Yemi Alade Nigerian afro pop singer, songwriter and
actress, is among the most prominent musicians in Africa. Yemi Alade is a
talented singer who has been rising through the ranks to the top in no small
amount of time. Fusion of Afrobeat, R&B and highlife music has seen her),
perform internationally. However, Yemi Alade is famous not only for her singing
but also for her energy and sense of humor, as well as for the African vision
of fashion.
This post explores her life, age, career, wiki and biography to show how she changed from a talented girl to a world-recognized star.
Life History
Yemi Eberechi Alade is 35 years of age as of 2024, she
was born on 13, March, 1989. She was born in Abia State Nigeria, her father was
Yoruba, James Alade and her mother Igbo, Helen Uzoma. This multicultural
experience has motivated her music and persona since Yemi is a proud descendant
of both Yoruba and Igbo tribe.
This made her appreciate Nigerian culture from all aspects since she grew up in a multicultural environment. She decided to attend St. Saviour British Primary School and then transferred to Lagos’ Victory Grammar School to complete her secondary education. Yemi Alade then immediately proceeded to university to study Geography at the University of Lagos, though she also took part in music from her early years.
An Introduction to Her Musical Career
Yemi Alade started making music in 2009 after emerging as the winner of the Peak Talent Show a talent competition in Nigeria. This win
acted as her stepping stone to a breakthrough that actually helped her gain the
stature needed to prove her worth. After this, she was contracted to Effyzzie
Music Group and started recording singles and collaboration for her new
company.
Her first single, “Fimisile”, came out in 2009 but she did not hit the forefront until 2013. Her next release ‘Johnny’ went on to create history and became a monster hit, not only in Nigeria and other parts of Africa but also internationally. The song to many listeners was close to heart as the song tells a cheater story and the music video became one of the most viewed African music videos on YouTube page.
Career Advancement and International Achievement
“Johnny” became the breakthrough for Yemi Alade towards
her rise to world acclaim. This song was included in her debut album “King of
Queens”(2014) which shot her to stardom, getting accolades and nods. The
success of ‘Johnny’ placed her within the league of Afro-pop artists, which
created an opportunity for her to penetrate other markets other than Nigeria.
Following the release of her first album, Alade did not
relent but worked further on her second album titled “Mama Africa” released in
2016. It also helped her entrench herself as one of the most prominent female
artists in Africa through songs such as “Ferrari,” “Tumbum,” and “Africa” among
others.
Yemi Alade was experiencing international acceptance as
she started her series of tours in some African countries, the Americas and
even some countries in Europe. She toured with her shows and with other artists
such as Beyoncé, Angélique Kidjo and Rick Ross.
The fourth studio album, “Woman of Steel,” was released in 2019 with the songs “Oh My Gosh” and “Vibe” becoming her hit songs. It was viewed as a natural progression of her personal growth and as the message of emancipation for women musicians. That same year, she was one of the few African artists featured on Beyoncé's "The Lion King: This one can be considered as the release of “The Gift”, the album that introduced African talent to the world.
Musical Style and Influence
Yemi Alade music has various styles of African music such as Afro-pop, afro beat, hiplife, and makossa with global pops. Although the singer has mainly focused on Yoruba and Igbo languages, she occasionally sings English, French and Swahili, Portuguese; this has enabled her to cross over some African countries and other parts of the world.
Her songs are usually centered on love, women and black
people in general. Other songs like “Ferrari” therefore set out a message of a
woman’s financial freedom, partnership, and respect. As well, she sings with
artists such as Angelique Kidjo through which she has called for unity and
appreciation of African culture.
Awards and Achievements
For several years, Yemi Alade has been given many awards and recognition concerning her music's impact on Africa. She has also had a successful run in the continental awards receiving MTV Africa Music Awards, BET Awards nominations, and Soundcity MVP Awards among others. The singer was the first female African artist to boast of one million subscribers on YouTube in 2015, showing just how influential she was.
In the year 2020, she became the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador which shows how passionate she
is about humanitarian issues. As such she serves as a champion of parities education
for women, management and eradication of poverty in Africa as well as
socioeconomic development that is environmentally friendly.
Other Endeavours and Careers in Acting
Apart from being a singer and songwriter, Alade has also embraced acting both in Nigeria and Ghana. She made her debut in the 2020 Nollywood movie "Omo Ghetto: Movie: “The Saga” directed by Funke Akindele. This has given her the opportunity to try out different areas of the show business as a vocalist, actress, and dancer.
Well, Alade is also quite unique, she also loves to make
fashion statements. She is also referred to as the “Queen of African Pop,” and
she is very proud of her African roots, she and encourages the wearing of
African designers’ clothing. Her fashion statements which are mostly bright and
lively with a touch of Ankara have continued to define her personality.
Personal Life
Although Yemi Alade has not disclosed much information about her personal life, she has ventured a little and revealed the difficulties of a Nigerian female musician in a country dominated by male musicians. Nevertheless, she continues to work on her songs and the ideas she wants to convey through them.
Conclusion
Yemi Alade was born and has grown to be a great artist as I
can say today, the journey is very inspiring with a lot of hard work, effort
and talent. Her music, a mix of Afrobeat, pop and highlife as well as her
enthralling personality and unyielding embrace of the African way, has put her
in a class of her own. She is 35 years and still breaks barriers and is part of
the new generation of African artists, changing the world music market.
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