Interview: with THE Davina Oriakhi

dAVINa

“I love my mum, I don’t know where I’d be without her”

Davina is an accounting student who defines the saying “Jack of all trades, who says you cannot master all”. I’d describe her as an epitome of ‘beauty and brains’

Read her interview with the SocioInspiration team below. NOTE: she talks a lot :)

Socioinspiration: Hi Davina

Davina: Hello

Socioinspiration: It’s great to have you here. Introduce yourself?

Davina: My name is Davina Oriakhi. I’m nineteen but I’m going to be twenty soon (laughs). Yea, I know I’m young but since I’m going to be twenty, no more teenage years for me.  I’m originally from Edo State. I’m the first child and only daughter of my parents. I have twin brothers after me.

Socioinspiration: So let’s get to what you do, I know you sing, dance, could you expatiate?
Davina: I’m happy you know I sing. People don’t think I sing. I sing I dance and I write songs, I write them almost all the time, I choreograph; I come up with routines even when I’m in the bathroom, like everywhere. And I love radio. I did an understudy with Kiss fm in Abuja last year and then I fell in love with the whole radio thing.

I was also the host for the first Nigerian Teens Choice award in Abuja.

Socioinspiration: wow, how did that happen?

Davina: Errm…once, somebody got me a gig to host a high school prom. It was from a lady I knew and she just said “oh I remember you like to talk and you can handle a crowd, so please come and do it and I’m like “oh? Okay”    Because most of the time, I just do ‘MC’ing’ because nobody else wants to. I never thought of it as something I’d keep doing. So I hosted the prom, I saw the C.E.O of Teens Network. He asked me to host the show which was going to come  up in a month and that would I do it for him and I was like I have to think about it first and so I did.  It was a really cool experience. I got to meet people, celebrities, I got to work with younger people, so it was cool, and I enjoyed it.

Socioinspiration: So let’s talk about achievements. As a person what do you think you wouldn’t have been able to do but have done?

Davina: Okay…first of all, you are actually asking me questions, which means you are interested in the stuff I do. That means you’ve learnt something from what I do. I think that’s enough achievement. Lauren Hill said something. She said that in hip hop, everybody is climbing a hill and when they get to the top of the hill; they are like I’m the king of the hill and I don’t need to go anywhere and she’s like there are other hills to climb. There are other people’s lives to touch; there are other people to serve. I think that’s the greatest achievement , when you are actually helping people, teaching people and inspiring people. For me, that’s an achievement

Davina, with Beyonce and other participants

Socioinspiration: So I’m coming to that Beyonce part

Davina: (Screams)

Socioinspiration: so how did you come across the Pepsi competition that led you to meeting Beyonce?

Davina: Okay I was tweeting (because I love tweeting) and my friend cc’ed me a link and I looked at it and it was #DOITLIKEBEYONCE and what you do is you dance to  grown woman, the steps  she did in the Pepsi commercial. When the commercial  came out a long time ago ,I learnt it so when I saw the competition, I was like  “I’ll do it now” although it was during exam.

And the day before my exam, I did the video, and uploaded it on YouTube. I thank God for my friends who were there to direct me (laughs). This is the part where people don’t know, I actually prayed and fasted to win because I love Beyonce, she’s my role model.

So when I saw the opportunity, I was like this can’t just leave me like that so I had so much faith, and I prayed and I fasted and there was a time when God said “stop asking me ,just praise me” and I was crying and rolling on the floor(laughs) and I was like I really want this. Later on, I was on Skype with my mum and she said "Davina, calm down, calm down, Pepsi just called me, ” and I was like…I was screaming and so when I finally got across to Pepsi, they told me they were going to process my flight ticket because it was an all expense paid trip. Every single thing was covered.

Socioinspiration: So how was that moment when you saw Beyonce?

Davina: It was like a dream. It was like my dream come true. We went to the Calvin Klein lounge. That’s where all the celebrities hung out and they were feeling cool. We were a lot from different countries, so we were a lot in the lounge and when she walked in, it was like a breath of fresh air. We knew somebody walked in and everybody just turned and she’s so small; she's my height. When I saw her, I was blown away. Like finally! This is you. And she is so beautiful. She’s even more beautiful in person. We were in groups and we got to tell her how much we love her and take pictures with her and she was so warm. She is such a sweet person and she is such an amazing performer, the concert was fire!

And then every time someone says “oh you are very lucky”, I’m like no, God just answers prayers. I prayed for this and God gave it to me.

Socioinspiration: Going back to dancing, what inspires you?

Davina with CEO dancers

Davina: Okay, first of all, dance is a way for me to forget that I have problems. Like I remember when I resumed and all I was anticipating was going to Ref room to dance. I was just excited. The passion for dancing is my inspiration. Then secondly, I love dancing with people. I think dance just gives us this happiness and everyone is happy and then I soak in Beyonce’s videos a lot, so I learn from her.  Beyonce inspires me a lot as well.

Socioinspiration: How are you able to combine school with the numerous things you are involved in?

Davina: Its God, it’s really not easy and secondly, I’ve learnt that if you prioritize, you will find time for everything, I get tired very easily, but people don’t know. Chris Brown said something, “24 hours is all you need” and prior to that, I used to say 24hrs wasn’t enough and so, Once, I sat down with my dance mentor and we talked about planning 24hrs in a day. It says you have to have this amount of time to read, this amount to do this and that. So we allocated hours to each day. I found out that it helped me and then number three, if you prioritize; you have to realize that you are in school first, so you have to do your assignments first. I’d use Hebron fm as an example: every Friday, I have to submit the script to be used for the show which airs on Saturday. And every Friday, we have an assignment we are meant to submit, so because school comes first, when everybody is running around the night before, I have done mine three days earlier. The day they give me the assignment, that’s when I do it. I have to do it that day and then the rest follows. It’s just easier that way.

Socioinspiration: So what’s next for you?

Davina: In 2014, I want to make music officially. Nobody has heard me singing. I want people to hear my music because I think I have so much to say, so I can’t wait for people to hear my music. This is the year.

Socioinspiration: So your advice to readers?

Davina: Well, first of all, if you love something very much, if you have passion for something, if you believe that you can do it, then you can do it. Like don’t ever be discouraged about anything, don’t ever!

Socioinspiration: Thank you very much Davina

Davina: It’s a pleasure

On a lighter note

Socioinspiration: Are you currently in any relationship?

Davina: No, I’m not

Socioinspiration: So you’re just tormenting all the boys?

Davina: hahaa! Which boys? Oh please!

SocioInspiration: Not being in a relationship. Is it more like a personal thing?

Davina: Yes, it’s personal, relationships are hard work. If you want to get into a relationship, you have to realize you can’t be selfish anymore; you have to live for two people and not just yourself. And you have to realize that you can’t just be in the relationship and be there for being sake. You have to add something to the person’s life and that person has to add something to you. You don’t just wake up and say oh I like that boy. NO, it takes more. So, with that, I prefer to be single for a while, observe and learn.

Socioinspiration: Do you have any major turnoffs?

Davina: I don’t like it when boys are proud. I don’t. You can be confident, I like it when guys are confident but when you are unnecessarily proud, it pisses me off. When they just blow you off with pride and disrespect you. I don’t like disrespectful boys. Yes, I’m a woman, but that doesn’t mean I’m weak. Respect me and I’ll respect you.

Twitter: @DavinaOriakhi

Email: davinaoriakhi@gmail.com

Check out Davina’s  videos here:  

PS: Today is Davina’s birthday; wish her a happy one below J