Heute sitzt uns eine 31-jährige Nneka Egbuna gegenüber, die eigentlich allen Grund hätte, ein bisschen stolz zu sein. Vielleicht ist sie das, aber der bildhübsche Lockenkopf zeigt sich bescheiden, fast zurückhaltend. Und trotzdem ist sie stark und bestimmt. Irgendwas liegt in der Luft, etwas, das Nneka zerbechlich macht und trotzdem unbesiegbar. Jedes ihrer Worte hat Gewicht, jede Antwort ist wohlüberlegt. Nneka schafft es, Traumtänzerin zu sein ohne den Halt zu verlieren oder vor lauter weicher Wolken die Realität zu vergessen. Bloß manchmal, da würde sie am liebsten über allem schweben - nur um mal zu schauen, ob nach dieser Welt noch eine andere kommt.

Jane Wayne: Nice to meet you, Nneka. How are you today?

Nneka: I‘m okay, thank you. It's a good day.

JW: I have seen you a couple of times live on stage and everytime it felt like for some people your voice is kind of an elightenment. What's inside of you while standing and singing in front of a crowd and all eyes are just focusing on you?

N: Hm... depends on how I feel that day!

JW: Okay, let's say you feel alright...

N: It‘s always inspiring, in negative and positive ways. But regardless of what situation I had before I went to stage or after I leave it, I always tend to take the best out of it!

JW: You believe in spiritual energy and god. Do you feel the presence of both in moments like these?

N: I believe in god, I believe that there was Jesus, I believe that there was Johan The Baptist, I believe that there was a Ghandi, I believe in Mohammed, I believe in everybody who has been crucified for their own truth and were interpreted to be people they were not. I believe in repentant, I believe in the transition, I believe in the supreme power and I believe that soul should not control the mind, but spirituality controls both, the soul and the mind. Yes, these moments are full of it.

JW: Do you believe in a life after death, in something we call heaven?

N: I believe that this world here is a transition. The present is an examination, a test, a school that is training us for something that comes after - or it could be your last chance.

JW: What do we have to learn here to make it to the next higher level?

N: There are many things that you have to learn! You have to learn how to interact with people, that‘s the most important thing I suppose. Dropping your ego and being at peace with the people around you, making them feel okay, taking yourself back and practicing love!

JW: That's exactly what lots of your songs are about. But isn't nearly everyone of us in some kind of conflict when it comes to materialism? We hate it, but we like new stuff...

N: I think I have always been someone who is able to live with barely nothing. I don‘t have that problem, except for good food! You can give me rubbish clothes but my food has to be good!

JW: Do you eat meat?

N: No. There was a time when I was eating meat. Sometimes I tend to try to go back, but it's not a temptation. I can be without it really good.

JW: Besides maybe national dishes - What else did you learn while travelling the world? I mean, you travel a lot!

N: Yes, definitely. And I learned a lot! It also depends on how long you live in a place or how long you stay there. Germans are for example very very punctual, very organised. That is something every African should really really learn. And every Nigerian. Cause we don‘t stick to time. There‘s even something we call „African Time“. Sometimes we‘re just three ours late.

JW: But couldn't that also be a great attitude? In Germany people tend to be too fast, too strict…

N: Yeah, that‘s a whole different thing. When it comes to punctuality and being organised I think that is something that is actually very good. That‘s something I admire. And I think if we would be that way in Africa to certain degree, there would be so many things we could do without the west. You know what I mean?

JW: I think it‘s always difficult to find a perfect solution. Of course Africa has to help itself and it's hard to consider how far the western world should go. For example it isn't always the best way to simply spend some money…

N: Of course. I‘m not saying we should not accept help from the world outside. But the fact is that we have to tackle things: Take responsibility for ourselves, for the people as well as we must understand that we are part of the system. So it has a lot to do with our mind set and the mentality that we have been raised with, you know? Educating the masses is one of the biggest obstacles that we have to solve.