He has had a bitter taste of fame after lasting only two weeks in the Big Brother Naija House. These days, Somadina Anyama simply known...
He has had a bitter taste of fame after lasting only two weeks in the Big Brother Naija House. These days, Somadina Anyama simply known as Soma, sticks to making music, a passion he has since enjoyed from his early days in Port Harcourt, River State.
Recently, Soma clinched a role on the sixth season of MTV’s Shuga. In this catch-up chat, he details his emotions on how he felt after losing out in Big Brother. He also talks about his failed tactics on the reality show while narrating the role his family plays in his career. Enjoy it.
We first met you on the Big Brother Naija (BBN) show. What was the audition like?
Unfortunately, I can’t give full details of the audition but it was quite brain tasking.
How did you feel after you got kicked out of the show just two weeks after commencement?
I felt really disappointed in myself. I was really unhappy; I didn’t expect to leave, to be one of the first people to leave. Honestly speaking, I saw myself winning the money.
What do you think you could have done to better your chances of winning?
When I got out of the house, a lot of people told me, ‘Soma, we didn’t start noticing you until the second week’, and that was the week I left. When they say stuffs like that, I concur because in the first week, I was basically playing safe. I was just trying to be under the radar, making sure nobody really notices the guy, just been on my own. Now I feel that was my mistake, I would have brought myself out. If you noticed, the first week we had that party, I really didn’t dance a bit. But the second week when we had the party, I was everywhere, which is actually how I am on a normal day. I think I played too safe.
Before BBN, what have you been doing career wise?
I moved to Lagos a couple of months before BBN. That was April last year. I was working as a graphics designer for Ariya Tickets and was doing music part-time, recording and performing at shows. The first show I did in Lagos was Ribbon & Roses at Eko Hotels; the show had Dede (Mabiaku) and Omawunmi. It was a big show.
Describe your kind of music
My genre of music is Afro fusion. I tend to fuse Afro into the sound that I’m making. It could be Afro reggae, Afro hip hop or Afro dance hall, but it must have that feel of Afro, that African feel. I don’t make music for everybody; I make music for people that understand and appreciate music.
How do you think the BBN brand has helped your career?
I think Big Brother Naija has changed my life totally. There are no two ways about it, I can’t sugarcoat anything or try to give myself some credits because this platform has really changed my life. It has really done a lot for me. I thank God for giving me that chance and grace to be on that platform. BBN changed my life totally; lots of things are working for me right now that wouldn’t have worked for me on a normal day.
You play a character in Shuga season 6, how does the role relate to you?
It relates to me definitely. That’s the reason why I can easily fit into the character because it is basically source of my life right now. So, I can relate to it easily.
How did you land the role?
I went for the open and closed auditions, so I don’t know which of them got me in because there were better actors. I feel it’s God’s grace following me around since I got out of the BBN house. I was the first to leave but my case has been different, I’ve been getting lots of love. I feel God’s grace is everywhere around me even if I’m doing things that I won’t say are Christian like. But God’s grace has been upon me and I can’t shout.
In all of these, is your family supportive of your career?
I have the most supportive family ever. The thing is, my dad is a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and he has been really supportive. My parents really understand. Mine is an entertainment family; my mum is a singer, I think she was one of the first African artistes to be signed onto Sony Music. That was about 30 years ago.
What’s her name?
Her name is Stella Yama. My parents are very supportive; they understand the business. They are used to the business. My dad is used to the business because he has already done part of that with my mum. So, my family is supportive.
Do you feel their lifestyle influenced the roles you took on in the BBN House?
Of course, there are so many things I wouldn’t do because I don’t want to shame my family or drag their name in the mud. There were so many things I could have done but I couldn’t because of my family and it has helped me a lot.
And this includes girls?
This includes so many things that young people do. Even in the House, I could have done more but then, I had to consider that my dad was watching. Even if he wasn’t watching, there were church members that were watching, so I tried to put a leash on myself.
And this leash got you out of the House?
Yes! (Laughing). But I do have a cordial relationship with the rest of the housemates.
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