Amina Abdullahi Buzuwa, who hails from Niger Republic, was born in Nigeria where her parents still live. She did both primary and secondary education in Kaduna and later joined the entertainment industry and is being managed by the popular Kaduna-based entertainment guru, Nura Adam Obi, an indigene of Kogi state.
In an interview with ALIYU ASKIRA, she talked about love, marriage, entertainment, fame, poverty and her plans for the future, including the challenges she had to face before she joined Kannywood.
Your thoughts on what love is all about
I think once a lady is in love with a man, real love for that matter, there is no magic in this world or pressure that will make her to change her mind; that is why I composed a song in my newly released video titled Da Kai Zan Zanna which translates to ‘it is you that I will stay with for life.’ This actually is a message for parents who in spite of modernity still force their daughters to marry somebody of their choice instead of the daughter’s.
You are very beautiful and friendly, why did you choose entertainment as a profession?
Thank you for the compliments, but I want to tell you also that entertainment is synonymous with beautiful faces. I had desired to be a model, singer or actress for a very long time, and thank God that today I am fully into the industry. So far I have produced some videos, I mean my songs and I have scripts from producers and directors. By early next year, I will be fully engaged in acting by the grace of God. But everything depends on my manager, Nura Adam Obi, who made it possible for me to be in the entertainment industry and hopefully by next year, I will be a household name.
Why would a wife material like you opt to be a model or entertainer in an industry that is perceived to be morally corrupt?
You see at times, some people will see us in the street and call us all sorts of names including prostitutes, but if you are an insider, I mean if you are a member of the industry, you will discover that such things are minimal. My manager sitting there is a young successful man by all standards, but I can tell you that in spite of all he did for me to be in Kannywood, he has never asked me for a date or to zip down for him. We have people who are purely professionals here because we are here to educate society about how to live a decent life, and, therefore, we cannot afford to be corrupt ambassadors of the industry.
How successful are your songs or videos that are already in the market?
Honestly, they are many but the one that stood out is Da kai zan zanna, meaning that it is with you that I will stay for life. What I tried to educate people about in that song is that parents should know that the era of forced marriages has passed and that song has attracted lots of attention for me including fortune, and already, we are negotiating with some producers to use my lyrics for their films or adopt the whole song and shoot a film based on the message.
Have you ever fallen into love, and how painful is it to fall out of love?
You just described me as a beautiful lady and as such, I know what love is all about and falling out of it is like committing suicide. Once a lady says yes to a man, one will be wasting his time in trying to change her mind. This is because love is something that is not visible, but it lives in human soul. Once I decide to love a man, then it becomes my life, my blood, the breath I take and I can go to any length to prove to him that my love is not the type that normally fades.
If your manager Nura Adam Obi proposes to you, what will be your answer?
Well, it depends, but like I told you before, my manager does not combine business with pleasure; we are purely artistes that he has assembled. He teaches us about songs, dances, acting skills and the rest. If I am correct, he is happily married and I don’t think he has time to play around.
Ladies do come from time to time into your manager’s studio, and some of them may show interest in him; should that happens, will you be jealous?
We are in a profession that attracts admirers. As you are interviewing me, only God knows what is in your mind, you may be thinking positive or negative about me, or you may even have some hidden motives. My manager is a liberal person that allows us to live our lives they way we want; we on the other hand cannot checkmate him or show him that we are interested in him because that will affect our relationship.
If ladies come here to meet him in person and tell him that he is a great entertainer, honestly, I will be very happy because he is my boss. So, I would always want to see him progress by having more admirers on a daily basis. Similarly, if it is destined that I will marry from the industry, I will have no choice. If I finally settle down, I will still continue as an entertainer, but I have a desire to further my education.
Did your parents object when you told that you had decided to join Kannywood?
The answer is yes and no; I was able to convince them that Kannywood is where somebody can go in and make good money. You can compose a song and release it and make good money or you can also be an actress and after featuring in a film, you collect your pay and go home. Honestly, I admire the acting skills of Jamila Nagudu; this is because she is so versatile that she can act any role given to her perfectly. Similarly, I like to watch Ali Nuhu, Sadiq Sani Sadiq, Adam A. Zango, Umar Shariff, Abdul Shariff, Fati Washa, Maryam Yahaya, Rahama Sadau, Hadiza Gabon and host of others.
How do you feel when people stop you in the street and ask for your telephone number?
If you stop me on the road and ask for my number because you admire me as a singer, I will definitely give you the number. But if you stop me to ask for a date – meaning to take me out, I will tell you I forgot my number or I will tell you to ask my manager, Nura Adam Obi, to give you my number. Like I told you earlier, we are not as cheap as people think.
We are in a profession that is as decent as any other profession such as law, journalism, banking, teaching, modelling and what have you. So, people should see us in positive light instead of the so-called people of easy virtue they think we are or that we are school drop-outs that only take to smoking and drinking as a hobby. I don’t even eat kola nuts; I am as pure as Faro water. I hope you will not charge me for advertising Faro water owned by former vice-president Atiku Abubakar.
