Who is Momi
What can I say about who I am. I can say that I’m a person who loves adventure, art, I can be very outgoing yet shy in certain situations. I have a deep love for Africa, my dream is to travel throughout this continent, so far I’ve been to Tanzania, Congo, Zambia and Nigeria. People that know me well know that I can be very light hearted and humorous, I’ve been told that my laughter comes from my soul and I couldn’t agree more. I feel laughter is the best medicine, for so many things. A little bit of humour in life is vital to living a life of wealth it’s good for self-enrichment and a great stress reliever. I’m a mother to a very handsome 17 year old son who is a very determined and talented performing artist, I’m also a wife. I have a very serious side as well, I grew up with very strong values, that I’m very proud of.
How was it like growing up, your childhood days
I grew up around women, I’m one of 5 girls with no brothers, which was quite interesting. Being a black Canadian in a predominantly white community had its challenges for sure but the good thing was music and art was rich in our home and still is in my memories of growing up. my father was involved with the music business and he really introduced me to music and a passion for Fela Kuti. My greatest memories were of me and my sister dancing and singing to the music of Fela. The music just captured my spirit at a young age and because I had a deep understanding of his message he was sending through his music gave me a sense of pride to be myself and to express myself courageously to face anything. So meeting Fela when I was 10 and watching him perform the whole experience of being in his presence set the tone for the rest of my life. What I believed in, what I wanted out of life, I learned how to go after what I want out of life.
What influenced you into fashion and make up
To be honest I never really wanted to pursue the fashion industry. I didn’t grow up wanting to be a fashion designer or makeup artist. I starting helping out with Afrikadey! Afrikadey is a world music festival in Canada, which its aim is to unit Africa culture and tradition through music and this has been something I have always been proud of been my father Tunde Dawodu is the founder and creative director. I took advantage and was inspired to take full advantage of the platform the African Presentation society in order to branch out using the tools I was afforded. Before you know it I was coordinating an International Fashion show where I worked a long side Celebrity designer Romero Bryan who I kept in contact with. Romero was actually someone that really encouraged me to come home, he had done many fashion shows in Lagos and really supported my career over from the beginning.
What is like being a Nigerian/Canadian
I was born into the Canadian system, on my mother’s side they are black pioneering in Western Canada. They migrated from Oklahoma in the 1800 after the emancipation to settle in Saskatwean and Alberta so my roots run string in Alberta my you know, mentality, the way of life makes me feel Canadian. Having said that I do not have any English name, My name by birth is Omowunmi Alero Dawodu, having a Nigerian name is a constant reminder of my roots, the spirit of my country has lived with me through my name. I have to finally admit Mo’mi is more of a nick name and created from the constant mispronunciation of my name and a name I’ve been known for back in Canada.
We are aware you have a link to the Itsekiri royalty. What does it mean to you
Yes, my grandmother is from the Omatsola Royal family, of course it feels good to know I’m part of such a historical family but it’s unfortunate that I still have so much to learn. On my first visit to Warri I went to where my grandma was buried, I also went to our village Usele, it was such a magical experience from begging to end. I’m really trying to learn the culture, traditions and is something that is awesome to me.
Canada is known to have a very large appetite for the support of human rights, what does that mean to you
Yes, Canada is very committed to the rights of its Citizens. Human rights is something that I find most Canadians over look and don’t take advantage of enough. I mean to live in a country that is committed to human rights is very important. I understand other countries may have a human rights agreement or even a structure but they fail at implementing the agreement. Canada is actually the real United Nation where citizens are encouraged to exercise their cultural identities and share them with others in a cultural mosaic I think that’s something to be protected.
Given an opportunity, would you want to locate to Nigeria, and what would you be doing
Absolutely I would, I love home. That is definitely something I’m considering. There would have to be a few more details to iron out before making the final decision before finally coming home permanently. I’ve already accepted a few offers in the Entertainment industry working directly with upcoming artists. I’m also working on a project that is related to using my platform to raise awareness about issues that Nigeria has been plagued with.
During our recent discussion you expressed your worries about child labour, human trafficking and huge unemployment and its attendant sociology cultural impact on the country, what would you want to do given an opportunity
The problem is self-knowledge, self-love, we don’t value ourselves, we don’t value our own things. I was surprised that child labour is a thing anywhere let alone in this country. I personally experienced child labour while staying here in and to say the least It’s something that makes me feel very uncomfortable, I even cried for days and couldn’t sleep thinking about where these babies came from and where their parents were. this inspired to be part of the solution. This is a human rights situation. My project will teach self-love, this comes before attempting to change a tradition or trying to change minds. A child deserves to be a child and not a prized possession. For every problem there are millions of solutions I intend to educate these people who are using young children as house help to find better solutions to their domestic needs and services.
What is your view about African Americans and what they should do to support the African continent
The thing about African Americans is that they lack proper information about Africa. My own Mother who is African Canadian has little to know interest to come to Africa. Although minds have been slowly progressing with the popularity of Afrobeat music and West African Fashion they still have a long way to go. I know I have American family that have never been to Africa but some have even told me that they’d follow me to Nigeria when I’m back, which is real cool. I find the whole idea of going to Africa with the mind set of aid is not in the mentality of African Americans in general. I believe organizations coming in to provide aid for the poor Africans idea are out-dated. The solution is to help them help themselves and they will in turn help generations do the same. Personally I’d love to see more African Americans coming home, helping to rebuild the Motherland and reconnecting with their African Spirituality.
What was the point and motivation of you coming to your fathers land
Pretty much I came for so many different reasons primarily my quest to learn more about this amazing country and to share my experience as a makeup artist to other aspiring makeup artists. I will be hosting several makeup workshops thought Lagos then eventually I will expand to the whole country. I think what is lacking with so many aspiring artists is the lack of knowledge of how to really break into the industry. Artistry is only one aspect but to share insider tips as well as how business advice. I have worked with some of the top names in the world of fashion, makeup which was a huge honour. My role as hospitality coordinator with Afrikadey opened up many doors to interacting with Grammy award winning artists like Arrested Development, Common, Angilique Kidjo even the late Papa Wemba this really positioned me on an international scale. Working for Anastasia Beverly Hills opened many doors. It amazes me what I’ve been able to accomplish living in Alberta. Living in Alberta was becoming limiting to me in many ways, I with so many injustices and even blatant discrimination in light of all my accomplishments. I didn’t see myself getting the respect I felt I deserved living in a province where black people are the minority. There came a point where I wasn’t even expressing myself artistically any longer, all I was basically doing was fighting for my rights, it was silly and something I know I won’t miss about working in Canada. The intention was to interact on a broader stage, you know I’m pretty adventurous, I love meeting new people, I’m very passionate as we’ll, I plan to create programs that can directly affect people and the country positively. I love to create new experiences to share my lifestyle through many different initiatives I plan to set up here in Nigeria. I see this as a partnership between Canada and Nigeria you know. On my first visit I was pleasantly surprised how friendly people were, simple words like, good evening or people greeting me with “you’re highly welcome” alone made me love the country. I had already knew a few artists I knew from Afrikadey including Nike Okundaye for one who has graced Canada with her batik workshops. I was eager to see her while in Nigeria and spent a lot of time at her Gallery among some of the most talented artist I’ve seen. Mama Nike advised me a lot on the best way to familiarize myself with Nigeria before going full force. I saw a whole new side to this beautiful women who I spent time with in Canada. When you are in the presence of such a powerful force as her I was so humbled and took in the whole experience I was afforded.
