She’s what a lot of people might refer to as a jack-of-all-trades, as she has dabbled into different aspects of media, starting out as a radio personality and moving on to become a singer, dancer, model, actress and most recently, a movie producer. 

In this interview, Ashionye Michelle Raccah speaks to NET about the real reason her girl-group broke up, her journey into movie production and whether she’s returning to the music scene.

What was your experience growing up?

We were tight and a unique family. My mum passed away 17 years ago, when I was quite young. My mum and I were very close then, I was called mummy’s pet. We [the family] are still very close, some of us are married, some have kids and once in a while we still sit and play, discuss. Growing up was fun.

You delved into music as part of a female band, Emete. How was the group formed?

I met the two girls (Juliet Odudu and Akpogho Othe) at Even Ezra Studios. One of them came for a voice over. I heard her sing and then we got talking, and we thought it would be nice to put together a female band. Months down the line, we got together. We recorded a song with Paul Play and after that, we were introduced to Carl [Raccah], who signed us to his record label and we were together for four years. We released one LP; we were on the verge of releasing an album but the marketer asked that we test the market with an LP.

What caused the eventual split?

We were very young when we started. We didn’t understand the business; we didn’t understand the basics that much. We took a lot of things for granted, especially because we were signed to a record label run by an individual who spent all his money on us. We had chauffer driven cars at our beck and call to take us to shows. We took all that for granted and at the end of the day a lot of things and some personal issues came up, and we split.

At the time, it was said that you were dating Carl Raccah, the label owner. How did that influence the break up?

There were a lot of misunderstandings, both in the group and outside (audience and press). I’m a very professional person and so is Carl. We both agreed to be professional with our dealings. A lot of questions weren’t asked and a lot of things were assumed, which led to the break up. It wasn’t the fact that Carl and I were dating at all. One of the internal issues we had was that one of the members (Juliet) left the band and was replaced by Titi Johnson, and a few months down the line, it wasn’t working, so I quit and decided to go solo. To set the record straight, the label is owned by my husband and a few other people. They terminated Emete’s contract, and when I showed my interest in going solo, they signed me.

What is the relationship like between you all now?

We haven’t spoken in years. You know the way women are, but recently one of them contacted me on facebook. We’ll see how things go from there.

Is there a possibility of the band getting back together?

I’m not saying anything. She is a doctor now, the other one, I don’t know where she is. I don’t think we will get back together. I’m on to other things and I am experiencing things as a solo act and learning from my mistakes.

Does that mean you have regrets about the times you were together?

No. I learnt a lot as a member of Emete. It helped me with my confidence on stage. I miss having two other artistes to help take attention away from me, but as a solo artiste, all eyes are on you. I learnt a lot, it helped me build my career. There were a lot of memorable moments while I was with the group.

What has your experience as a solo artiste been like?

It’s been awesome. I have one album and have released two singles after that. I have my second album ready, but I have been posting the release. I took a 2-year break to have my son and I discovered that my vocals are now stronger, so I am going back to the studio to record the songs again and hopefully, the album will be out next year.

The industry has evolved since you started out; artistes such as Tiwa Savage, Omawumi, Waje and others have unarguably become popular as Nigeria’s finest voices. Do you not feel threatened?

The sky is big enough for us all; one just needs to know how to push his or her star to shine brighter. I believe in re-inventing myself. Like I said, a lot has changed; my voice, style and looks. I’m older now and it will reflect in the way I sing.  I still love Afro-Pop and R&B, but I’m looking at doing soul as well. I don’t like the word competition. I respect these people you have mentioned.

What are you bringing back to the table when you return?

Well, a lot has changed but the same energy and a little bit more. I am back in the gym. There might be a couple of dance moves and stunts, but I’m still experimenting with other genres, like soul and rock; in all, it is going to be a fantastic album.

Away from your music and back to your new career as a movie producer. What informed your decision to produce a movie?

I had the idea. I was inspired by real life incidents I read about in the papers. I took a few years break on purpose to raise my son, and while I was on my break, I was reading dailies about domestic violence and women being victims. It pained me seriously, more as a mother and wife, and I could imagine the pain of the mothers of the victims. I just had to put pen on paper. It took me a few months to write. I initially sold it to a company looking at producing couple of movies at that time. Two months after I gave it to them, I was yet to get a response, so I changed my mind and decided to produce it myself.

