‘Many pipo disrespect me, pipo wey dey call me madam, madam wen my husband die dem begin call me Idowu’
Popular Nollywood actress Idowu Philips wey pipo sabi as Mama Rainbow open up on how di death of her husband change her life.
For interview wit BBC Yoruba, di 80-year-old say she suffer well-well to train her five children .
“I be good mama wey suffer sake of my children, E bin dey hard for me sotee for di house wey I dey live, dem dey laugh at me.”
She tok about how she survive as a single mother wit five children to train.
‘Nobody struggle pass me’
Mama Rainbow say she hustle pass anybody
“Una sabi say wahala dey quick make pesin old.
“For me to cater to five children wit no husband and dem go school, dem graduate, una sabi say e no easy.”
She say na grace help am. Explain say her husband bin dey sick for over tw years before im later die for 1984.
“Dat time my children still dey young and dat na wia di problem start for me.
“Di day wen e die, I bin think say di world wan come to an end
“Wen dem bring di children, I say make dem no worry, say hope dem don carry di dead body put inside grave
“I ask dem to put all di children inside di grave make dem bury all of dem togeda.
Mama Rainbow say she tok am because she bin no fit take care of dem.
“Wen two pipo do am e no easy, now only one pesin. Na just God help me, many pipo fight wit me, some pipo disrespect me .”
Di veteran actress say some pipo wey bin dey call am madam begin tell am ‘Idowu come here’.
“Dis na pipo wey my husband bin dey feed before im death”, she reveal.
She add am say dis na why she no dey follow some pipo work again for di Nigerian movie industry.
‘Dem call me di cheapest actress for news put my picture’
“if pesin husband die, dem go disrespect am, e no get wetin dem no fit do to am,” she allege.
She narrate how she bin go location one day, wia di pesin wey call dem go no tok truth say im no get money.
“If dem don pay camera pipo and we see say e get pipo wey dey feem us, we dey happy .
“Wen e reach night we go sleep beside mud houses inside some village.
“For one popular magazine, dem call me di cheapest actress, put my foto. Pipo wey read am dat time sabi di tori.
“If movie producers give me two thousand naira, I go thank dem and even pray for dem .
“Wen I ask wen I go collect di remaining fee, dem go tell me say my scene still remain about four, say make I come back.
“Na lie o, by di time I wait, I go see say dem don begin sell di feem for market.
Dem no go pay me di balance. As I no get husband wey go give me money, I go collect am like dat.
Mama Rainbow also tok hw she go use leg waka from location.
“Wen my colleaue ask wia I wan enta bus, I go tell dem say I wan visit one of my sisters for dat area.
“I dey hide make dem no know say na leg I wan use waka go house.”
She say she no go fit advise pipo to suffer like am, because e no easy.
“Na only if God help you, e no easy.
Mama Rainbow bin live for trenches
“I go go church on Sunday, before I come back water don full for my house.
Rain dey fall enta everywia and we go begin pack water.
She add am say she bin don comot one day come back to meet her children dey cry.
“Dem tell me say di landlady come di house say if I no fit afford rent, make I go die like my husband die.
She say many of her neighbours mock am
“Now my children go sometimes ask me why I dey laugh, but na me sabi wetin I dey think about.
“I too suffer ontop my children but I happy now say di suffer don pay off.” she tok.
Who be Mama Rainbow?
Her real name na Idowu Philips.
Dem born her on October 16, 1942.
She be popular Nigerian actress, producer and director wey don feature for over hundred movies since she become household name since di 90s.
She also be ambassador for some ogbonge brands inside Nigeria.
Madam Idowu Philips na one of di pioneers of di Nigerian movie industry Nollywood.
She hail from Ogun State, South West of Nigeria.
