MOTS Spotlight: Emem
Her brown eyes watered as she looked at the boy on the mat, his features marred by pain, yet lit by a bright smile. How can he smile? She wondered. She unsuccessfully tried to keep her eyes on his inexplicably joyful face, struggling not to look at his unnaturally distended stomach. The tumors had grown slowly, gradually filling his stomach until he could do little else but lay on the floor, as his mother and grandmother despaired over his fate. As she and her group prayed for the little boy on the mat, she wondered whether the prayers brought him any comfort. In the quiet that surrounded them, she looked at his still-distended stomach as the group bade the family goodbye. Her heart filled with compassion, she had a renewed sense of gratitude and commitment to be the hands and feet, going into all the world with the priceless message of Love.
Emem’s expressively creative nature was nurtured from a young age. She has written poems since she was 10, and as a young girl, she loved acting in school and church plays. She also enjoyed singing so much that she memorized the lyrics to hundreds of songs! Emem has always been drawn to music. As a nine year-old girl, Emem longed desperately to be able to sing. So much so that she made a special request that God would give her the ability to sing. Funny enough, she never sang publicly until her last few years in college when her youth group put on a Christmas program. That was the beginning.
Emem was born in Los Angeles to high-achieving Nigerian parents who stressed the importance of education and wanted her to be a doctor. She initially acquiesced, getting a Bachelor's Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. However, she changed gears and decided to become a lawyer. She went on to obtain her JD (juris doctor) degree and also has an LLM in Intellectual Property and Information Law. Emem practiced law for several years and even served as an adjunct Professor at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. But, if you ask Emem which of her accomplishments means the most to her, you might be surprised by her answer “I’ve worn so many hats in my life, but my favorite, by far, is “Mommy” to my two boys.”
Emem’s life is built around her love for God, family and music. “I know it sounds cliché, but I love God because He has done so much for me, in spite of me. He is good all the time. There’s a verse in the bible that talks about how we love Him because He first loved us. I used to be puzzled by that verse, because I interpreted it to mean that this is the only reason we love Him.
Recently though, I’ve begun to understand that, because God loved me first, He sent His Son to die for me, He wraps me in His arms, He constantly amazes me. He has demonstrated His love for me. Of course, I’ve got to love Him back! So yeah, I love Him because He first loved me.”
For Emem, music is more than just singing; it creates a path
to something bigger, and more profound. “Good music, to me, is music that
edifies. Great music is music that glorifies God. Music can take
you into His presence, can lift your spirits, teach you something new, and take
you back in time. My prayer is that God will use my music to encourage,
to draw others to Him, and to bring glory to His name.”
Her passion is evident to others as well. Described by a close friend as "very passionate and dedicated to her music ministry", Emem is fiercely loyal, loves to give credit where it's due, and constantly seeks the will of God...even in the face of challenges. Especially in the face of challenges.
She is currently working on songs for her debut album; soul-stirring, upbeat hits like Flip the Page and Rebirth. Both songs are extremely special because they express Emem's perspectives on God's ability to mold us into His image and give us new beginnings.
According to Emem, "Flip the Page is to encourage everyone that, no matter where you are in the story of your life, it's not over. You may be experiencing a bad chapter, but keep flipping the page. If the next page still does not provide you the break you're looking for or the answer you need, keep flipping...keep going on. God is not through with you yet. There's a line in the song that goes "the pain you've carried, the dreams you've buried, the tears you've cried, the fear you hide and all the questions "why?" That describes where I was when I wrote the song, and though I still have some dreams that are yet to be fulfilled, many already have been and I'm so grateful to God that I did not give up. Please don't give up".
Emem fulfilled one of her passions and traveled to Ghana on
a mission trip earlier this year, and there she encountered the young boy described in the opening paragraph.
Thinking about her trip and the impact it had on her, Emem is reflective and filled with gratitude. "I've never been more grateful for what I have and where I am in my life right now. Seeing how others live has really given me a new appreciation for all I have. May God give me a permanent heart for the nations."
Onyih Odunze
Download Emem's singles {Flip the Page & Rebirth} here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/flip-the-page-single/id533642644
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ememcoker
Check her website for more details and booking information:
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