vocals on his most recent album titled, ‘Wulu Wulu.’ We all flow well together musically, so it’s been great.
WT: As a boss, how would you describe him?
Bongos-Ikwue: He’s a leader and director. He’s firm in his approach to problems. He pays a lot of attention to detail and is very particular about how jobs should be carried out. Having said that, he treats his staff really well and has respect for them all.
WT: You said he’s a bit of a perfectionist. Is he a difficult person to please or impress?
Bongos-Ikwue: No, that’s not what I meant. He just doesn’t believe in mediocrity. He puts a hundred percent effort into everything he does. If he doesn’t think it’s perfect, he’ll keep working on it until it’s perfect to him.
WT: Could you talk a bit about his love for architecture and designing?
Bongos-Ikwue: He loves designing and is an interior designer. He’s a very artistic and creative individual and just like his musical talent is innate his artistic eye for design is something that just comes naturally to him. He’s really great at it.
WT: Could you share with us any unique moments he has had with his fans that you are aware of?
Bongos-Ikwue: He talks about fans from way back when he was a university student. Actually, I’m not sure if it was university or secondary school. He’s mentioned how students used to pay a lot of money to watch him perform at variety shows. He’s also told me a story about how a movie company came to show their film to the students and when they set up the loudspeakers, the students started chanting ‘Bongos! Bongos!’ So, basically, they were more interested in him performing than watching the film. These are moments that may not be unique, but are definitely precious to him.
WT: Is he somebody who likes surprises and were there times you caught him off guard?
Bongos-Ikwue: Hmmm, now that I come to think of it, I don’t think we’ve ever surprised him before but I’m very sure he’ll have an open mind to being surprised if that were ever to happen. He has a great sense of humour.