Queen Ahneva talks about her 30-years marriage to KSA: -‘MY HUSBAND IS NOT OWNED OR POSSESSED BY ANY OF THE WIVES’

Queen Ahneva Adeniyi Adegeye is one of the numerous wives of the living legend and juju maestro, Adeniyi Adegeye famously known as King Sunny Ade. The former designer in the United States relocated to Nigeria in 1984, after her marriage to the king of juju, and since then, she has become a major stakeholder, when it comes to fashion and hospitality management in Nigeria.

In an interview with Encomium Weekly at her newly opened Wearable Art Gallery and the Gallery Cafe, the eloquent radio personality related her experience as one of the KSA’s wives, life and career, among others.

What brought about this Gallery Café?

I am a fashion designer by trade and I have been into other businesses. I also run this cafe, we just started it in collaboration with the Nike Art Gallery. The concept is because of vegetarians. It’s all about the healthy lifestyle. Also, we will be servicing different coffees from all over Africa, we will have all kinds of muffins and the likes, barbecue grills and salads. The opening is November 22, and it will attract artistes and expatriates to spice it up.

As an OAP and a fashion designer, where did the skill of hospitality come from?

First, I am a chef and a great cook, I have a catering service in the United States. I ran it for 12 years, and that was how I was able to send myself to school, for many years in the States. I packaged  events for personalities, that was what I was doing that brought me this far. I do events for different people at different levels, so this comes natural for me, and  I am a person that doesn’t eat red meat, so I wanted to create a place for people of my likes, they will find a good pastry food. The gallery is like a destination path, people come daily and they will definitely want to eat one thing or the other.

How much of you will be available to deliver that fantastic meal for guests?

You know my showroom is a stone throw from here, so most times. I am always around, my touches are all over the place, the tables here were done by an artiste, virtually everything here is done by artistes because it’s all about artistry, and this place will play host to performances including live jazz, movie premieres, among others.

Tell us the artistes that will be performing?

I have been producing a live jazz at Four Point By Sheraton for four years now, and I have a band that comprises Yemi Sax, Yomi Sax, Seun, and the likes. So, some of them will come play for guests. For our grand opening, we will have the likes of Wale Ojo, and Demola, and some other couple of singers, they will make this place lively.

Let’s talk about your Sunday show on Classic FM, how did you come about the concept?

First, I started the show when I joined the station. Tin Tin found me, and brought me, so I started that show because I love gospel. Besides, I am a worshipper and I love gospel music, so I started the programme, Praise The Praise, people liked the show and they called in to say it has inspired them in one way or the other, within four months of my working there, I was told to add one more day to my four working days making it five days just because I was really making impact with the show. As I was doing that, I also became an MD of Quitenssense for about two years, and I loved both jobs, but the stress was too much for me so it worked for about six month, so at a point I said to myself that the stress was too much so I had to drop one for the other.  I gave up the evening show and kept the Sunday show, alongside my other works.

How will you access the broadcasting industry viz a viz the new stations springing up?

I think Nigeria has some of the best stations, some of the best I have heard in Africa, in terms of professionalism, news, radio culture are cool. I have not been to all the African countries, but for the few places I have gone to, I think Nigeria is not doing bad at all and they are quite professional.

Tell us how you met King Sunny Ade?

He actually met me (chuckles). He came to my country (USA), he came for one show in University of California, Los Angeles. I was there with my colleagues for something different when someone told me to come for the show that it would be interesting and all that, from there he was introduced to me. I was the queen of designers for the United States for culture couture. I make African clothes, and the collection I was famous for was very royal. So, the king of juju met the Queen of Design, that was how the story began, and the rest is now history.

The first time you saw him perform, what was running through your mind?

His music is wonderful. For me at that time, my job was cool, I was feeling his vibes and rhythm, and at some point I was feeling him too, you know, he’s cute though, he’s not bad as a juju king.

Was he instrumental to your coming to Nigeria?

Yes, it’s because of him I’m in Nigeria. I met KSA in 1978, and I came to Nigeria in 1984. So, having been coming back and forth, we first did a show together at the then Holiday Inn at Eko Hotel. I had so many friends then, and most of them sponsored my show, it was fun and lovely experience to remember.

Polygamy in Africa, what’s your take on that?

Once you see any man, you see polygamy, my dear, polygamy is everywhere, no African man has one wife, I don’t care if he is an indigenous African American, or African Caribbean, it’s their nature to spread love across and to have more than one woman they love. Polygamy only puts a stamp on it to make it legal. You have two to three wives, whatever, but most men have a wife and a girlfriend, and a concubine. So, in a way, polygamy is everywhere in Africa and all over the world. So being a part of this polygamy relationship was not a hard transition for me because as an African woman, African men usually have a huge place with a lot of women around them. So, I know polygamy is here and most times, women don’t want to rush to marry a man that already has wife these days, even with that, I love my husband and my life. Although, living in polygamy is not easy for any woman because some women like to dominate and posses their man all by themselves. My husband is not owned or possessed by any of his wives. He is only possessed by his music and nothing else. His music is his life and what he likes best.

But, to be candid, he is booked till 2020. He has not thought of resting, so what I do is to keep myself busy, my fashion is one, this cafe is another and the radio show is another one.

Do you like Nigerians?

I love Nigerians a lot.

From the environment you are coming from, polygamy is like a taboo, why are in one?

In America, there is a lot of polygamy. First, we have a huge Muslim community in America, a huge African American community too. There are thousands of them spread around America, black and white, so, polygamy is not really a big issue like that.

How does the issue of bigamy come in?

There are some people that had their own opinion about some things and someone who feels it’s okay for him or her is their problem. What you see on TV about black Americans is what you have been fed with, but what we were fed with is different as a black American. They show you a different side of us and obviously, we have our own side here too. They also show us a negative side of Africa and Africans too, feeding us with different things. That is why most time, I try to educate my people about Africans, how good they are, I take most of African movies and music to the States, just to let them know that they are not as bad as they were actually described. They always feel Africa is like a country, they don’t know it’s a continent.

What can you say about Nigerian women, do you think they are really pulling their weight?

Nigerian women are very strong, in fact they are really pulling men’s weight real big here, they work hard, do major businesses and at the same time take care of their children and families.

They multi task themselves, and they are also the most stylish women I have ever met in my entire life, they are the best as far as I’m concerned, and I like them for that.