How was your experience working with the actors?

It was amazing. Working with these women was the easiest thing. Katherine [Obiang] has been my friend for some time and Dakore [Akande], I met [a long time ago], and my relationship with Nse Ikpe-Etim was awesome, perhaps because we share the same birth month. We click in so many ways. Its amazing, because the actresses I visualized playing the parts were the ones that ended up playing them. All of them were mature while on set, and it made the job easier.

How much did it cost to make that movie?

It cost N50 million, and we are still spending. We are not done spending; the production, post production, publicity and all that. Our budget was N50M but we are still spending.

You say the movie is your own part in the fight against domestic violence, something Katherine Obiang has said she was victim of. Was that why she was cast?

No. Katherine auditioned like every other person. I had seen her performing. One day she was in my house and as I watched her, all I could see was the character Rume, and instantly I told my husband ‘we got Rume.’ When I told her at first, she was reluctant, but we called her for an audition and at the end of the day, she got the role. She is the revelation of Journey to Self. Speaking about domestic violence, it’s another issue I am very passionate about. I recently produced a documentary against the act, sponsored by Wellbeing Foundation, an organization owned by Toyin Saraki, and I got Katherine to come and say something about her marriage, and I’m glad I was able to do that.

The Ashionye we know is a musician, dancer, an actress and now she is into movie production and script writing. How come your fingers are in so many pies?

I studied mass communication and majored in broadcasting. It’s my discipline. As for writing, it has always been a part of me. Even as a kid, I would write poems and letters to my father, I once wrote a four page letter to my dad to prove a point to him, and he advised that I go into journalism.  I remember then I used to tie wrapper on my chest in the evening with my siblings and dance for my parents and we’d get N5. [I remember thinking when I got] 5 bucks for every night, ‘come on this is real cash,’ so it has always been part of me. I was born to do this, music, acting, dancing, film production, I’m enjoying it.

Which of these do you feel most comfortable with?

I have a lot of talents and I think I am capable of using them to the maximum. I love everything I am doing. I want to do more, I want to write a children’s book. As a kid, I wrote a novel. I still have them. Everything interests me. I am not a radio presenter anymore, but I would love to go back. It is what I studied. I have earned the titles; actress, model, singer, producer, mother, wife. It’s the grace of God.

How do you balance all of that?

It is the grace of God, but it requires a lot of planning and scheduling. I don’t like a case where jobs are clashing, so I like to be professional with my offers. If I’m not able to do something, I politely turn it down. There is always someone who can do it equally as good or better than I can

You seem to have a good relationship with MNET, having starred in Doctor’s Quarters and Tinsel. Why did you suddenly leave Tinsel?

I had just gotten married and [I was pregnant]. My doctor advised me to take it easy because he knows I am a workaholic. I decided one day that I needed a break. My morning sickness was making it harder for me, that was why Monica ended up missing.

Any possibility of continuing?

I have not been contacted by anyone from the Tinsel camp, but never say never. I have a lot of things on my plate at the moment, so it depends on time and availability.

What is your take on the development in the music industry?

It has grown tremendously and is still growing. We have a lot of amazing talents, in music, poetry, and acting. A lot of young talents are doing well and making a success everyday. We are blessed to have an industry respected all over the world. We have people wanting to collaborate with our musicians and our actors going off to different countries all over the world to feature in movies abroad.

Now that you are back, should we be expecting you in movies as well?

Definitely. I have two offers already and the scripts have been sent to me already. As long as they are challenging roles, I am ready. I would love to play something different. One that people wouldn’t expect me to play, for example, an old woman. We can do that with make up and again, in the Hollywood style, I will love to play a witch, a sexy witch.

Finally, who are the top seven Nigerian musicians you admire?

I love 2face. I respect him and I look forward to every album. Then Psquare, I respect them a lot. They re-invent themselves every time, even their looks. Sunny Neji, he has one of the best voices I’ve ever heard. Styl Plus is great too and Rayce