5 Things Women in the Nigerian Music Industry Can Learn From Vanessa Amadi-Ogbonna & Osagie Osarenz
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- March 31, 2021
In line with this special music issue, we highlight the careers of artiste management moguls, Vanessa Amadi-Ogbonna and Osagie Osarenz. In a maledominated industry that is often rigged against the opposite gender, these women are making impactful changes and promoting the culture on the global radar. Here are five things women in the music industry can learn from them.
Vanessa Amadi-Ogbonna
Popularly know as Miss Amadi, she’s one of the movers and shakers of the music industry. She currently manages international pop stars, Davido and Tiwa Savage, and also has affiliations with Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and many more. She planned Davido’s sold-out show at the legendary O2 back in 2019 amongst many others. Vanessa has used her talent managing skills to promote artistes to the global stage and has set them up for success. The hard work, consistency, and excellence she puts in her work are highly commendable.
Osagie Osarenz
Osagie has been a powerful force in the music industry since 2006. Her work and are productivity level have been phenomenal. She is regarded as one of the forerunners and “OG” of talent representation in Nigeria. Osagie has managed artistes of high caliber like M.I, Wizkid, Ycee, and many more. She’s the founder of The Zone Agency and The Basement Gig, a platform that gives up and coming creatives an opportunity to be established. She’s also a partner at Onerpm Afro-Caribbean, a company that offers music distribution and marketing, as well as Co-founder of GosiTV, an online Tv channel for independent creators. Promoting artistes and creators to the global front has been one of her goals and she has done a fantastic job at that.
1. What a man can do, a woman can do just as well
Not to be cliché but these women are ideal examples of “what a man can do, a woman can do better”. They are both doing exceedingly well in a male-dominated industry. They have managed and are managing some of the biggest names in the Nigerian music industry and are stamping their names successfully on the global front.
2. You can be married, have a family, and still achieve your dreams Most women are of the mindset that marriage often slows down the process or is even a distraction. These women are proof that you can be married, have a family, and still attain success and achieve goals you set for yourself.
3. Always go for more One similar trait between Osagie and Vanessa is that they always went for more in their quest for success. They never gave up. They were never satisfied. They kept wanting more. In an interview with Africa Music, Vanessa said “My dedication to my work is why I decided to branch off and open VA-PR Publicity and have something of my own”. Similarly, Osagie also has a company, The Zone Agency, that helps up-and-coming creatives become established as earlier mentioned. In summary, they didn’t just stop at being artiste managers. They went for more and got it.
4. Do not let your gender or any standard limit you Although artiste management isn’t popular amongst women in Nigeria, Vanessa and Osagie didn’t let that fact limit or tame them. They carried out their duties and achieved global success and have earned a reputation for their work around the globe.
5. Seize opportunities One thing popular among successful people including these outstanding women is the ability to recognize opportunities and seize them. For instance, in 2011, when Vanessa was trying to be established in Africa, she met D’banj and seized the opportunity. She said in an interview, “I met an incredible guy called D’banj and I seized the opportunity to work on his project ‘Oliver Twist’ which thankfully was quite successful”.
