The Nigerian Afro-pop singer Yemi Alade has been a Kenyan favourite since the days of her hit single Johnny.
Officially performing in Kenya for the first time at the 21st edition of the Koroga Festival last weekend, she lived up to the hype and even more. She treated the crowd to a set of two hours and a bonus of 25 minutes leaving the fans asking for more.
Many know her after she has made her journey over time, one wonders where her journey began. “Musically, I started out as the only teenage chorister in an adult choir in church. After that I was in a girl group with my friends from secondary school.
“We then got admission to different universities and the group kind of died. Later in 2009, I won a music talent competition called The Peak talent show and my life has never been the same since,” she says.
You would very much agree that she is one of the top artistes in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Her resilience and consistency has seen her bag accolades from every front year in, year out. She has remained humble and thankful for all as she put it in her song Na Gode.
“The far I have come I would thank God for being who He is. Something else that drives me is the passion. It has kept me pushing from when I didn’t have anything to when things started getting better and it will be what keeps me going to whatever success there is for me in the future,” she recounts.
Things look easy and glamorous from the onset or as is portrayed in the media, but the vocal powerhouse has her ups and downs as well. Shedding light on how she manages to run and grow her brand, she notes; “My journey right now is that of losses and gains, ups and downs, victories, name-calling, blessings and all. It is never stable. Working with a team also helps, because it is important to ride with the people when they are resilient, innovative and share a common vision and goal with you. An artiste cannot do it alone.”
Apart from music, Yemi is also involved in charity, which she makes time for in her busy schedule and a desire she has managed to fulfill.
“I am currently working with existing communities that need help. These are people that have homes but in the dingiest parts. The particular one I work with is called Makoko in Lagos. These people need basic things like food, clothing and that is what we try to provide as much for about a year now,” she narrates.
The Tum Bum singer has been to Kenya a little over five times and has collaborated with Kenya’s finest; Nyashinski and Sauti Sol.
There is no doubt she loves it here and the people love her even more. “I go where the love is; the people, the warmth, the welcomes are very heart-warming I must say. I am always excited to be in the presence of Kenyans,” she reveals.
So does she do collabo with the 'Big Fish' wherever she goes?
“I go where the music takes me. As for Nyashinski and Sauti Sol, I was a fan of their music before I even got to work with them.” She also adds that she could collaborate with a new artiste as long as she likes their style of music.
With her interesting hairstyles and a chic wardrobe, on stage, and on the streets, the singer is a trendsetter. She had an idea of starting her own fashion line but it keeps being pushed to the backburner because there is so much she is doing in her music.
Her latest album Black Magic has been a huge success across Africa with hit songs like Bum bum and Heart Robber. With that, she would like to take it across the world starting with her Europe Tour that starts next month.
