Glo Xfactor west Africa Winner Dj Switch Opens up on music,winning and more personal stuff " My Baby is eight and I have a relationship"

THE Glo X-Factor 2013 has come and gone  with sensational rapper, DJ Switch (Obianuju Catherine Udeh) beating two other finalists, Ethel Eshun and Vicky Gomoti to take home the grand prize of a whopping 24 Million Naira and a Sony Record Deal. 

In a recent Interview she opened up about her life,Winning and on alot of personal stuff..

Excerpts

"A lot of people would want to know about your childhood?

I’m the last in a family of eight. My dad is late. He died about four years ago. I went to John F. Kennedy Nursery School, Fountain Primary School and Federal Government College, Warri, Delta State.  Then I proceeded to the University of Port Harcourt to study Geology.  I graduated and worked briefly at Halliburton as Log Analyst.  But I have always wanted to do music.

What year did you graduate?

2006/2007.

Where did you do your National Youth Service?

I served in Enugu State.

At what age did you graduate?

Guess, please?

I think you were 23.

I look it, right?

Yes.

I’m actually older.  I will leave you to guess.  You look like someone who does a lot of research. I want you to investigate and if you get it, I will buy you Glo recharge card.

No, I want a car gift?

A car?  I haven’t even bought myself a car (laughs).  I will buy you a Glo recharge card.

Thanks, but just give me an idea of your age?

I will, I graduated from the University of Port Harcourt at 21, 22.

Let’s still go back to your childhood, was it really rosy or tough?

My childhood was good. I give God all the glory for the kind of family I had.  My mom and dad were good.  Eight children from the same mother.

Five.  Now, you see the influence.  Remember you had asked why I act like a Tomboy.  My dad experienced some rough times in his business. I was stubborn, I also wanted to do music. I was told to study first, show that I can. If I excel here, I can then go to music. I did and my family supported me.  My family never discouraged me.  If you give them a good reason you want to do something, you would have their support.  I had a good childhood.  It was just the normal challenges every family faces when there is maybe a recession.

Did your mother at any point oppose your music career?

At some point when it seemed it wasn’t working, she said why don’t you go back to work? I told her no, instead I am going to be a DJ.  So, I started DJaying.  But it wasn’t a serious opposition.

Where have you lived before now?

I have lived in Warri, Abuja, Lagos and sometime in Enugu State.  I have also lived in Port Harcourt and Bayelsa State.

Where were you living before you won Glo X-Factor?

I was living in Abuja.  Right now, I live in Lagos.

We even learnt you are moving to Lekki?

Haba, who told you?  I have a feeling that you are a very, very sharp man, seriously.  By God’s grace, yes.

In terms of education, do you have plans to go further since you sound intelligent?  Like some Nigerian musicians now flaunt their M.Sc, P.hd and other degrees.  So, what more for you?

This is what I believe. Intelligence, education are things of the mind.  First, you need to have the basic background which I have.  Thank you for the compliment.  I’m actually very, very intelligent because I study a lot. I want to learn.  The only way you can know someone who knows what he/she is doing is if they are willing to learn.  The minute you believe you have learnt everything, that is when your intelligence begins to drop.  So, getting Masters, Ph.D is not my dream.  I’m not going to lie to the public about it.  I’m only going to keep learning to improve myself as a human being.  Honing my skills so I can give it back to the same audience who believe in me.  And the only way I can do that is to learn more.

If you were not a singer or geologist, what else?

The truth is it will still be related to music.  I would probably have been a full time DJ.

Back then at The Pulse, you used to wear this stethoscope, would you have loved to be a medical doctor or nurse?

No. It was our identity in the band, The Pulse.  Wonderful guys.  I always say God knows the best.  So many things I have been into, I call it the school of life.  God has taken me through the school of life.  And I haven’t graduated.  He keeps fine-tuning me, teaching me every day.  The group thing didn’t quite work out.  The stethoscope was just a representation of the name. It was like, we are going to feel your pulse with the kind of music we bring to you.  It was more like an urbane kind of band.  When we sing for you, you will feel the pulse.

Like I said, it was a tough decision. It’s a long story.  If I start narrating it now, it would mean that I’m unhappy or ungrateful.  When you know God and love Him, the next thing you would find yourself to understand is that everything that happens to you happens for a reason.  I met those guys for a reason.  I was in that competition for a reason and today I have started seeing part of the reason I passed through that in the first place.  They are wonderful guys.  They are all doing something for themselves now.  And they are doing very well.

What year was that?

2008, I think.

Do you miss them?

Oh yes, but we keep in touch.  I and Dubem, Tunde, Moses and Sammie, the drummer.  They are all doing very well.  It feels very good. I used to say I was born into a family of eight like you know.  So, joining five guys wasn’t a new thing to me.

Can you please tell us more about your journey to stardom?

