{"id":275943,"date":"2011-02-12T12:59:02","date_gmt":"2011-02-12T12:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/?p=52037"},"modified":"2011-02-12T12:59:02","modified_gmt":"2011-02-12T12:59:02","slug":"my-man-must-be-big-enough-to-hold-me-zara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/02\/12\/my-man-must-be-big-enough-to-hold-me-zara\/","title":{"rendered":"My man must be big enough to hold me \u2013 Zara"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oluwatoyin Joseph is a bundle of fun. Playful and intelligent, Zara, as you know her, lets her hair down talking on her kind of man, her thoughts on marriage and why she may never get pregnant.
\nIn this engaging chat with Lolade SOWOOLU, the ex-Alapomeji Record artiste speaks on her music, admitting that \u2018the brand, Zara is not exposed enough for an album yet\u2019.
\nShe bought a round trip ticket she didn\u2019t need when she journeyed to Nigeria in 2009 to explore her music talents, after living in the United States for a decade.
\nThe once engaged to be married chubby beauty hasn\u2019t looked back since taking on music professionally. Armed with three singles and two videos, here\u2019s Zara Grett for your weekend delight.
\nAre Zara and Ejiro two different persons?
\nZara\u2019s the artiste; Ejiro\u2019s the girl you hear on radio. I can\u2019t be Zara working at the station, it won\u2019t make sense because tomorrow I might want an interview as Zara. In fact right now Zara has a last name \u2013 Grett. It\u2019s from my birth name, Magaret.
\nThe surname is just to create a name that stands out because I\u2019m not the only Zara in the world. Since we\u2019re planning on going global, it only makes sense that I take on an added name so I\u2019m now Zara Grett.
\nWhat\u2019s your real name in full?
\nI\u2019m Magaret Mary Oluwatoyin Ejiro Joseph. I\u2019m from Popo Aguda in Lagos Island, Lagos. I\u2019m a people person.
\nHow do you prepare for a show?
\nI sing a lot in the car on my way there and all that. I\u2019m a rapper and singer and I love to have fun. I\u2019m like a bowl of salad rather than a pot of stew.
\nHow does a bowl of salad differ from a pot of stew?
\nIn a pot of stew you don\u2019t get to see all the ingredients. But with salad, there\u2019s expression for each component.
\nNow I get it. So how do you come about your songs?
\nI don\u2019t freestyle, I write. I pick on a topic and create a story around it. Sometimes if I hear a beat that gets to me, I\u2019d write something. I learnt to \u2018show\u2019 and not \u2018tell\u2019 from my English teacher in eleventh grade. When you personify feelings or a topic, it gives it a human face.
\nWhat\u2019s that weird sound you make in your songs?
\nDon\u2019t make me do it (laughter). It\u2019s an ape call. I am part of a sisterhood in the States that is tied to a fraternity. And it\u2019s in this fraternity that they make the \u2018ape call\u2019. I do it on every track that has to do with Zara. I don\u2019t make faces. I make sounds and it works for me.
\nYou were signed on to Alapomeji Records. What happened to the agreement?
\nYes, Alapomeji Records released my \u2018Flyest\u2019 (a single) video but we just decided after evaluating things, that it\u2019d be better for us if we worked independently of each other.
\nHow long was it supposed to last for?
\nThe contract was very clear on the terms for leaving. I didn\u2019t just opt out or something. We reached an agreement to part ways. Right now, I\u2019m an independent artiste and I\u2019m working very hard. I\u2019m managed by Toni Payne Concepts.
\nWhat\u2019s happening with the album?
\nIt\u2019s still being put together. At the same time I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be releasing an album in the next six months. I\u2019d like to allow more publicity for the artiste Zara before I take that step. So many people have released their albums prematurely because people keep asking, \u2018Is your album out?\u2019 There\u2019s no rush about it. The brand, Zara, is not exposed enough for an album yet.
\nWhat were your expectations and why did you buy a round trip ticket?
\nThe ticket was cheaper (laughter). But seriously that way I didn\u2019t have to lie to my mum because she didn\u2019t want me coming in the first place. She had heard so much of bad news and was afraid.
\nI didn\u2019t even really have any expectations. I was just coming to give music a shot and I never used the ticket back.
\nIs Abokoku a true life story?
\nIt\u2019s so many people\u2019s lives\u2019 story.
\nIs Zara a lover girl?
\nZara is an emotional and tough person at the same time. I\u2019ve heard people say I pretend to be
\ntough. But the thing is we\u2019re all humans and so we have our sentiments and that\u2019s why I carved the song \u2018Abokoku\u2019. It refers to something some people have or wish they had, or that they have lost.
\nIt could be love between a man and his God, love in the family or love shared between a man and a woman. I just didn\u2019t want to go the typical \u2018I love you\u2019 fashion. Again I borrowed a leaf from Shaggy\u2019s \u2018Mr lover lover\u2019 to say \u2018I\u2019ll wait for my lover\u2019.
\nAnd is Kenneth really the lover or just a model in that video?
