The story of 'Love Nwantiti' crooner, Nelly Uchendu

Nelly Uchendu was a renowned Igbo highlife musician.

Her 1976 song "Love Nwantiti" shot her to prominence with Six Albums to her credit.

On April 12, 2005, she died of Cancer in Enugu hospital.

She was born in 1950 in Umuchu, a town in Aguata local government area of Anambra State, Eastern Nigeria, Uchendu started singing at an early age.

She later joined Professor Sonny Oti's music group under which she flourished using her vocals.

In 1976, her music career shot to limelight following the release of the Homzy Sounds-produced classic titled "Love Nwantiti" off her debut LP composition Love Nwantiti; before she went on to release "Waka", "Aka Bu Eze" and "Mama Hausa" which further established her in the Nigeria music industry.

Her music career saw her record in several genres of music including Igbo highlife, pop and gospel music which she did in the later part of her career.

Uchendu's career also saw her perform outside Nigeria, most notably performing in London, England alongside Sir Warrior and his Oriental Brothers during the 1980s.

In 1986, Uchendu appeared as Ikemefuna's mother in Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Network's televised version of Things Fall Apart, and later as Tony's mother in the 1994 Nollywood movie Nneka the Pretty Serpent.

Both were singing roles.

Some of her works includes; Love Nwantiti (1976), Aka Bu Eze (1977), Mama Awusa (1978), I Believe (1979), Ogadili Gi Nma (1982) and Make a New Nigeria (1988).

Others are; Ezigbo Dim (1982), Nye ya ekele(1995) and Nna cheta'm (1995).




FI