The Most Promising Artiste in Africa - All Africa Music Awards (Afrima) 2014 The Revelation of the African Continent - All Africa Music Awards (Afrima) 2014 Best Female Vocal – Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2015 Songwriter of The Year – Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2015
“Wiyaala is sensational” DJ Rita Ray’s artistes to watch out for in 2015 on BBC Africa “She’s taking the musical game, devouring it, and asking for seconds” Mind Of Malaka Daily Graphic “unyielding Wiyaala blew away the richly diverse audience at Alliance Francaise” Circumspect: Wiyaala in Concert, The Making of an African legend
The Music Wiyaala fearlessly explores different musical genre in pursuit of her musical ambitions. In just one year, she has played Afro- pop sex kitten, Afro-tribal warrior queen, old school reggae man-eater, Afro-house dreamer and the nation’s favorite soccer playing girl next door. She self-assuredly inhabits every musical role with unwavering conviction whilst displaying the power and physicality of an Olympic athlete. Once the “young lioness of Africa” gets on your radar, whether you like it or not, she will prey on your senses until you are left breathless and begging for more. The Beginning Born in Wa, the capital town of the Upper West Region of Ghana, Wiyaala is the second of four sisters. Her mother was a chorister and her father a local government health official. Her childhood was spent in Funsi, a small West African village. At a very young age, Wiyaala attracted attention as an entertainer, artist and athlete. Her Madonna/Michael Jackson inspired performances always providing much notoriety in the village. After school, she gravitated to the local music scene in Wa and featured on local recordings as a session singer. In due course, she saved enough money to record an album of her own songs at Echo Soundz in Wa. The Reality Shows In 2011, Wiyaala auditioned for Stars of The Future and emerged as the second runner-up. In 2012, she entered the Vodafone Icons reality show and lead her group Black n Peach to victory. Solo Career In April 2013 following the demise of Black n Peach, Wiyaala began her solo career with the release of “Make Me Dance”and “Rock My Body” (which has received 8 nominations and awards). 2014 has seen the release of singles “You Got The Power”, her World Cup Song “Go Go Black Stars,” which was featured on Billboard, an insightful interview with DJ Rita Ray on the BBC, a nomination as a Fashion Icon, a self-titled album “Wiyaala” from which the song “Africa” was released as a single and numerous live performances on Ghana’s biggest stages including a self-produced album launch concert with her band, The Djimba World Band at the Alliance Francaise in Accra. Awards In just eighteen months, Wiyaala has amassed a string of regional, national and continental nominations and awards for her work, including a nomination alongside Angelique Kidjo and Tiwa Savage as West African Artiste of the Year in The All Africa Music Awards 2014. Although not winning this category, Wiyaala won awards for the Most Promising Artiste in Africa and Revelation of The African Continent. In 2015, Wiyaala received six nominations at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, Best Female Vocal (Won), Best New Artiste, Album of the Year, Songwriter of The Year (Won), Afro-Pop Song of The Year and Record of The Year. Wiyaala has also attracted support from major brands Pepsi and Converse.
Featured songs on “Wiyaala” 2014 Bunsun (Good Things) Idunne (You Alone) Live Audio Recordings BBC Global Beats Live Video Performances Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Alliance Francaise Featured Videos Africa Rock My Body
Discography 2012 Wonkoa Single Aspire Label with Black n Peach 2013 Make Me Dance Single Djimba World Records 2013 Rock My Body Single Djimba World Records 2013 Make Me Dance Remixes EP Djimba World Records 2014 You Got The Power Single Djimba World Records 2014 Go Go Black Stars..Goal! Single Djimba World Records 2014 Africa Single Djimba World Records 2014 Wiyaala Album Djimba World Records 2014 Angel Single Djimba World Records 2015 This Is Who I Am Single Ahmed Soultan ft Wiyaala
Interesting Facts About Wiyaala 1. Wiyaala can climb a coconut tree 2. Wiyaala earned money entertaining at the age of 5 in a local pitou bar in Tamale 3. Pepsi USA commissioned Shama "Sak Pase" Joseph (Rihanna’s Man Down) to re-work Wiyaala’s “Make Me Dance” for inclusion on the Pepsi’s 2014 “Now Is What You Make It” campaign. It was pipped to the post by Janelle Monae’s cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes 4. There is only one “Wiyaala” in Google’s universe
Links Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiyaala Twitter : @wiyaala Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wiyaala Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NoellaWiyaala Website: www.wiyaala.com Label: http://djimbaworld.com/ Distributor: http://www.jtvdigital.com/
Contacts: John Sherren, Manager (+233 240247666) [email protected] Distribution & Publishing Jeremie Varengo [email protected] PR Ghana Abdullai Isshak PR International Dotted Music
Photographic Images for Wiyaala: see next pages