According to musician and activist Charly Boy, upon his return to Nigeria in 1981 from the United States, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the late President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, assisted him in saving his musical career.
In an homage to the late Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, who departed on Thursday at the age of eighty-two, Charly Boy made this statement.
After disowning his parents for not encouraging his musical goals, Charly Boy claimed to have encountered Iwuanyanwu in his hamlet of Oguta and been given an unexpected $8,000 gift.
He went on to say that this kind gesture allowed him to open a studio in his community and launch his career.
He thanked Iwuanyanwu for being the first Nigerian to encourage and believe in him and his aspirations.
He called Iwuanyanwu his “Biggest bros/father,” emphasized the value of leaving a legacy, changed people’s lives, and inspired others.
He also thanked Iwuanyanwu for his generosity. “All I had as a broke Ass Charly Boy wannabe when I came back from the USA in 1981 was a dream.
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu was the person I unintentionally encountered in my hometown of Oguta after I had disowned my parents for not supporting my aspirations.
“At the time, he scared me with $8,000. I nearly passed out. That provided me with the motivation to establish the brand when I opened my Jankara studio in my hometown.
He was the first person from Nigeria to encourage and have faith in my dream. “To my people, leaving a legacy truly means changing someone’s life—even for a brief while—and inspiring them to think, laugh, cry, or dispute.
The smiles we share with those closest to us and the ones we give to complete strangers who needed our help at that very moment will be remembered more than anything else, he continued.
