“St. Janet Gave Her All Till the End”: Ola Victory Recalls
Only hours before veteran Juju musician St. Janet died on Saturday, she was on stage doing what she loved most—entertaining people.
To many in the audience, she looked like the same energetic performer they had always known. But to fellow Juju artiste Ojo Olatunbosun, popularly known as Ola Victory, there were subtle signs that she had been carrying burdens long before she mounted the stage.
In this exclusive interview, Kehinde Adeleye, EchoNews Correspondent, spoke with Juju musician Ojo Olatunbosun, popularly known as Ola Victory, at the late St. Janet’s Alagbado residence.
Recounting the emotional final hours he shared with the veteran singer, Ola Victory described a woman who, despite appearing physically weak, remained determined to honour her audience, delivering what would become her final public performance only hours before her death.
Q: Can we meet you?
Ola Victory: My name is Ojo Olatunbosun, but many people know me by my stage name, Ola Victory. I am a Juju musician, songwriter and live performer. I’ve been in the industry for years, performing at social events and sharing the stage with many respected artistes, including the late St. Janet. It is painful that one of the last times we performed together has now become one of the saddest moments of my career.
Q: You were one of the last musicians to perform with St. Janet. What do you remember about that night?
Ola Victory: It is still difficult for me to accept. We performed together on Friday night at PNK Inn, 5th Avenue, Abesan Estate. The programme started around 8 p.m. I performed first before handing the microphone over to her around 10 p.m. She entertained the audience until about 1 a.m. We never imagined that only a few hours later we would hear she was gone.
Q: Did you notice anything unusual about her that night?
Ola Victory: Yes. From what I understood, she had been sick for some time, and I believe it was only her second performance since she became ill. She wasn’t as physically strong as we all knew her to be. She sat down occasionally and walked with a slight limp and it was her manager that had to walk her to the stage before she started performing.
After finishing around 1 a.m., she stepped outside briefly. When she returned, she was wearing a sweater. She looked like she was feeling cold, but she never complained. She still came back and continued entertaining the guests.
Q: You both performed together after that?
Ola Victory: Yes. We exchanged microphones several times while entertaining the audience. One thing I noticed that night was that she sang more praise and worship songs than usual. She only performed a few of her trademark freestyle renditions towards the end.
Despite not looking as physically strong as before, she still connected with the audience. She smiled, interacted with guests and carried everyone along. If you didn’t know she had been unwell, you probably wouldn’t have guessed from the way she performed. She remained committed to giving people a memorable experience until the very end.
Q: Away from the stage, who was St. Janet?
Ola Victory: She was a very jovial person. She laughed easily, related freely with people and never made anyone feel unimportant. She had a beautiful personality and was loved by many of us. She will be greatly missed.
Q: Some people have described her death as mysterious. What is your own view?
Ola Victory: Personally, I don’t see it as a spiritual issue. From my own observation, she looked like someone who had been carrying heavy burdens for quite some time. There were reports that she lost multimillion-naira musical equipment in a fire, and I also heard different stories about challenges in her personal life. I cannot confirm those reports, so I won’t present them as facts. She also appeared to me like someone who had been battling a long-term health challenge, including loss of her sight.
From the information I gathered, the problem with her sight started after she was sprayed with money at an event. I was told that one of the new naira notes struck one of her eyes, and that was how the eye problem began before she eventually lost her sight. That is the information I have, although I was not present when the incident happened.
What I know is that she wasn’t as physically strong as before, yet she honoured her engagement during our performance and gave everything she had to the audience until the very end.
Q: Looking back now, what stays with you the most?
Ola Victory: Her dedication. She smiled, sang and entertained people even when she wasn’t looking her best physically. Nobody at that venue believed we were witnessing her final performance. We laughed together, exchanged microphones and left expecting to meet again. When I think about that night now, I don’t just remember a great musician. I remember a woman who remained committed to her fans until her last performance.
Q: What advice do you have for musicians and entertainers in general?
Ola Victory: My advice is that every musician should take care of their health. We spend so much time trying to satisfy our audience that we sometimes forget to look after ourselves. Fame should never come before your health or your family.
No matter how busy you are, create time to rest, go for medical check-ups and pay attention to your body when it tells you something is wrong. We should also keep praying because our strength comes from God.
Most importantly, musicians should remember that they are just as important as the audience they are trying to please. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be there to entertain anyone. Your health, your family and your peace of mind should always matter.
