She`s on the verge of breaking
loose to proof the stuff she`s made of in the Nigeria`s flourishing
entertainment world. That’s Glory Bonsjak, a.ka G-lory-a drop dead beauty who`s
the newest bomb waiting to explode in the music industry. Calving a niche of
uniqueness in her genre of music which she called, Pop House, there`s no doubt
that, there`s a big vacuum and windows of opportunity for the talented song
writer, composer and singer who studied music in Switzerland. She spoke with
Editor on her background, life and plans for the music world.
Can we have your background?
My name is Glory Bonsjak, stage
name G-lory I’m from Delta State, Warri.
Can we know more, your maiden name, educational background?
Yeah, I was born in Warri and I
grew up in a family of six, three boys and two sisters, I’m the number fifth of
my family and I did my studies in Delta State, my Primary and Secondary school;
then I moved to Lagos met my husband then moved out of the country and I
studied Music in Milano.
That means you got married immediately after school?
Yeah, I started life early, I got
married at eighteen (laughs)
Wow that’s interesting
Yeah
So when was this?
I met him at eighteen and we got
married when I was twenty, I think
What year did you get married?
The year 1999
What did you study abroad?
Music, though I only sing because
it was very difficult for me to play any instrument so I learnt writing lyrics
and just music
Ok what’s your maiden name?
Ok my dad’s name is Ridge, my
great grand dad is from Britain and my father’s mother is Itshekiri
So you`re a quarter caste?
Yeah
Wow! So what’s daddy doing?
Daddy and mum are late, they are
in heaven right now but daddy was a business man, he was a ship charter as well,
he used to work in the ship when he was younger then he went into Real Estate
you know and I guess life caught up with him when he separated from my mother,
it was very difficult for my mum, as she had to raise six children by herself
and that kind of push me to face life at a very young age, I felt like I was
responsible for the rest of my siblings even if most of them were older than me
and that deprived me sort of, yeah, I didn’t had the opportunity to kind of
study in the University which if I didn’t regret anyway, I wouldn’t want to
change anything now because I think I am happy with where I am right now, I
read very well, I write very well I think I am blessed that’s what I’ll say;
but I had to take on from my mother so I studied music to get me to where I
want to go because this is the thing that I wanted to do in my life.
Despite that, there would still be something left to adjust, no how?
If there would be anything, it would
have been to keep my mother and father back together, things would have been
better but as a child you never really understand, they never really tell you
what is going on and we always felt it was our fault, that’s why they kind of
break up. Now that I am married and have my own kids I understand relationship
better and is not everything that I want to let my kids know or even if there
is any issue at all I wouldn’t want my kids to see that. So I guess my parents
didn’t want us to see any of it until things really got out of hand and we
started seeing things because he drank a little bit too much
Your dad?
Yes and he was a fantastic father
and still he`s to me till today, he will always be my father may his soul rest
in peace but you know people get caught up with life
Good, what would you say you learnt from your parents` break up story?
It broke us because when my dad
left, we suffered, my dad was very wealthy and when he left my mother, my
mother had to struggle for six children
Did he take another wife?
Yes, he married another wife and
had couple of other kids out there and they had to share us; I remembered my
sister and I, Blessing she lives in Switzerland, my dad took me and her and
left the rest for my mother and my step-mother was very horrible to us and she treated us
like slaves, she gave us food from a little plate like she was feeding her dogs
and when we do something wrong, I mean we were kids, kids do silly things at times
but that doesn’t mean you have to kind of lock them up in a store, she will
leave us there for quite some time, it was a terrible experience for us. So my
sister and I started selling, we were very creative so when we were coming back
from school, we used to pick clothes (materials) that tailors have used and we`ll
sew it into bobby clothes and we were selling those clothes because at that
point my dad did not care how we eat or what goes on with us, he was just in
control of my step-mother and she wasn’t very nice to us, so we sold those
clothes and the kids around the block will come and buy them for their dolls,
my sister and I were having some money from time to time, so we used to miss
school just to go find our mum to see her, I could remember one day, we begged
her to come and take us, that we were suffering, we were not happy and I used
to always get into fight in school to protect my sister, you know she had this
scar as child in one of her eyes, so kids always making fun of her and I used
to always get into fight (laughs) just to protect her.
You know music is booming right now in Nigeria, what differentiates
your kind of music from others here?
Yeah, I think I love Nigerian
music, the afro stuff is fantastic, I tried it but it didn’t really work out
for me, I realized that the only way my music can actually succeed is doing
what I do best, being myself, you know I get inspiration from within, so I do
my own kind of music, pop house.
That’s what you play, pop house
Yes, pop house and I can sing
anything, any kind of music but I find it a little bit harder to sing in pidgin
English not that I don’t know how to speak and talk in pidgin English like am from
Waffi but it is difficult for me to sing in pidgin English you know it just
doesn’t flow the way I would like to express
Ok good, you`re very sexy and weird on stage where did you get your
signature from?
