Ann Anthony, known to many as Nurse Tonia, is picking up a music dream she parked years ago. Born into a musical family, she had hoped to build a career in song, but the money was not there, so the plan waited. Her debut single, Jesus Na Otokinadu, is now out on the major digital platforms and already drawing warm notice.
A US-trained registered nurse, she says the ward shaped how she sings. She ministers to patients with inspirational songs, saying that everything works together, even nursing. Some patients light up when she sings. At times she dances for them to ease the pain.
Her path started in Lagos. At 15 she moved there with her elder brother, Murphy Anthony, a former PMAN leader, to chase music and keep the family name going. Without a sponsor, the dream stalled. She would have done this much earlier, she said. They had the talent, but nobody to back the music. She went back to school and qualified as a registered nurse.
She says she cannot leave music aside any longer. She will not feel complete without giving something to the industry, and she will not let the gift waste. Her aim is therapy through song, reaching people who are depressed, heartbroken or in pain.
She calls her sound Afro-pop gospel and says more is coming. About 30 songs are already recorded, to be rolled out as seven-track albums. With Jesus Na Otokinadu making rounds, Nurse Tonia is showing that healing can arrive in two ways, through medicine and through music.