\nKenneth is my homeboy. We met sometime somehow and when it was time for the video I thought he\u2019d be perfect. Plus he looks great and I didn\u2019t want a yellow boy.
\nWhat do you have against \u2018yellow\u2019 boys?
\nNothing. But darker boys look sexier. My ex was a very \u2018yellow\u2019 boy \u2013 he was Igbo. But there\u2019s just something about dark chocolate. I don\u2019t like to eat dark chocolate but I like to look at it.
\nSo the guys now know the basic requirement \u2026
\nI have no requirements o. Don\u2019t go and colour your skin o (laughter). If you must know, I like tall guys too. I\u2019d like someone taller than me like 6\u2032 2\u2032, 6\u20194\u2032. Way taller, lean and fine. By lean, I mean with enough build to hold me because I\u2019m not small. It also doesn\u2019t mean I want a bouncer.
\nSo is all these the reason you\u2019re not in a relationship presently?
\n

\"\"<\/a>
ZARA<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nThat\u2019s not why. It\u2019s just that I\u2019m working; I\u2019m busy. I\u2019m not even looking. If I happen to meet somebody that I click with the right way, I won\u2019t be an idiot that shoots herself in the foot saying \u2018no relationships yet\u2019. At the same time I won\u2019t sit outside or go to church hoping to find a husband.
\nWhat do you think about marriage. Is it something you look forward to?
\nI\u2019m not excited about marriage. I don\u2019t even think across those lines. Some people think I\u2019m getting old and I tell them \u2018if anything\u2019s supposed to happen, it will happen anyway\u2019. If I\u2019m suppose to get married it will happen at some point. It could be next year, it could be when I\u2019m 60. You never know.
\nIt\u2019s life. Some people have this mind set of getting married at a certain age like it\u2019s a must and really it ruins relationships. Because when it moves to looking for a husband rather than making friends, you\u2019ll take anything from anybody. I don\u2019t think things should be that way.
\nYou\u2019ve heard of love at first sight before.
\nI don\u2019t believe in it. I think love grows. You discover love. I don\u2019t think I can meet anybody
\ntoday and say that I\u2019ve fallen in love. You should take your time, nurture it and let it grow.
\nIsn\u2019t your mum worried about your perception on marriage?
\nMy mother loves me. She\u2019ll be alright. She understands that I\u2019m a bit special and different. She started to know when I first came home with no hair and then I said I wanted to do \u2018dada\u2019 (dreadlocks).
\nI was engaged to be married sometime back in the states and when I talked to the person to let him know I didn\u2019t think it was the right time for me to be married because I wasn\u2019t ready, my mum didn\u2019t understand where it came from. She kept asking me what happened but I told her it just wasn\u2019t \u2018it\u2019 because there\u2019s no point getting committed to something you don\u2019t think will last forever. After a while she said, \u2018okay I\u2019m here for you.
\nSo what would make you decide to marry someone?
\nI have to be comfortable with whoever it is. I have to be able to tell the person any thing and vice versa. Trust is important. It\u2019s a huge task for me being an open book. I have to be happy.
\nI don\u2019t care what money you have but if I\u2019m not happy around you, it\u2019s pointless being with you.
\nWould you consider separation or divorce as option?
\nI hope not. If I get into something, I hope it\u2019ll be forever because it\u2019s supposed to be. But seriously separation and divorce is always an option. Apologies to anyone out there who doesn\u2019t agree with me. But if a man touches me or lays his hand on me, I won\u2019t care what kind of drugs you\u2019re on or the evil spirit at work in you at that time, it just will not work. I\u2019m totally honest here.
\nAnd what if you\u2019re still in love with him?
\nOlorun ma je\u2019ari (God forbid). If you mentally or physically abuse me, or make me feel less than human, you\u2019re certainly not my husband.
\nWhat of kids?
\nI love children but I\u2019m not sure I want any (laughter). Children love to be around me. Trust me, I\u2019m great with kids but I don\u2019t want to be pregnant. Don\u2019t you see how pregnant people look? After the whole nine months, you have to push him out (labour) and before you know what there\u2019s part 2 and 3 (other babies). Even if I don\u2019t get married, I\u2019ll love to have kids. But then I\u2019ll definitely adopt.
\nDo you plan on going back to the states for any reason?
\nI would love to visit my family and friends. But then how much time would I have to see them all so maybe they should come and visit me instead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Oluwatoyin Joseph is a bundle of fun. Playful and intelligent, Zara, as you know her, lets her hair down talking on her kind of man, her thoughts on marriage and why she may never get pregnant. In this engaging chat with Lolade SOWOOLU, the ex-Alapomeji Record artiste speaks on her music, admitting that \u2018the brand, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-275943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nMy man must be big enough to hold me \u2013 Zara - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/02\/12\/my-man-must-be-big-enough-to-hold-me-zara\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"My man must be big enough to hold me \u2013 Zara - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Oluwatoyin Joseph is a bundle of fun. Playful and intelligent, Zara, as you know her, lets her hair down talking on her kind of man, her thoughts on marriage and why she may never get pregnant. 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