Thank you (laughs) you know I try
not to accept the fact that I have two kinds of personality, when I am on stage
I’m totally different. My real name is Glory, Glory is very conservative, she
is calm, she is very family oriented but G-lory is wild and when I’m on stage,
I am G-lory and I just don’t care, I just want to entertain.
What turns you on, on stage, like I know musicians do marijuana, spirits,
cigarette and so on?
I used to smoke, I used to be
really crazy back in the days when I was younger, I ‘m still young though, I
wouldn’t tell that I haven’t tried marijuana in the past, it was just not
something that I liked because I like to always be on my toes, I like to be aware
of what happens around me I like to be in control, I like to feel like I’m a
leader, so I don’t need all those things, am already crazy enough, I don’t need
all those things again, I mean that marijuana thing is something I tried just
like that, I felt I almost went crazy and I promised myself not to try it
again.
So what exactly do you take now?
No, I only drink socially when
I’m out and because over the years I kind of found out that am always having
continuous pain in my legs the next day if I drink alcohol, so now I don’t mix my
drink, and I don’t go out all the time, I`ve tried to find out which of the
drink will not give me this legs hangover again, but all of them has hurt my
legs until I started liking Hennessey, I know it’s really strong but I try to
keep it moderate.
People believe artistes are flirt is that true?
Yeah, most artistes are flirt,
but no, I think artistes in general, they are artistes, they are entertainers
so every artiste gets to flow, you know, not that they are flirting, yes
everybody flirt but not flirting to be in your face like that, but people love
to love artistes and artistes love to love their fun (laughs).
How long have you been an artiste?
I first sang when I was 8 years
old in church.
Let’s say professionally
Professionally for about 10 to 12
years but I stopped for 4, 5 of that years to stick to the family front and
just a year and half ago almost 2 years now, I kind of got back.
In the course of your profession have you falling in love with any of
your fan?
No I love my fans, I love when
people show support.
Ok will you date your biggest fan?
I am married, I don’t need
anybody else, I have the man of my dream, my husband loves me and he takes care
of me now, you know I travel a lot, it actually takes a wonderful man like him
to actually be in support of me travelling, I don’t need anybody else.
Your husband is not always with you
I travel yeah, we live in
Switzerland but most of the time I have to be here, I have to be in the State
or England or in France.
But is he waiting?
My husband is a big business man.
Ok how do you manage the private life?
When I’m in Switzerland… Oh gosh…
am not going to talk about my sex life but we had a great sex life.
Ok what`s your dream for G-lory as a brand?
As a brand? Gosh! my dream is to
run the music world, you know I see myself everywhere, I want my face to be everywhere,
I actually have plans that I’m working on right now by the grace of God when I
get to that place that I need to go, you know lots of people do charity stuff
where you go for the homeless, needy kids and especially the infants. I will
actually like to be there for those boys on the street, those boys they don’t
have anybody for them and a lot of them they do crazy things, they don’t
believe anybody really love or care for them, am really looking for a way how
it can work out, what you know can be given back to them so that somebody can
show them love. People do go to school to get degree or something but if you
are not street smart, you cannot really do anything. And those boys, most of
them can read but you know I would like one day to have that opportunity to
kind of help most of them to get education, I mean join with their street smart
gosh.
Nice one. You are very charming and beautiful what is your beauty
routine?
My beauty routine, I’m very picky
I kind of like to say that I’m multi talented in many things, I do a lot of
things myself I’m very picky about who does what for me, so when it comes to my
hair and style, I used to own and I still do it but it’s music that kind of
taking more of my time these days, I used to sell human hair, I still do it so
the Brazilian, Indian, Caribbean kind of hair and it`s called Hair Diva, so I
like to say I’m a hair diva (laughs)… and so I like to have my particular look
and people(clients) identify me and they want a particular look and I had to
provide it for them so even when I have my stylist come to get my hair done, I
tell her what to do because I know what I want.
But that’s hair, your skin?
My skin I take very good care of
it.
Do you gym or work out?
I work out but I think since I
got back and we moved to my new home, I have just been busy with stuffs and I
think moving, carrying stuff is really heavy enough but yes I go to the gym.
What has life taught you?
It`s been adventurous and life
has taught me how to be a woman, how to be strong, courageous.
What would you like to be remembered for?
My music, message from my music.
Do you believe in life after death?
Yes I’m very spiritual.
What church do you attend?
I go to the Redeem Church in
Lekki, I believe in God, I’m a Christian and I dream a lot and I pray a lot, I
cannot do anything without God. it’s
only the strength of God that can take to anywhere, that’s why I’m where I am
today. I never thought I could actually pick up after my mum died of cancer and
followed by my dad just immediately.
The same thing?
No, yeah well, he died of liver
failure but it’s the grace of God that’s why they will always be remembered.
Where are your other siblings?
My elder sister, Faith Ridge, she
is an actress and lives Chicago and my immediate senior she`s in Switzerland,
Geneva and I have my younger brother, Emmanuel with me and we are very close,
we are like twins, it`s three boys three girls so he`s kind of like my partner
and the other boys and older brothers they live in Delta.
It`s been nice talking to you?
Same here thanks for your time.
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