Chidinma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chidinma
Background information
Birth name	Chidinma Ekile
Born	(1991-05-02) 2 May 1991 (age 34) Ketu, Kosofe, Lagos State
Origin	Ikorodu, Lagos State
Genres	Gospel afropop
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actress
Years active	2011–present
Labels	Capital Hill (former)
Associated acts	EeZee Conceptz Global (New Record Label)

Chidinma Ekile (born 2 May 1991), known simply as Chidinma, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress. She was born in Ketu, Kosofe, Lagos State. Chidinma became famous in 2010 after winning the third season of Project Fame West Africa. She was the first female artist to reach number 1 on the MTV Base Official Naija Top 10 chart. This happened after she released the music video for her song "Emi Ni Baller".

In 2011, she released "Jankoliko" with Sound Sultan. Her first album, Chidinma, came out through Spinlet. It featured popular songs like "Jankoliko", "Carry You Go", "Kedike", and "Run Dia Mouth". Chidinma won Best Female West African Act at the 2012 Kora Awards. She even performed "Kedike" at the awards show. In May 2021, Chidinma announced on Instagram that she had switched to gospel music. She is now involved in Christian ministry. That same month, she released her first gospel song, "Jehovah Overdo".

Her first short album (EP), New Season, was released on 20 August 2021. Eezee Tee produced all seven songs on the EP. The Holy Spirit inspired this album. Chidinma's second full album, Psalm 16, came out on 14 October 2022. It includes songs with KS Bloom, Indira, and Buchi.

Chidinma's Journey to Stardom

Early Life and Project Fame Success

Chidinma Ekile was born on 2 May 1991, in Ketu, Lagos State. She is from Imo State. Chidinma is the sixth of seven children in her family. She started singing at age six. When she was 10, she joined her church choir. Chidinma went to primary and secondary school in Ketu. Later, her family moved to Ikorodu. Before Project Fame, she worked as a business promoter in Lagos.

Chidinma wanted to study mass communication. However, she earned a sociology degree from the University of Lagos. She first turned down her university admission because she was doing well in Project Fame West Africa. In an interview, she said she always took school seriously. She also mentioned that music wasn't her first plan. But after winning Project Fame, she decided to pursue it.

Before trying out for Project Fame West Africa, Chidinma dreamed of being on the show. With help from a friend, she went to Ultima Studios. She was one of 8,000 people who auditioned that year. Chidinma joined 17 other contestants in the Fame Academy. For ten weeks, music experts trained them. These included voice coaches and famous musicians. Contestants also learned dance moves. On 26 September 2010, Chidinma was named the winner. She won ₦2.5 million, a 2011 Toyota RAV4, and a music production deal.

Music Releases and Acting Debut

After Project Fame, Chidinma began working on her first album, Chidinma. She put a lot of effort into it. She worked with producers like Cobhams Asuquo and Tee-Y Mix. On 22 February 2011, she released "Jankoliko" (featuring Sound Sultan) and "Carry You Go". These were the first two songs from her album. She was happy with how people reacted to the songs.

On 4 June 2011, the music video for "Jankoliko" came out. Clarence Peters directed it. Chidinma also performed with Dr SID on the MTN Power of 10 Concerts tour. This tour celebrated MTN Nigeria's ten-year anniversary. On 11 October 2011, she released "Kedike" and "Run Dia Mouth". "Kedike" means "Heartbeat" and was produced by Cobhams Asuquo. Chidinma said the song is about love.

Chidinma won Best Female West African Act at the 2012 Kora Awards. Didier Drogba gave her the award. She said winning was a huge honor. The music video for "Kedike" was released on 24 January 2012. Dammy Krane played her love interest in the video. On 14 September 2012, she released "Emi Ni Baller". This song featured rap verses by Illbliss and Tha Suspect. It was a very popular song in 2013. A remix of "Emi Ni Baller" with Wizkid came out on 22 February 2013.

In May 2013, Chidinma signed a deal with MTN Nigeria. The music video for "Emi Ni Baller" was released on 12 June 2013. Clarence Peters directed it. Chidinma also released "Bless My Hustle", "Kite", and "Jolly" in June 2013. She performed on the 2013 Hennessy Artistry Club Tour with D'banj.

On 14 September 2013, Chidinma released "Oh Baby". A remix, "Oh Baby (You & I)", with Flavour N'abania, came out on 29 January 2014. Both songs were produced by Young D. Chidinma performed at big concerts like the Guinness World of More Concert. She also shared the stage with Blackstreet at the Butterscotch Evening Experience. On 2 May 2014, the music video for "Oh Baby (You & I)" was released. It featured Ngozi Nwosu and OC Ukeje.

On 7 November 2016, she released "Fallen in Love". Masterkraft produced it. The music video was filmed in Soweto. Chidinma made her acting debut in Kunle Afolayan's 2017 film The Bridge. She played Stella, a character facing family and cultural challenges. In April 2019, she became the first brand ambassador for Molped, a feminine hygiene brand in Nigeria.

Transition to Gospel Music

On 2 May 2021, Chidinma released her first gospel song, "Jehovah Overdo". It is a calm and joyful praise song. Eezee Tee produced it. The music video for "Jehovah Overdo" was directed by Avalon Okpe. On 4 May 2021, Chidinma announced on Instagram that she had moved into gospel music. She said she felt called to work for God.

Chidinma's first short album (EP), New Season, was released on 20 August 2021. The Holy Spirit inspired this EP. Eezee Tee produced all seven songs. One song is even entirely in French. The day before New Season came out, she shared a video for "Jesus the Son of God" with the gospel band The Gratitude. Chidinma's second full album, Psalm 16, was released on 14 October 2022. It has eight songs. Chidinma wrote the album. It features collaborations with KS Bloom, Indira, and Buchi.

Musical Inspirations

Chidinma has said that many artists have inspired her music. Some of her biggest influences include Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Fela Kuti, Omawumi, Onyeka Onwenu, Lagbaja, and Darey Art Alade.

Personal Life and Charity

Chidinma shared in an interview that she was born unable to see for a few months. Because of this, she started the NMA Foundation. This foundation helps visually impaired children and young people across Africa. The name "NMA" comes from the last three letters of her name.

Discography