It has been bumpy.  Nothing good comes easy.  You must work hard for it.  Whether you feel you are pretty, intelligent or gifted, you must work to get to the end of your dream.  You can’t just keep visualizing it.  You must actualize it.  You have to work for it and actualize it.  I fell in love with music when I first watched Michael Jackson perform.  I wasn’t singing from my mother’s womb (laughs).  When I was in school we had this thing we called Slum Book, where we were asked what we wanted to be.  Some said I wanted to be a doctor, engineer, pharmacist, but I just wrote, I want to be a star.  A friend of mind called me recently and reminded me what I wrote.  In the course of this journey, I have done different things. I have tried to be in some talent hunt shows, came out with the band as a winner.  

Later, I started DJaying, things were really bad for me.  But I didn’t give up on that dream because I believed in it.  My true happiness comes when others are happy at what I’m doing. It has nothing to really do with, I’m going to make millions now.  I try to give people joy.  I always ask my fans, are you ready because I’m ready.  So, for me, the journey to stardom has been difficult but it has been worth it because I’m a better person, more experienced and in tune now.

What was the first day you appeared to perform on stage like?

Funny enough, I didn’t really do music in school. I just came straight to Star Quest.  I just walked into the audition room. I was always shy.  The only time you see the other side of me is when I’m on stage.  I have had all highs.  Each time I get on stage is a learning experience for me.  I have never had a low moment.

You just won Glo X-Factor, how does it feel?

I still don’t know.  I’m very grateful to God. I give Him all the praises.  It is also very important that when I came here I only had my family and about four friends.  And I said to God where would my fans come from?  Literarily, God raised people for me.  It started with five hundred people, a thousand and now it is about five thousand people.  Who are just following me.  So, I think the analogy is like when one wants to send you money.  You would be expectant until you get an alert.  I feel like that now. Like God has been looking out for me.  That feeling that God’s eyes were on you.  That’s how I feel.  To know that the king of kings with the billions of people in this world, picked me for this time and forever.  He said, this girl, I want to concentrate on you. I can’t explain the feeling.

Are you born again or spiritual?

I’m a very spiritual person.  I believe in God so much. I’m not a pastor, but I just know my life and everything about me are in His hands.  If you don’t acknowledge God in everything you do, you would be a failure.  It is not just because I want to make it that I fear God, when you fall in love with God, the feeling is inexplicable. I feel good.  I’m hardly angry.  When I ask for things, people give it to me. I love giving people things. I don’t have nightmares. So, God actually helps me.

What church do you attend?

Divine Hand of God. It is in Abuja, UK and a lot of places but Abuja is the headquarters.

How long have you been worshipping there?

For a year now.  I was born a catholic. Prophet Emmanuel Omale is the shepherd of the church.

What stood you out in the show?

It is the X-Factor.

What is even that X-Factor?

When we did Mathematics in school, they say find X.  It’s unknown. And like I said, I worked hard and played hard.  Everybody has got something unique.  The worst thing you can do to yourself is to copy somebody, which means you don’t trust God.  And you will never excel.  I believe in myself. I try not to copy anybody.

Were there any strategic ways you devised to triumph over the two other contestants?

From the minute I made it to the top nine, I took it serious. It wasn’t a joke. I did my best from day one, I was never tired. I was working extra hard.

You kept changing during the shows, who are you?

My name is Switch.  The truth is I will still surprise you tomorrow.

So, how best would you describe your personality?

I would say edgy, loving, kind and spiritual.

You’ve got friends?

I have a few friends. This is going to be embarrassing, I have like five friends.

And they are all close to you?

I rather have close friends than lots of friends that I don’t keep in touch with.  But I have been meeting a lot of people lately.

Have you ever been betrayed by your friends?

Of course.  I have also hurt my friends. And I have asked for their forgiveness.  Like I said, I came to a point where I knew God.  And when I did, it was a beautiful feeling.

Talking about friends, do you keep more of female or male friends?

I have about three serious male friends.  They are friends of my boyfriend.  I have about four female friends.  So, I have like six, seven friends!

Now that you have talked about your boyfriend, can you please open up on your love life?

You like asking those kinds of questions. Yes, I have a boyfriend, I just said so (laughs).

How long have you known him?

We’ve known each other for about three years now, maybe roughly two years, 11 months or so. I’m not really good at dates.

What is special about him?

He understands me.  He doesn’t stress me, I don’t stress him. He couldn’t make it to the grand finale because he is working.  But I didn’t stress him about it and he has never told me one day, ‘This music you are doing, I don’t like it.’  He doesn’t put his eyes, nose, ears and mouth in my business.  He is always like, ‘Are you happy? Is that what you want to do, go for it.’  So, if I need his opinion, I ask for it.  We don’t pry into each other’s business, but we always make out time to see each other. No matter what we are doing at that point in time, we stop it.

Is he Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa?

