I Bathe My Son and Prepare Him for School – Cobhams, Blind Artiste

Unlike most physically challenged folks who rely on help from friends and family to move around, Cobhams Asuquo is quite a breath of fresh air. Moving around the house and doing stuff like bathing his son and doing dishes isn’t such a big deal for him.
And you would think he would be a victim of bully, especially during his primary and secondary school days, yet, Cobhams says he also did bully some of his mates, which he regrets though. Quite an interesting chat with OPEOLUWANI AKINTAYO where he talks about growing up, career, family and loads of other mind-catching issues.
Read on;

I was amazed when I saw you walking around the house without help. You must be a genius!
I don’t think there’s anything spectacular about that. The loss of sight doesn’t necessarily mean that you lose coordination or that you lose your baring.
Since I can hear, I can smell and feel, all those of those factors still help me move around freely. Seeing is great actually but I’m used to my environment which helps me move around very well.

What was it like growing up in a barrack?
It was fun, wild and exciting. I consider myself a true barracks boy because I ran through the streets, played with tires, fought a bit as a child, until a girl 5 years older than me slapped me and for the very first time, I saw stars! After then, I realized fighting wasn’t meant for me. So, I had fun and played. I had a life and totally enjoyed growing up there because it was a very eventful place where things always happened.

You must have faced lots of bullies, especially at secondary school

First of all, I’m a strong willed person.
I do what I want to do and if I do what you want me to do, it’s because I want to do it. So, that wasn’t much of a challenge for me. By the time I got into secondary school, I had lost some time so, I was older than my mates. I was friends with my seniors in school at Kings College so bullying was something that happened to me in primary school. I had my share if it and regretted that I also bullied some people.

So was it in the Primary school that you discovered your music talent?
It was before primary school actually. There wasn’t an epiphany of some sought. It just blew on me. I’ve been musical from the age of six or seven. I whistled a lot and tried to sing. I would play on anything that came my way so music just grew in me

But you didn’t study music at the university?
No I didn’t

What did you study?
My university story is interesting. I studied Law up until my third year, after which I opted out to pursue music.

Why Law, in the first place?
Because I felt attracted and called to it. I was fascinated by the relativity and application of the law in a particular situation and how it can vary from place to place, the morals and details from God that govern this world. I loved the fact that Law allows you to argue and determine who is guilty and not guilty. Generally growing up, I liked to argue and see things from a certain stand point but, I guess, the university system made me lose the taste for it

You must have fallen in love with some girl in the university
I had a regular campus life. There was a girl I was madly in love with before I got into the university so, that was there. So during the university days, I had music and friends around me to keep me company.

So girls didn’t interest you in the university? Come on!
I wouldn’t say they didn’t interest me but it wasn’t my priority. Like I said, straight out of high school into the university system, I was already in a relationship with someone I cared very deeply about. I think that was enough

Your kind of music isn’t that popular in Nigeria. How did you manage to get shows?
It was all about the music more than anything else and by this time, I was more into music production than singing. So I was making music for almost everybody. I made ‘Catch Cold’ for Maintain in my year 1, ‘Faze Alone’ for Faze in my third year, ‘Maintain In India’ for Maintain either in my second year or third year so, I was working as a producer which was my focus not on getting shows and performing.

You seem to be very close to God. If you had your sight, would you still be close to Him?
I don’t think sight is the reason why I love God. I think I’m close to Him because I found him too big in my life. I’ve had encounter and experiences that no one would have showed up and given me much hope and he just stepped in and took care of everything me. No one can be God in your life and I’m grateful to know more of Him

So were there times you asked why he created you blind?
I don’t think I’ve had cause to question Him because I haven’t had a bad life. The honest truth about life is that you can be sighted and unemployed and dealing with a heart condition and loss of loved ones, poverty and all and still question God. So I don’t think sight is a reason why I should question him for created me like this. I could easily have asked why He decided to bless me like this because obviously, He has blessed me in many ways. He has put me in a place where many people envy

So you haven’t asked Him for your sight, even if it’s to see your wife and son!
The good thing is that I think touch is better than sight. Sight is great don’t get me wrong but one of the challenges we have in this world is that we see a lot of things we can’t touch and that’s what creates desire. Touch quenches desire and my wife and kid are people that I can touch and I have a close relationship with them, I have a picture of them branded in my mind and brain. So, I know them better than I know anybody else. But if it will make my wife happy for me to see her then, it’d be nice to see. If I can touch her face, what else is better?

Deaf and dumb people usually have this bad temper. Have you found yourself snapping at someone who looked down on you?
I don’t think I have the time for that. As a kid, I saw myself as perfect. I ran around and did everything my mates did. The realization of blindness dawned on me when my mates began to drive and I couldn’t. but that was quickly replaced by the thought that being able to drive is better but you’d agree with me that in Lagos traffic, you’d rather be driven than drive yourself. Was it the passion to drive that drove you to buy a Mercedes

Wagon in your year two at the university?
Yes I guess so. I’m fascinated by two things- driving and health. So in my second year at the university, I went out and bought a car.

Did you take someone along to buy it for you?
I went all the way to Ibadan in the pouring rain, gathered all the money that I had and bought it. It was quite a car, we drove it to Lagos but it broke down on the day we bought it but I was proud of it. So, I had conquered my desire for a car.

You always say you are very romantic. I guess you replaced your disability with being romantic, so women can like you

I don’t think there’s anything to cover up about me. If I’m romantic it’s because it’s in my blood. I love to love because I was born and given a lot of love. My parents love me and I’m sure my father loved me until he drew his last breathe. My mother and siblings continues to love me till today. So it’s only natural that I show love to others. Yes, I am hopelessly romantic and it’s got nothing to do with whether I can see or not. It’s just who I am. It’s my person

So how romantic are you to your wife?
I don’t want to discuss that here but I’m romantic to her in a way she only understands But you wooed her somehow Yes. Were friends for many years even before I became Cobhams. So when she came back from America and found that ordinary guy with so much force about him, she just wondered and asked what has changed and why people paid so much attention to me. So to her, I’ve always been the same person and that’s good for me because no matter who I am, I come back home to this one person who loves me and thinks the world of me, but who also realizes that I’m her friend and husband. If my duty is to give my son a bath or do the dishes then, that’s exactly what I’m going to do

You bathe your son!
Of course! I prepare my son for school everyday and I love it.

Do you dress him up too, or you just bathe him?
I dress him up and take care of him because I’ve learnt to do all kinds of things.