I am single, available, and searching – Yinka Davies, singer

Yinka Davies

How would you describe your experience at Celebrity Takes Two? Divine, one word.

How divine?

I have never done this kind of dance before and the reaction I got was very surprising. I had loved to do that kind of dancing, but I had never had the chance or opportunity to train for it. So coming to a place where I had to use my head and do something in less than three days is divine and I cannot take credit for it.

Have you done a different kind of dancing before?

I was a dancer twenty years ago. Of course, I was an African nay Nigerian dancer where I had to dance to bata from the West. I have been into dancing, but contemporary dance did not come in my time until now. There was something called contemporary dance between 1987 and 1988, but it was not the contemporary dance of the 1990s. This one is tasking. You know, it would have been nicer if I was still younger, when the blood would have been hotter. Now the blood is tamed. The training was fantastic.

Would you have loved to win?

Well, that could be everybody's desire. Everybody would have the notion that we have come to win. So in a way, we have won. Thank God, it is over. It's tough to get back to natural lifestyle and come to think of it, maybe I need my brain examined.

What is happening to your music career now?

Beautiful. I will conclude work on my music now.

Now that hip hop seems to have overshadowed everything, what are you doing to get integrated?

That is where we are missing the point, let the hip hop people do their own and let me do my own, it doesn't matter. When we were doing Apala in the days of yore, was that the only music existing? No. Everybody will have their variety. At the same time, we are all on parallel lines and the world is going that way. What matters most is that you are still able to make sense in what you do, when you do it and how you do it.

What are you doing now in terms of music?

I just came out of the house now, let me breathe a little. We are still in the house because all of us are coming together to shake hands and fellowship, even though the winner emerges. Before the Celebrity Takes Two event started, I was working on my album and on the set of the play titled, Olurombi, which took me away for a while. I have delved into acting, now I have done some dancing and I am enjoying every bit of it.

You seem to be hyperactive and people often wonder whether you are hooked on drugs

I really wish I was into some stuff so that I could confuse a lot of people more. But it isn't worth it. I just believe I should enjoy life and live my life. I am just blessed and I will live it well. The need to actually think one is probably on drugs is expected. I am high on Coca Cola and Fanta. I wish I was on something else.

Does that mean you don't have challenges?

That would not be nice to say because there is no human who does not have challenges. We need to come to the realisation that whether we like it or not, whatever happens, the rain will fall and the sun will shine. So if that is the case with everything, why in the world are you trying to add more troubles? Do something about the matter so that you will be at peace with yourself and everybody around you will be at peace and happy. It is always better to find a way around your challenges.

What gospel are you preaching now?

I am a good Christian, no doubt. I am in love with Christ terribly. I am single, available, and I have two beautiful sons. Some people say because I have sons, I don't need men. That is a lie.

You are always playful. Do you think people will take you seriously?

Sometimes, it occurs to me that people don't take me seriously. During the course of our dancing in the house, I asked Fathia Balogun to give me a scarf, that I wanted to go and train, and she said when she was through with it, she would give me. I begged from morning till sunset, she didn't give me the scarf. It was much later that she realised that I was serious and it touched me. If she had had her way in the house, she would whip me from morning till night. I believe the approach to life depends on how you see life. I love to see people smile and while smiling, a lot of things get unravelled. Like I told you, I am a Christian. Once we pray about things, I don't expect you to hold on to it again. When people smile, something good comes out. It doesn't matter whether the person is ugly, tall or short. It spreads love.

Because of your playful

nature, it is hard to link

you romantically with

somebody. Do you use

that to confuse people?

Is that not a good thing? Whoever wants to see beyond what you call deception, let the person be bold enough to come forward and put me in the house and let the comedy continue. Men matters can be delicate.

Is that why you are still single?

When they come and they talk, I listen and I understand. Now I ask how far are we going? People are different. I know and I am always conscious to ask how far we want to go or we don't even start at all. I won't tell you that I am not an adult, but I believe we are reasonable human beings. We should be frank with ourselves on exactly what we want in a relationship. Do you understand that sometimes I may be gone on business. Do you trust me with what we have together? If you are not complete in yourself, how can I help? In every relationship, the man must be complete in himself; he must not have any complex. I told you that when we were younger, the blood was hotter, but now it is tamed. The only thing to make things work is to just be yourself.

What happened to the fathers of your two children?

I slept with them and I gave birth to babies. I told you that when I was young, I was hot. Now, I am tamed. Does that make sense? (laughs).

Is the tamed Yinka Davies now ready to settle down with a man?

A friend of mine told me two days ago that we all have to prepare for someone. Like I told you, I am a Christian. I speak to my father everyday, I ask myself, are you ready for such a thing? I am being prepared for somebody by God.

Are you involved any serious relationship now?

There is none. I never dated. If I date, six months, I am out. That is why I don't bother dating, I have always been on my own, but people don't know that. If I remember very well, I actually stopped such stuff because I hate changing names in my head. It is either you are staying or you are leaving. What is it that you want because obviously, you know the job I do? This is who I am. I am not saying we will not, sometimes, reach a middle ground, but this is who I am. What is the point of having different men coming and going? That is why I kept out of any serious relationship. So my brain is clear now and I am resolved to ask whoever comes now, are you waiting or are you not? If you are not to stay, don't even bother to step in at all.

If someone comes in now, will you give him a chance?

That is if I like the person. I am not desperate to be someone's Mrs. It is beyond all of that. Do you enjoy being with that person? We are never going to be the same, but trust is the key. If you don't trust me, then we are not ready to start. That I kiss someone on TV does not mean I am stupid. I am doing my job. Then, can you understand and accept the fact that your wife is only doing her job and nothing more? There is a lot on stake here. How many men do you want to explain that to? I am only doing my job. You met me doing that and if you don't like it, too bad. And for God's sake, there is nothing I will not give up for a man who is complete.

What kind of music are you cooking up now?

Just sounds.

Story by ADEOLA BALOGUN - NBF News