“The woman I was the day that I gave birth is different from the woman I was the
day before that day.” Simisola Ogunleye is so assertive, she is self-aware.
Being self-aware helps you to appreciate your strengths as well as humbles you to
learn while submitting to the strengths of others who complement your
weaknesses. This has built the marriage of the famous couple, persons who blend
fame in music without despising the vulnerability of each other. Love is a
beautiful thing, if you want to test how human you are, take thirty minutes of
your time to digest the love story of lovebirds, you did catch yourself smiling
uncontrollably, only to be jerked to reality when you realise that you are just
single soul, admiring the bond between others who put in efforts to make their
marriage work. While I admire Simi for her assertive mind, displayed in various
facets of her life, I will love to take you through the route that formed Nigeria's
songwriter, producer and singer.
Simisola Ogunleye is a graduate of Covenant University. Yes! That a person has
certain privileges does not mean that they lack grit. Despite being opportune to
taste some good of life, she is not left without her own story of the flipped side of
life. Her parents got separated when she was nine. So, she grew up with her
single mother. Simi is the last child and has three elder brothers from both
parents. Technically, the beautiful Simi grew to become a tomboy. Beyond her
association with her brothers, she has an admirable relationship with her mother.
She describes her mother as her buddy.
Being self-aware comes with stubbornness, the kind that is not morally degrading
rather it makes you conscious of your realities and responsible for the choices you
make. The kind that makes you fix your heart on a cause and chase it till mastery.
This is the Simi kind of stubbornness.
Growing up, Simi was the girl considered to be outspoken, the noise maker in the
class yet she had a touch of respectfulness and being present in herself – she was
self-aware. It is believed that children who grow with so much love tend to be
build confidence, appear smart and display the virtue of being self-aware, it can
be very difficult to make them act coward or feel inferior. Despite the separation
of Simi’s parents when she was nine years old, she grew with love. There was love
at home. She did not grow seeking validation. Despite her good stubbornness, she
did not think the razz kind of life deserved her. This guided her choice of friends,
places she did went and her life trajectory.
Despite have a unique tender voice in her thirties, it will amaze you to note that
Simi’s entrance into music is a story of ‘music found her’. At the age of eight, the
children in her Christian denomination were to present a song before the church,
someone was needed to sing the verses of the song. While a child was sought for,
the children jeered that their colleague, little Simi, take the verses to be sang, This
came to little Simi as a surprise, “Wow! Is my voice that good?” She thought. This
was her lightbulb moment.
Her lightbulb moment birthed the realisation that music was her thing. Growing
up, she joined groups that served as places where she exuded her singing
prowess. Despite studying mass communication at Covenant University, she was
not deterred from expressing her obsession with music as her voice was
appreciated by her school mates and gracefully, she got their support as she
became more intentional with her music but there was a reality she had to face.
The reality that she spent four years of her life pursuing an academic course that
was not her natural inclination when compared to her flare for music. She had a
different fight. She had to fight for her music. Technically, she had little or no
background in the art, the art was not really thriving back then yet she wanted to
build a life with it. Fortunately, her mother was not out raged by her daughter’s
desire yet Simi had a subtly task, to prove that her decision was worthwhile.
With her background at a faith-based university, Covenant University, Simi started
with gospel music. Well, she wrote gospel songs because those were the lyrics
that came to her. Gradually, she dived into love songs, secular songs that
ministers life and its realities to her listeners, her soft empathic voice is enough to
mend a broken-hearted, Again, despite being within her late thirties her voice is
so tender. so soft.
Her professional music career started in 2008 following the release of her debut
studio album Ogaju, which consisted of a variety of songs such as "Iya Temi" and
"Ara Ile". The album was produced entirely by Samklef.
In January 2014, Simi released the 5 track EP Restless, which eventually earned
her a record deal with X3M Music.
On January 9, 2014, Simi released two singles "Tiff" and "E No Go Funny & quot;. Both
songs received frequent airplay and were met with generally positive reviews
from critics. The video for "Tiff" was directed by Josh Clarke and released on
August 30, 2015. The song was nominated for Best Alternative Song at the 2015
edition of The Headies. On and on, she has numerous awards to her name and
various accomplishments.
Behind the dogged Simi, is a lover girl that loves to a fault. Despite her music
career, she had a handsome Yoruba man who was a shoulder to lean on, she met
him as the guy who was a graphic designer and king of photoshop. She knew her
man liked music but she did not know that he took it seriously.
When reality began to unfold and he began to try his hands on song writing and
composing, she supported him. She believes that beyond being his girlfriend, she
believed in him because he believed so much in himself. It did not take long; both
the lover girl and lover boy were heard in the music industry yet they kept their
relationship private.
Simi had a music phase with Falz. The duo collaborated and released great hit
songs. Thus, Nigerians envied their interaction, presuming that the duo were a
couple with romantic attachments. It came as a surprise to many when the guy
behind the smile of Simi was revealed, he is Adekunle Gold. The duo are excellent
singer with unique styles. How they blend fame and their personal lives as couple
is still a wonder to many.
Truth is the duo had a nice history together before fame but Simi holds that
beyond the fact that they knew each other before they were spotlighted, it takes
beyond growing together from humble beginnings to make a relationship work.
She holds that both of them put in so much efforts to make it work. From building
trust to being friends, being teachable, having conversations…. There is a lot of
work that makes the relationship work.
This year marks the fifth year of both artists living as married couples. They have a
beautiful daughter whom they cherish.
Semisola is very protective of her space. Thus, beyond the flex with industry
colleagues, she has an inner circle of friends – a friendship built over the years,
where each friend is a friend to the other, people who see her as a human beyond
the colours of the celebrity she wears.
The life of Simisola is one of grit. Reflect on your life, it may take one event for
you to discovery your true path in life.
