Annette

The only creation more beautiful than a woman is a real woman. A real woman does not find her worth in her collection of diamonds and pearls but rather makes them valuable. A real woman does not try to be strong, she is strength. A real woman doesn’t live life aimlessly with hopes of falling into the arms of a man that will deliver her from her struggles, she is a life giver and lives her life by design, with every step taken in accordance with the life that was predestined for her to live. A real woman is not described as being beautiful, she is beauty. The world is full of women, but only a few of these women learn to unlock the real woman inside of them and live a fulfilling life. Malachi Records is proud to present the world with one of those chosen few in their well respected recording artist Annette.

Born April 5, 1983, Annette Tamunoinye Cookie, the second of three sisters has grown to become a vocal ripping force to be reckoned with. Born in the city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Annette, 23 has lived most of her life in the city. Born in a musical family, her older sister Loretha, 25 is also a cutting edge R&B singer.

Annette’s musical talents date back to her childhood days when her vocal range and angelic voice set her apart from her peers as an outstanding vocalist. Recognizing the presence of the gift she nurtured her talent all the way up to her teenage years when she began to perform publicly as a singer. At 16, keeping it within the family, Annette and her older sister Loretha formed the dynamic R&B duo Annie & Lori. Their unique singing styles, flawless harmonies and off the charts vocal range projected them to the limelight in their home city and they were well received and well respected as singers.

In her undying attempt to live to the fullness of her potential Annette pushed for more than just being recognized for being a good singer. She invested many sleepless nights working on her skills as a writer and continued to create her own unique sound. She wanted to be able to do more than just leaving smiles on the faces of her listeners – she wanted to be able to reach their hearts as well. In that pursuit, she turned her life over to God and handed her talents to his service. In 2000 she joined a gospel/R&B quintet called FM Heaven . The quintet definitely took the city of Port Harcourt by storm and once again, Annette couldn’t help but shine bright like the morning star. She joined the choir in House on the Rock, her local church and continued to serve with her gifts and her talents.

Annette’s recognition as a true vocalist with that angelic voice and rather impressive vocal range landed her on several projects as a back up singer to several Nigerian artists like gospel singer Ebiere (on her album Why Me), R&B quartet Numen and several others. She was in no hurry to launch out as a solo artist prematurely as she continued to fine tune her skills as a singer and song writer. During one of her collaborations she met with E-Trax president Victor Okon, who was greatly impressed by her vocal abilities. “It was interesting hearing her sing because her range is outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed working with her because she was not just a singer but a person of character, always willing to do what was needed to get the job done in any situation” Victor says of Annette.

In 2003 after a merger between E-Trax Productions and Malachi Records, Annette was introduced to Malachi Records president Patrick Chike who was also blown away by her incredible vocal abilities. She was signed to the label in the same year and proved to them that she was more than worth the deal.

Annette’s debut on the album, Livin’ 4, a rap hit featuring 3 other Malachi Records artists where she did the hook, Annette brought a new dimension to the track. Her delivery was very precise, her adlibs and harmony simply injecting life into the song and giving it color. She brings the story of the song to life as she sings sweet melodies telling of how God’s love is all they’re living for. She showcases yet another style on the ready made hit track Mama where she is featured with 2 other artists from the company. She shows versatility in her delivery on Holy Ghost party, a pulsating duet with recording artist Otis that continues to have listeners head bopping and spirits lifted up . Keeping inline with her strong focus to leave something on the hearts of her listeners, she takes the lead on her own song That Girl, an electrifying pop single sent out to the ladies reminding them of how beautiful and wonderful they are. The track features the hard hitting rhymes of UtchieWallie as both females drive the message to the ladies. Annette had this to say about the song during her interview, “I consider the song an absolute necessity. I think we have come to a time when we have to be reminded, contrary to what society tries to tell us, that we are indeed beautiful and wonderful creations of God. This is a message that came from the deepest depth of my heart.” Spoken just like a real woman indeed.