Ghanaian Afro pop musician, Wiyaala has recalled how excited and overwhelmed she was after receiving GHc300.70 for her first official performance at Tennis Club in Tema.
Her dream to become star was almost crushed after failing to win the first position in Stars of The Future reality show.
But she was bent on making her music dream come to reality and was fortunate to meet her manager, John Sherren who was also her lecturer.
Real named Noella Wiyaala, she recounted how her manager helped her performed her first Karoake.
Wiyaala speaking with GhOne TV’s Kafui Dey said she did not have problems only with money to feed but also had challenges with her accommodation in Accra that she had to go back to Wa.
“At some point, I had to beg for one cedi on the streets of Accra. I had challenges with accommodation, things were not going on well so I had to go back to Wa. Although I had some people who were willing to help with my music, I could not burden them with my problem. People were asking me that will I not come back to school? But they did not know what was going on with me.”
According to the ‘Rock My Body’ singer, in spite of her several challenges of begging on the streets of Accra to feed herself after the Stars of the Future reality show, she was not discouraged about her dream.
Wiyaala said upon hearing of Ghallywood School, she enrolled and that led to her breakthrough in the music industry.
“I told my lecturer now manager about how my dream to be musician was shut after Stars of the Future reality show because of financial constraints and he told me to sing for the class, which I did. He was impressed with my performance so he promised me he is going back to the UK and will get me a P.A system for me to do a Karaoke but I didn’t know what Karoake was, I thought it was a big show.
“My first Karaoke show was at the Tennis Club in Tema where after performing to the crowd, someone took off his cap and they all dropped money in it. I earned GHc300.70 and that was how John started with the management role. He gave me the chance to be myself.” Wiyaala said on GHOne TV.
Wiyaala’s music style has been described as Afro-pop or Afro-rock with elements of tribal folk music.
