Harmony Nzekwe has a degree in International Relations, but she loves the entertainment industry so much that many wonder why she did not take entertainment as a course of study. Her activities in the showbiz world are already making her a household name. She speaks to Sadra Izu-Okafor about her exploits and delves into her future plans.

Where is Harmony coming from, could you give your brief profile?
Harmony is a young woman. I was originally itching to be in Nollywood, and even featured in about five movies like Mirror of Beauty, To Love and To Live Again.

A lot of people love your video. How did you come about such creativity?
Well, I have been watching how music videos are being shot in Nigeria and wasn't satisfied, so I met Zenno Foster who later introduced me to a multi-talented Nigerian known as 'God Father' based in South Africa, who is the brain-behind most of the superb videos of P-Square. He helped out in mine.

You even rode a powerful bike?
It was very tasking though, but the choreographer was really helpful in some areas. It took about three weeks to get our acts together, but all the same we thank God that it went well.

Is this your first major work?
Yes, this is my first album and video as an artiste.

When you were coming up in Nollywood, which artistes did you act with?
I remember working with Mike Ezuronye, Nonso Diobi, Chika Ike, and so many others.

How did you start out in the entertainment industry?
My childhood was really good for me because my parents were the type that placed emphasis on education and not a career in the arts which music happens to be a part of, and with that I had to allow my musical career take a back seat until I graduated from the university. I got into the university in 2001 and graduated in 2005. It was when I was in school that I met a director by name Okey Zubeloko, who came to Awka to look for a friend and when he saw me he asked me if I could perform in a musical video as a dancer and I said, 'yes'. I never knew that he was a movie director. When I got to know, my flight into Nollywood took off and I did my first movie as a 'waka pass'.

You must have been paid heavily?
No. I can't mention what I was paid but if I must say it –I hope it wouldn't sound funny to hear that I was paid five thousand naira for my first movie role as an actress. After then, so many people started asking me if I have been acting and I said, 'no.' After that, I saw that the movie industry started having producers and directors who were asking for sex or molesting actresses before roles were given to us. And that was the reason I never concentrated fully on the movies, and had to leave for music.

When did you discover that you could do well in entertainment?
Actually, music flows in my family because my mother sings a lot in the church, and I will say I met the Amaco Brothers who invited me to mime a Christian song and from then on, I had a deep thought about pursuing a career in music, knowing full well that I had the potentials in me. That was how it all began for me in music.

I was 20 years old then in 2005, and I had a group in school called 'Chocolate Babes' and we were three in number but our executive producer then, was not funding the group well. Because of lack of funds, we went our separate ways and I started looking for ways to kick-start my career in music until my family came into the scene.

How did your parents feel since you had earlier said that they had opposed your taking to music?
Yeah, that was when I was still in school but after I graduated from school, they began to see entertainment as an area where I could make a mark for myself. I can't practise my profession because entertainment is my life. I really want to go into it fully. So after that, my father convinced my mother because she was so hard to convince, but we just had to agree on the fact that I was grown up and had the right to choose for myself what I wanted in life.

What kind of music do you consider yourself playing?
I think my music could fit into R&B, hip-hop, the commercial kind of stuff.

Which artistes inspired you?
Well, it has to be Beyonce, I love Beyonce to a fault, and way back in school, Westlife inspired me.Here in Nigeria, I love Onyeka Onwenu so much.

What special touch stands you out from the rest?
I have been working on that angle for now, and I had earlier said that I haven't seen any musical video done like what I am about bringing to the music scene in the country.
I shot my video on 35mm camera in South Africa, something that has never been done in the country before, and I had to spend a little more money than anybody to achieve this. It was after I had done mine that female musicians like Weird MC and Sasha followed suit and did same. P-Square were the first Nigerians to shoot a video on a 35 mm camera and the difference between this camera and others is that the resolution is clear, picture quality is something out of this world and when people watch it ,they know that this is something out of this country.

Tell us something about your new album?
The title is Rock your Body it is a single and a party jam The single will be out soonest, but the complete work will follow soon.

Why the title 'Rock your body?
It is like that because it is a party jam, which is meant for people to enjoy and have fun while at the same time rocking their body to the music coming to them.

Where do you get your inspiration?
My inspirations come from the everyday life experiences that we face , party scenes also are some areas where I get inspirations from while at work and I had to sit down with my dancers known as typicals to put up that job, but other songs are songs gotten from my experiences in life and so on.

Are you not scared of the big names like Weird MC, Asa, Sasha, Ashionye and others?
I am not afraid; yes they were there before me but they have their own thing and I have mine. I know what I have got.

How much did your video cost?
That was my life savings and I had to empty my bank accounts to get that project done. It cost me almost $20 000. I wanted to achieve what I wanted in my video.

How well do you dance?
I did not dance very much in my video that is on air right now but watch out for my other videos that will be out later this year. I can rock and will rock you very well. I can't see any female artiste that can match my steps.

Do you have a boyfriend and how does he feel about your successes?
He is a jealous person but he knows what I want and is very supportive. He is my number one fan. He is not complaining and we will soon tie the knots.

What hopes do you have for the next five years?
I must have won many awards, sold millions of copies and become a household name. That's Harmony for you.