Ego: How I nearly returned to Lagbaja’s band when things got hard

Ego Ogbaro, the former backup singer of Lagbaja, has recounted her experiences following her exit from his band in 2007.

In a recent chat with Chude Jideonwo, Ego disclosed that she left Lagbaja’s band because she wanted to make “my own kind of music”.

She said Lagbaja was very supportive of her decision and debunked rumours that she was in a romantic relationship with him.

“It was one of the best decisions. It opened up a whole new world to me. We did not fight and there were no issues,” she said.

“I believe in my instincts a lot and at that point, it was telling me to move. I didn’t have a plan, I thought about it for a month and went to him.

“I wanted a band of my own and I just wanted to do my own kind of music. I went to him and he was happy, it was bittersweet. And he was very supportive.

“I was convinced when I left in 2007 and I hardly regret stuff.”

When asked what it felt like to deal with the disappointment of not getting as many shows as she thought she would, Ego said: “It was very hard”.

The singer said even though she was passionate about music and believed in herself, she had to “start from the scratch”.

She said this led to financial issues, adding that she would sometimes “borrow money” and “use my last kobo for rehearsals”.

Ego said there were few occasions where she wanted to “run back” to Lagbaja’s band because of the comfort it provided.

“I knew I wanted a studio and didn’t want to start renting studios. When I wanted to record though, I got that encouragement from Eddie Lawani,” she said.

“He gave me money for my first studio session because I said I wanted to work with Cobhams. I kept going because I had passion and I believed in myself.

“Yeah, there were days when I wanted to run back to Lagbaha’s band. I wanted and craved that comfort where I didn’t have to make certain decisions.

“Where all I needed to do was just sing, dance and get my pay. Where the responsibility was just not mine. There were days where I craved that because it was hard.

“You’re dealing with people from different backgrounds, dealing with a lot of guys who think less of you, you’re dealing with a lot and you have to make it work.

“There was a time I actually called Lagbaja and said ‘I know I had probably given you a hard time because I was young but now I understand’.

“It was not easy. So there were days where I wanted to be part of the band again and just touring.”

Ego and Lagbaja have recorded hit songs such as ‘Konko Below’, ‘Nothing for You’, and ‘Never Far Away’.