PH Artistes, Others Mourn Christy Igbokwe

As Nigerians receive the shocking news of the death of foremost musician and Icon of African music industry, Christy Essien Igbokwe, a popular musician in Rivers State. Omo Omega has described her death as a big loss to the nation particularly the music industry.

Omega who stated this in a telephone interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt yesterday said that late Igbokwe as the first and only female president of the Performing Musician Association of Nigeria (PMAN) did a lot to uplift the music industry in Nigeria.

She was the president of PMAN when I was the Chairman of PMAN in Cote D’voire and we collaborated on many fronts to promote the nation’s music industry, Omega emphasised.

While condoling the entire people of Nigeria particularly the deceased’s family, Omega said late Christy Essien Igbokwe lived a humble and dedicated life worthy of emulation by the present generation of musicians in country.

The chairman of Silverbird Group, Ben Murrary Bruce described late Christy Igbokwe as an inspiration to millions of Nigerians adding that she was one of those that founded the PMAN as well as the founding fathers of modern music.

Christy Essien ‘is’ my personal friend and it is very fifficult for me to refer to her as was,”  Bruce lamented.

Also, a statement signed by Tony Okoroji stated that Nigeria had lost a rare gem in the person of Igbokwe and described her as a female pop icon that was cherished and would be missed by Nigerians.

“Beyond her extraordinary multiple talents as a songwrister, singer, actress and comedian, Christy Essien Igbokwe was deeply devoted to the future of the Nigerian creative industry, committed herself to the emancipation of artistes in Nigeria and played an unequaled sole in the founding of PMAN” the statement added.

As a successful musician of over 36 years. Late Christy Essien Igbokwe alongside other musicians found the performing musicians Association of Nigeria in the early 1980s.

She also carved a niche for herself as an actress on the plateform of the TV drama programme popularly called masquerade where late Igbokwe acted the role of Apeno, the wife of the late Jegade Sokoya.

She was a Nollywood pioneer and acted in a number of movies and her career earned her many awards among which was the African Music Award.

She died at the age of 51 years

Isaac Nwankwo