He is Igbo.

Is he the father of your baby?

No. I would like to keep that personal. I wouldn’t want to talk about my immediate family.

How old is your baby?

My baby is eight.

Between Eshun and Vicky, who would you have preferred to win?

And I wasn’t there?

Yes.

Let me speak like a plain person. I think I would have voted for Eshun.  She always made an effort to impress her audience.

What was going on in your mind before you were announced the winner?

At that point of suspense, I was just repeating in my mind, in all things give thanks.  When they called my name, I was in shock, my life has changed.

Your mom was also there?

Yes, I kept telling her that this money is yours.  I know why I kept telling her this.  To me, I have a lot of work to do to make money.  This N24m is hers. She has suffered a lot. I couldn’t do anything for my father.  My dad died before he could eat the fruit of his labour.

At what age?

My father died at 74. So, you see this woman, I will spoil her silly.  When I gave her that N24 million cheque I was trying to tell her this money is yours.  You would be the one I would be asking for money.

So, what next?

There is a school called Body Language.  I’m registering there.  I’m going to improve on my flips and my dance moves. Work has begun.  I need to start work.  God has opened a gate for me. I don’t have to sit down and be looking at the gate.  N24 million is nothing really, trust me.  If you are the type that is into cars and gadgets, the money is finished.  So, I have to work.  If you love God and He favours you, just go and sleep.  Everything will come to you.  When I came to this show, I didn’t have a dime.  Everything I came with were all gifts.  The clothes, the bag I came with, the shoes I wore were all gifts.  God provided people to give me those gifts.  I will tell you a short story.  At the airport, I had excess luggage from gifts.  You can imagine that.  It was in excess of N10,000.  I didn’t have a dime, but a total stranger paid for me.  That’s God’s favour.

I tell people that what I learnt from Glo X-Factor is gratitude.  Down, from the man that worked on the stage, he didn’t nail it maliciously, if not it would have hurt somebody.  I really appreciate and I won’t take it for granted.

What was the relationship between you and one of the judges, M.I?

M.I is a wonderful guy. He is not imposing. He would like to tell you, hey, I want you to do this song, what do you think?  It was more like a dialogue.  We always had a dialogue.  I was always in touch with him.  And I thank God for his mentorship.

What would be your future relationship with the chairman as he is fondly called?

I literarily need to hold on to him even if he is busy.  M.I is a wonderful person to be around. He is very inspiring. He is also very deep.  He is hard working.  So, I’m inspired by him. It would honour me if he would do something with me.

You are possibly dreaming a collabo with him?

By the grace of God.

So, what would change about you now you are N24 million richer?

So, I’m a millionaire now (laughs)?  Nothing will change about me. I was in shock.  I was only able to sleep for two hours and I woke up, looked at the cheque and myself and noticed I was not floating. I just wished that people have reasons they act the way they do. I didn’t know I would answer over 100 phone calls. I didn’t know I could respond to over a thousand SMS.  And I want to be the one to respond to my messages because I personally begged for those votes.  The pressure is too much but to me, being a millionaire like you said, nothing has changed. All glory to God. I need to appreciate and manage it.  If it gets to my head, then I have insulted God.

We appreciate this is your money and you decide how you want to spend it.  Your mom would be pampered?

Yes.

How would you spend the rest of the money?

I told you it is personal because it is my mother that I’m looking at.  This money is a trap.  That is the truth.  Anybody that looks at a N100m or whatever and says, ‘hey, I’m made,’ that is where you’ve killed yourself. The only way I can tell you what I would do with this N24m is when I have tripled or quadrupled that money. I will then tell you I’m doing this with my money.

Won’t you get a car?

By God’s grace.  Let me also remind you something else.  This is how God’s favour works.  Don’t stress yourself about anything.  Just do you best.  People would give you things, you will sit down, somebody would come here and say, you know what?  I love the way you perform, here is a brand new car.  That is God for you.  The minute you begin to panic, I’m not saying I’m going to be trekking but the minute you start telling yourself, I don’t want this money to finish, that money will finish.

Another popular Nigerian female rap star, Weird MC also played a huge role in your career.  How would you describe her?

That woman is spiritual.  She is hard working and energetic.  She is one woman that I look up to. She is a huge inspiration, she taught me some craft I incorporated in my work

You did a song with her called Paper Song?

I did the chorus.

Where do you go from here?

Work has begun. The only thing holding me is a few formalities that need to be covered as regards my Sony recording contract.  I will also go home for the welcome party.  I’m not really a party person.  And it’s rare because I’m a DJ.  After that, I’m back to Lagos.  I’m going to build up the brand. I would be doing all types of songs.  My name is Switch.  I see me emerging the biggest African female performer and musician.

What else do you really want from God who has really been good to you?

I would ask God for peace.  There are lots of fighting across the globe, I want peace in Syria.