Humblesmith steps out with Osinachi concert

After weeks of planning and intensive strategy sessions, fast rising singer Ekenedilichukwu Ijemba, otherwise known as Humblesmith is set for his maiden gig tagged Osinachi Concert. Holding tomorrow at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, the talk of the town concert will parade other notable artistes, including 2Baba, Davido, Wizkid, Falz and others.

The singer, who has released back to back hits and recently released his 22-track album named after his monster hit single, Osinachi, is currently signed to Bob Kelly Ovie Williams-led N-Tyze entertainment. The maiden concert, which has the support of the Lagos State government, Tummy Tummy Instant Noodles and PGK, promises to live up to the hype.

The concert has been a long time coming; it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m glad I’m doing it right now. I’ve put my heart and soul into preparing for the concert; all I want to do is deliver good music everyone can relate to enjoy at the same time,” the singer said in a chat with Guardian Music.

On what fans should expect at the event, which will open with a special red carpet reception, he said, “expect nothing but the best; there’s a lot of talented artistes lined up for the show and I’m trusting God it’s going to be amazing,” he enthused.

A fast rising Nigerian afro-pop singer, songwriter, recording artiste, stage performer, actor and model, Humblesmith was born on May 14, 1991, in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. Though a native of Uruala, a small town in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, the singer lived most of his early life in Abakaliki, where he completed both his primary and secondary school education.

Right from his secondary school days, he has always been involved with music. As a dancer, he was part of a group called American Boys before he left Abakaliki for Asaba, the capital city of Delta State to pursue a career in music.

While in Asaba, the talented singer took up menial jobs in order to earn a living for himself, while waiting for the big break to come. He later ventured into Nollywood as an actor and appeared in several films including Hypertension, where he played alongside comic legend late Sam Loco Efe. Though he once made a move back to his base in Abakaliki, Humblesmith eventually returned back to Asaba with resolve to focus on his full time music career.

With his zeal and determination to succeed, the singer, who is fast gaining popularity across the country and beyond, started scouting for shows and performed for free just to showcase his works. Along the line, he hooked up with DG Records, where he impressed with his outstanding performance on stage.

Having made name in Asaba, he moved to Lagos, the entertainment capital of Lagos, where he recorded his debut single Chairmoo in 2014. But the following year, he hit the limelight with his hit, Osinachi, featuring Nigerian indigenous rapper Phyno. The music was very trending and charted top at the MTV based music chart for several weeks.

Following the success of the single, famous musician Davido worked with Humblesmith on the remix of Osinachi, a venture that expanded his fan base. By 2016, the song Osinachi earned him a nomination for Best New Act category at the 2016 edition of the Nigeria Entertainment Awards and was also nominated in the Hottest Single category at the 2016 edition of the Nigeria Entertainment Awards.

“I feel really good about it, I mean, the song Osinachi was what shot me into limelight and since then, I’ve evolved; I’ve grown. I’ve done a couple of other widely accepted singles; I just dropped my latest album and as always I’m grateful to everyone, who accepted me and has been supporting me throughout this journey,” he said.

Currently signed to N-tyze Entertainment, the singer made the list of 10 Artistes to Watch in 2016 by NotJustOk and has listed Zigima master Bright Chimezie as his music influence. In June 2016, Humblesmith signed a multi-million-endorsement deal with noodles manufacturing company Tummy-Tummy Food Industry, an agreement that earned him both fame and fortune.
“It’s been tough and challenging, but so far, it’s been a blissful journey. It has also been an amazing experience and I’m grateful for who I am and what I’ve achieved today,” he said.

On how he arrived at using ‘Humblesmith’ as stage name, the Afro-pop singer said, “This question has come up many times. Anyway, back in Ebonyi State, there was a time people started calling me ‘Humble.’ Most times, people choose names for you; someone would just see you and say you look like something or someone and give you a name. That’s how people just started calling me ‘Humble’ and I like the name,” he recalled.

However, accepting a name is one thing, living up to it is also very important.“The only thing is that I had to leave up to the name; people calling me humble and I am not humble is not good. I’m an artiste, so, I decided to add ‘Smart’ to the name. First it was ‘Humble Smart’ until one blessed day, one MC introduced me on stage as ‘Humble Smith’. It wasn’t a mistake; I think it was my friend that gave ‘Humble Smith’ instead of ‘Humble Smart.’ So, I decided to stick with that name,” he enthused.

Though making money is not out of place, topmost on the singer’s mind is how to make lasting music for his fans.“My target in the industry, I want to be able to churn out good and amazing music so everyone can enjoy. I want my music to be in the ears and mouth of everyone; I want people to sing my songs and appreciate it as good music. I want to make a change, reach out to people positively through music,” he said.

He continued: “I just dropped my album Osinachi, which has collaborations with many talented Nigerian artistes; the songs are dope and everyone should buy or download them. My concert is also coming up on August 12, everyone should get their tickets; it’s going to be spectacular. There would be performances from top Nigerian artistes, and I promise you will be wowed,” he boasted.