Background

I was born in Moscow (Russia’s capital) and raised by my mother. My dad died when I was not even a year old. I never knew him. When I was a teenager, I decided to learn English language, which later changed my life. After I graduated from the Moscow State Linguistic University, I started working in an office as a salesperson. We sold things to Americans over the phone. That was where I made my first Nigerian friends.

Nigeria

I started living in Nigeria in October 2020. Prior to that, I had many Nigerian friends back in Russia who made me fall in love with the country and its culture. The music, food, humour and many other things made me want to not just visit Nigeria but permanently move here. As soon as I arrived, I knew I was not going to leave. Everything seemed so fascinating to me— the traffic (which I loved), keke (tricycle) and the crazy driving. I was also fascinated by people selling things right on the road, the heat and so much noise coming from everywhere (though it makes everything seem so lively and active).

Parents

My mum was really scared and against me coming to Nigeria. She knows nothing about Africa, so she was thinking based on all the propaganda she heard on television and some things she had learnt about Africa back in school. Right now, she is changing her opinion though. I am slowly but steadily proving her wrong.

Oyinbo Marlian

In Russia, there are a few Nigerian night clubs. My friends took me to one of them, and I started going all the time. I fell in love with the music, but the song I loved the most was ‘Soapy’ by Naira Marley. Every time the DJ played it, I would jumped out of my seat and start dancing. After a while, the MC of the club (Jiga Wire) started hyping me and calling me “Oyinbo Marlian’ every time I danced.

#EndSARS

I decided to join the protests because I also want to see a change in Nigeria. It is not just about police brutality but the system of government. I want to see change because Nigeria is so rich in resources but a lot of it is going to waste or is cornered by the people in power. I have not personally experienced any police brutality in Nigeria but my friends have.

Showbiz

I have been in the Nigerian entertainment industry since the first time I visited Lagos (February 2020). I was supposed to move here then but I ended up leaving just after six days to travel to Dubai. As soon as Nigeria opened its borders in September 2020, I came back and have been creating content ever since.

Loneliness

Surprisingly, I have never felt out of place in Nigeria. I have always felt like I belong here. Nigerians are so kind and welcoming, and it makes it hard to feel uncomfortable or out of place here. I guess the fact that I spent a lot of time with Nigerians in Russia also helped because I already knew a lot about the country and its traditions before coming here. It might sound funny but I actually felt out of place back in Russia rather than here. I never liked Russian music, food and many other things since I was a kid.

Africa

In Russia, I had many friends from other African countries other than Nigeria. But for some reason, I never felt drawn to their countries or culture as much as I did towards Nigeria. Nigeria always sparked a certain interest and curiosity in me. I just could not ignore it. I would love to visit other African countries as well but Nigeria feels like home to me.

Relationship

I am not in a relationship at the moment. As for marrying a Nigerian, I have not thought that far yet. However, it is likely that I would get married to a Nigerian man because I live here.

Goals

My only goal in life is to be happy. To wake up with a smile on my face and be happy with what I do. I love acting and creating content. I can honestly say I have been the happiest in my entire life since I came to Nigeria. I finally feel purpose in my life and I’m living every day to the fullest.

Skits

I really cannot say that making skits pays well. Most times, we (skit makers) actually do it for free because of the love we have for the art. However, the more exposure I get, the more opportunities come my way.

Future

My plan is to keep growing as an entertainer. I would like to go into acting full-length movies as well. I have also thought of singing or rapping, but that might be more difficult as I don’t exactly have a singing voice.

Naira Marley

I would definitely love to work with Naira Marley since I call myself a ‘Marlian’. As for comedy, I would love to work with Lasisi Elenu and Broda Shaggi. I really admire what they do.

Embarrassment

I do not get embarrassed easily. I tend to just laugh at myself. However, there have been a few times I was trying to say something in Yoruba but I was misunderstood.

Inspiration

Talented and hardworking comedians are my biggest inspiration. I love to see a new talent get the recognition they deserve. When I check their content, I realise that they have been working for years and it’s finally paying off for them. It drives me to do more and work harder.

Admirers

It is definitely not easy when a lot of men show interest in one at the same time. Sometimes, it gets overwhelming. Many times, I end up forgetting to reply many of them because I cannot keep up with so many conversations.

But, if I know for a fact that I am not interested, I would just shut it down right there in order not to give the person false hope.

Memories

My most memorable moment was when I arrived Nigeria. I could not believe I was finally here, so I kept walking around with my jaw dropped for the first week. Everything was so fascinating. I could almost cry from happiness. But to be honest, my life here is so crazy and unpredictable that I could say every day I experience something that could count as most ‘memorable’’.

Hobbies

Creating content is what I do for fun because I love it. I also love dancing and learning new dance steps. I play volleyball four times a week as well.

https://punchng.com/why-i-love-naira-marleys-songs-juliana-belova-oyinbo-marlian/

"so she was thinking based on all the propaganda she heard on television and some things she had learnt about Africa"


Huge propaganda!