Participating in beauty pageants never hindered me from getting a good husband-Beecee, ex-beauty queen

‘Even as a mother of two, I still do my modelling jobs ’

 Obiajulu Olabisi Ugbo whose stage name is Beecee is a journalist delight and a pleasant personality. She flows with every question and she sees none as personal. This model, ex-beauty queen, wife and mother of two kicks against the opinion of some mothers who assert that participating in beauty pageants give girl child lots of unnecessary exposure so much that it could hinder her from getting married and at the right time. "I don't think allowing your child to go after her heart desires would hinder her from getting married, after all it never hindered me. I think the basic thing, as a mother, is to train your child in the way she should go and when she grows up, she would not depart from it," she said.

Why did you choose Beecee as your stage name?

Because I have a name that is Olabisi, so I just coined Beecee out of it.

You are a gospel artiste, why gospel and not inspirational or secular music?

Well, for me, gospel is inspirational, because the word of God actually inspires. So, I don't see gospel different from inspirational songs. It's just that most times, most gospel artistes just focus on praises to God but I can also sing songs that relate to the society and songs that can heal one who just had a heartbreak.

‘If your hubby met you slender and he loved it, try and maintain that shape’

What really inspires your songs?

Well, sometimes the society inspires my songs. Or what happens around me. Sometimes I just get a leading to write a song based on past experience of people around me or myself. So, those are the things that inspire me to write my songs. Most often, when I’m down, I could decide to write a song. In fact, most of my songs, I wrote them when I was actually down or when I felt bad. I love singing so much that even while I was in the labour room about to deliver my first baby, I was singing and my doctor and nurses were amazed. Maybe because music has a way of lifting my soul.

Who are your role models in the music world?

I love Christine Wynyard. She is an American gospel artiste, then back to Nigeria, I love the likes of Frank Edward, he is another good gospel artiste. There are lots of them because I love different kinds of music. I just listen to them one after the other.

When did you discover passion for singing?

I could say from my mother's womb (laughs). Yes, because back then my parents’ friends used to bring their kids to our house for me to entertain them with songs. When visitors came to their houses, my parents would take me there just to entertain them. I used to sing and dance for them. So, I started singing from a tender age. I remember being in a church choir at age four, then I was just singing. But when I grew up, I decided to go into other things before coming back to music.

What other things did you delve into before coming back to music?

Other things such as modelling and beauty pageants. I was a beauty queen and a runway model.

 Tell us a little about your tenure as a beauty queen?

I did a lot of beauty pageants starting from Face Of DELSU which I won in 2002 at Delta State University. Then I went for Miss Malaika where I made it to the top 10. I went as far as participating in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria and I was among the top 10 as well. And that was in 2005. I did Miss Tourism in Delta State and I came first runner up. Then I finally did Miss Revolution Delta State where I won the diamond-studded crown. I was given a Honda Civic car, a brand new car. That was in 2006.

 Are you aspiring to participate in international beauty pageants?

Well, I'm married right now. So, it is out of the way. I can't do beauty pageants any more but I could do runway modelling and my husband would not frown at it.

 Can you reach out to mothers who think that when their daughters participate in beauty pageants, it would hinder them from getting married?

I don't think allowing your child to go after her heart desires would hinder her from getting married, after all it never hindered me. I think the basic thing, as a mother, you should train your child in the way she should go, and just as the Bible says, when she grows up, she won't depart from it. I for instance participated in so many beauty pageants but it never hindered me from getting married at the right time and to the right man. Home-training is the thing you shouldn't with-hold from your child and not her heart desires. That could be her talent. So, I'm happily married right now and it has not taken anything away from me. It hasn't hindered me from pursuing my goals. The only thing it stopped me from doing is my participation in beauty pageants. But I can still do my modelling jobs and my husband doesn't frown at that. So, simply put participating in beauty pageants wouldn't hinder your daughter from getting a good husband. It never hindered me.

What thrills you as a woman?

What thrills me is the fact that I love to entertain, I love to attract attention. I could remember my very first time on stage before a large crowd. I was excited, I was home with it. I was not afraid at all. I had no stage fright.  I never experienced what it means for one to have a stage fright. I was able to flow with ease.

As a mother of two, you are still able to retain a good shape, what's the secret?

The secret first and foremost is my nature. I have always been slender even before I got married and started having children. Then, of course, I had a good body-massaging immediately after each birth. My mother in-law gave me thorough body massaging with hot water and she pressed my tummy well. I never also relented on my exercises because I was conscious of not going out of shape. That is one very thing women should bear in mind. If your hubby met you as a slender lady and he loves you that way, try and maintain that shape. If you are chubby or plumb and your man wants you that way, strive and remain just like that. I think that is the way it should be.

 What is your beauty ritual?

I don't have any beauty routine or beauty ritual. I’m not used to it. I don’t exfoliate and i don’t cleanse but i make sure I eat good food, enough fruits and vegetables. I believe beauty comes from the inside. If you want to be beautiful start from what you eat and try to have a good heart. Be happy with yourself and with others. With this, you would radiate. So, for now, i don’t have any beauty rituals. Maybe in future, I may have.

 Who are women that inspire you?

One very woman who inspires me a great lot is Mrs Josephine Effah Chukwuma of Project Alert, a none government organization that fights women abuse/maltreatment/domestic violence of all types. That woman is a mother, a wife and she is very dogged. She is one hard working woman that inspires me.

 When you are down what do you do to derive your inspiration?

Apart from singing, I read the word of God. I try to read my Bible at that moment, maybe try to locate the verse that would tackle whatever problem that is confronting me. So, the word of God has always inspires me.