Chima Okechukwu is one of those creatives who exemplify the past decade in Nigeria. The talented dancer, singer, stage designer and multi-faceted creative is still finding his feet (pun intended) but he’s like many, who in the past decade, has risen from the shadows to prominence in Nigeria.
Nigerians are now more accepting of the creative career path, and parents are now supporting their children who declare their intentions of making a name for themselves in the creative space. Musicians, singers, dancers, artists, filmmakers, writers are everywhere you turn these days. Many are doing creativity full time, some are doing it on the side, and Chima Okechukwu is doing it all because he can.
Chima Okechukwu’s creative journey represents the breathtaking beauty in the diversity of various creatives coming together to give life to our imaginations. The coming generation will have nothing to worry about when the time comes to choose their paths in life. They will have our generation to thank for it, too. Chima is taking on the whole creative scene by himself, applying his gift to as many fields as possible, and it’s creatives like him who will get most of the praise from the coming generation.
Who is Chima Okechukwu?
Chima Okechukwu is a creative entrepreneur who runs a production house with his partners and friends. He entered the creative space as a dancer, mimicking Michael Jackson as a child and a teenager. He would dance for fun, to entertain his friends, and as a performer at children’s birthday parties, church youth events, and weddings. Soon after, Chima would improve his dancing and join a few local dance crews whose styles range from hip hop to Afrobeats to cultural dances.
Chima Okechukwu is a very talented dancer whose dancing has gotten him to feature in music videos and dance plays, as well as giving him the opportunity to perform in front of much larger audiences who love the art of dance on grand stages like the National Theatre and the Muson Centre.
As an adult, Chima Okechukwu joined his church choir as a tenor, where he received impeccable music and voice training that set him on the path to becoming a singer/songwriter. Chima has performed at many choral recitals, choral competitions, and church events. These opportunities have helped him understand performance nuances and how to cater to various audiences. Chima has since left the choir to pursue a solo career and, as at the time of writing, has written songs for quite a few underground acts and does great cover music while preparing himself for his big solo debut.
Chima’s journey into music and dance also led him to develop an interest in stage/set management and design. Being a performer, he imagined his own sets and the way they’d make his act better. Chima Okechukwu trained himself in the art of stage design by shadowing stage designers and watching YouTube videos, and now, he has designed a few sets and has been part of a few set design crews for major dance productions.