Bella Oriaku: She's All About the Music

Bella Oriaku, She’s All About The Music…

By: Joseph Knaggs, ENGL 336

                She wants to be on that stage, not in the crowd. Growing up, Belema Oriaku, or Bella, has always been involved with music. Starting early she learned to play the violin and the flute as basic instruments. A few years later she taught herself to play the piano at a beginner level. As she got older, she began writing poetry, spoken-word and a bit of Hip-Hop/Rap music to instrumental versions of songs… and before you ask, yes she freestyle’s. Her best memory was preforming her Hip-Hop music at an event called Art Undiscovered taking place in Washington D.C. Music is also represented in her admired and looked up to figure; Kanye West. Bella believes Kanye might be typical to want to meet, but she feels theirs a little more to the publicist artist, “I see him as a voice to our younger society, he’s different than most…”.

                There’s a little more to this Hip-Hop artist as well. She’s 21 years old, born on January 30, 1995, grew up with two siblings; a younger brother, who’s 18 and an older sister at age 24. Just to mention it, she’s from Nigeria. At the age of 3 her family moved from Lagos, Nigeria to Tallahassee, Florida. Some years later, packed up again this time to her current home in Baltimore County. She attended Perry Hall High School before coming here to Frostburg State, of which wasn’t her original desire for college. Bella chose Frostburg over VCU and Towson due to her sister graduating from here making it easier for her, as well as the difference in cost of attending here rather than one of the other schools. However, she stated she has met some cool people here, and is keen on the way the black community sticks together and acts as a family to an extent here as well. Majoring in Mass Communications, she’s going for two minors; Graphic Design and Public Relations. All this work is dedicated to her main goal of being independent. 

In the future she dreams of being her own boss, and entrepreneur of a sort; she’s not a fan of working for other people. After being a waitress during high school, she now works at a call center for Financial Aid. She’s a traveler, from common visits to Florida and Disneyland to her overseas trips back home to Nigeria and to London. All that doesn’t satisfy for her hope for a trip to a private island with a few friends, and most importantly “Monkeys!”. She explains herself as adventurous, laid-back and occasionally outgoing. For the most part though, she says “I’m pretty chill usually”.

                She compliments her care-free attitude with her favorite quote, “It is what it is”. When asked why she simply responded with “cause it is what it is ya know?”,  she believes she just has to accept life for what it is. It isn’t always easy out there, which is another reason she stands with the quote, especially after totaling not just one, but two Mitsubishi Eclipse’s. The accidents weren’t all her fault, however she does admit to being guilty of “thinking I’m a race car driver”. As of now she says she owes most of her current, less reckless driving style to downgrading her engine size to a V4 Honda Accord.  If you want to check out a little more about Bella, she recommends checking out her Tumblr page