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I didn’t marry Jaiye because of Punch money - Stella
Damasus-Aboderin
Several words have been used to describe Stella but the
three that are most recurrent are hot, sexy and beautiful. Even SAMUEL
OLATUNJI was
so taken by her during this interview he had to ask for an embrace
How do you feel about the ban of the G10?
Well my name is there (laugh) but it is not really
going to affect me because I have other things that I do. I sing and I have a
fashion designing outfit. My husband just started a company in South Africa we
have to be sorting things to run. I’m not really feeling bad. I actually
like the idea of bringing up new artists as well, it’s just that I
don’t like the way they went about it. You don’t have the right to
ban people. You can say for a while we want to use new people may be mix then
with some old faces. Just to promote it. That is what marketing is all about.
But I support the idea of bringing new artistes because at a time, people will
get tired of seeing old faces.
Tell me more about your fashion designing outfit
It is called Mon Afrik. I deal with mostly African things
- clothes, bags, interiors, accessories and all that. I started less than two
years ago but I’ve not started doing publicity for it. I’m still
trying to put the shop together, for now I do home delivery.
If any film maker calls you for shooting now,
will you go?
Coincidentally, before this ban of a thing, I had
already taken a break because the last movie I did was in Asaba, and when I
came back, my husband and I decided that I would take a break to face my other
things. My other business was suffering and the band needed my attention
because I had not attended rehearsals for a long time. So, if anybody is
bluffing, the marketers in particular, I will not be able to do it. I’m
not being proud or anything but it’s the timing.
You are beautiful and “shapely.”
How have you been able to maintain this shape?
I don’t know o. I don’t do any special
thing. It is just that because I’m a very active person, I don’t
know how to sit in a place for a long time. I must be up and down. And I
don’t eat anyhow. I try to eat in moderation and I do a lot of dancing in
my bedroom for one hour everyday.
You are so good when it comes to acting. Does
it take anything else apart from passion?
It’s the talent and the love for the art,
l’m not a commercial artist. When they are calling people that they pay
one million or people that are jumping from set to set you will not hear my
name because I don’t do it for the money. That is why when they are
talking about ban, I will never suffer financially because I live very well
without home video.
Back to that banning of a thing, do you think
you guys really deserve it?
Up until now, I still don’t know their reason
for it. We had a meeting and we’ve asked questions but nobody is saying
anything. I don’t know what I’ve done. I don’t even know if
the whole thing is true. I don’t think there is a problem between the
actors and the marketers because most of the marketers are still my friend. We
still call each other.
Movie and music, which gives you more kick?
That is a difficult question for me to answer because
I’m very passionate about both of them. I don’t want to answer that
question based on what is going on in the movie industry right now. I really
love them both, but the one that makes me forget about every other thing in the
world is music. It is not that I prefer it, it’s just that there is
something about it when I sing that I still cannot explain.
How did you meet your husband?
I met my husband in a place called Jazzville. He was
performing with his sister and Tunde, they were singing together and I was
there with a group of friends. There was a song they were singing. I like the
song and I knew the song. I just went up to the stage, grabbed the microphone
and sang the song. So, after the show, he came down to see me and we started
talking. We met again at Actors Guild, we got talking, exchanged numbers and
addresses. We became friends and formed our own band together and after that,
the rest is history.
So it was business mixed with pleasure?
It was not pleasure at first . We were very good
friends before we even stated anything. At that time, he even had his own
girlfriend but he had a problem at that time. I was just his friend, besides we were singing
together. We didn’t know we were going to be so close until later.
What convinced you to marry Jaiye?
That day I met him, there was something about him
that I liked. I liked the way he talked, I liked the fact that he respected
women. I love people that are good listeners. My husband is a very good
listener. The first day I met him, we got talking and he listened to me. He is
a very good-looking person. I like big, tall people and that is the first thing
that attracted me to him.
Some would argue that you married him because
of the Aboderin name and money
First of all,
I didn’t know who the Aboderins were. They are not popular outside
Lagos. I was not a Punch fan before I met his family. Then, I knew who he really was. At that
time he didn’t really have money. We were both simply people working for
their money. It was not like Punch was responsible for cars or houses.
We struggled together. When I met him he was driving one small blue Passat that
made a lot of noise.
Heard you made 2.1 at UNILAG
How did you hear that?
I have my sources
Na wa o
With your job, popularity and other
commitments, how did you achieve that?
We thank God. Ann Njemanze, Olisa Emeka, Femi Bainard
and Dare Alade were also there. The people there were used to seeing our faces.
I think I was lucky because I didn’t start out being a snob. I related
well with everybody. Even when I had problems with assignment others would help
me out, especially with group assignments. After they’d chosen their
leader, I would say give me the role you want me to play and I always chose the
smallest role. Sometimes, my lectures got angry that I was choosing a small
role but I did it for a purpose so that everybody will be comfortable and see
me as an ordinary person. And it really worked for me.
You would have charmed everyone over there
I don’t know. It is them that will tell you
Some people will find it hard to believe that
you never dated RMD
I know. A lot of people find it hard and I
don’t blame them because Nigerians are not used to people with free
spirit. Nigerians live in a closet most of the time, because of norms,
tradition and “what people will say.” My husband and I are friends and we understand
each other. RMD and I talk a lot. If he has a problem he will call me. I call
him bros. I
always tell people that I don’t need to justify myself. I don’t
need to explain who my friends are or hide when I’m with them.
Do ladies run after your husband?
People dey chase am. Believe me, I know. He tells me,
‘Stella, my market is selling, that babe is chasing me.’ When he
sings, at the end of the show, ladies would come and say ‘Jaiye, I like
that song would you come and sing
for me in my house.’
Tell me about growing up and that surname
Damasus
I’m from Asaba in Delta State. Damasus is my
grandfather’s first name. The family name used to be Ojukwu, but it was
changed during the Civil War. I grew up in Benin City, then moved to Asaba with
my family. I went to Ghana to do a diploma course in language. When I came
back, I did a diploma in law (business and industrial law) at UNILAG. I
didn’t want to do law so I just left the diploma to start my degree
programme in theatre art. I met my husband shortly before I started the diploma
course . By the time I was going for the degree course, we started living
together and got married. Very simple life.
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