By Opeoluwani Akintayo
She might not be so popular here in Nigeria, but she ‘s a big shot in Ghana. Jane Awindor, a.k.a Efya, tends more towards the slow kind of music and prefers to play life music.

Born into a family with much exposure, because of her passion for music, Efya decided to take the bull by the horn and hasn’t looked back.

Efya

Her strong vocal voice won her Channel ‘O’ and KORA norminations. In this chat, she talks about growing up, career, how she was abused by an ex-lover, her experience in Nigeria and others.

I’ve been doing music since I was a child but professionally, am five years old. I won an award in Ghana for the best female vocalist this year. I also won the City People’s Best Female Musician in Ghana this year. I’ve also been to Channel ‘O’ . And professionally, I started my career with a group called Irene and Jane.

I enjoyed my childhood days. My mother is a T.V presenter and film producer and was the first camera woman in my country. She went to a film school in Ghana and Netherland and was the vice president for International Women for Radio and Television. So I grew up in that kind of background.

When I was eighteen, I started editing with her camera, and I’ve always wanted to sing. Till I was fifteen, I was always traveling around the world with my mum because she was always going to do shows on TV. I used to do barley, play piano and voice training. So I’ve always been up and doing. I discovered my talent for music when I entered into this competition called Stars In Future in Ghana, it’s like the Idol’s. In my country, it was the first of its kind. We went into the competition and I came out first place. Before then, I didn’t really want to do music. But after then, I decided to go into it. So that was how I formed a group with Irene called Irene and Jane. We released an album in Ghana, Algeria and South Africa and it did well. We got norminated for the Channel ‘O’ award and KORA. We worked together for three years but I had to go to school. While I went to school, I released singles on my own. I finished school two years ago and started singing and I’ve releaased an album.

When I started singing my kind of music, a lot of people were discouraging. It took me like two years to put up my band in Ghana and it was a lot of stress because I did a lot of shows for free. My kind of song is a combination of nioso and beat because you can’t do without it. I also mix Afrobeat in my songs because I try to potray the African life. So my kind of song isn’t hiplife or club songs. It is a slow music but I do it so well because I always perform live. And I try to make an impression at every show so that people can remember me. But now, I’m well established and people like my music.

I’ve been coming to Nigeria to do shows for the past five years. And I’ve been here for award shows. Because of that, I already have a ground in Lagos when it comes to Efya music which is good for me because I’m young. Here, the market is open and accepts all kinds of music. So it’s an oportunity to be in Lagos.

When it comes to music, Nigeria is bigger than Ghana in so many ways. The Ghanian music is growing and it’s one step at a time. The thing about Nigerian music is that it’s so big that you don’t even know which part you want to belong. But if you find the right part, it’s a good place to be because you have the support, the market and people who believe in your kind of music.

I can really sing and it’s my voice that has got me this far. I’ve never really want to impress anybody. All I do is sing what I know how to sing. I don’t play in clubs. I play at events and sessions. Sometimes I even call for the sessions myself. So there’s nothing I can do if anyone doesn’t like my kind of music. Everyone isn’t going to sing hiphop or rap and R N B.

My new album will be out next year January. I’ve released four singles this year and they’ve all become hits. I just released a single called The Get Away. Before then I released Cigarette, Little Things and others.

The Cigarette song is all about the people in our lives that are not good for us. We know it but we still refuse to let them go. They become manipulating and try to tell you that they love you but they still beat you. And maybe because there’s a small thing that you get out of them, you don’t want to leave them. It’s like a cigarette-you know it’s bad for you but you can just stop smoking it. That’s what the song talks about-it talks about how deep you can get with someone that such person has a control over your life and you still don’t want to leave them even when they’re abusing you. What kind of love is that?

Yes the song was my experience. I was young when I went into the university and I was all by myself for four years. So I let myself go and made some mistakes. But it’s good because you learn. So, most of my experiences are good for me because I turn them into songs. I was young and fell in love at a young ageof eighteen. It was cute and I felt like I was going to marry him. But it’s okay because it made me who I am and I know what I want now.

Well, trying to be the best isn’t so easy and it’s a lot of work. There are many people out there who can sing but there has to be something different about you. It’s about being original and making people believe in what you do.

We have a lot of people who have our back. But I’ve done a lot of shows to prove myself . I can play a one hour thirty minuites show. I’ve done it for five years and I feel comfortable and there’s no way I’m going to get it wrong. Most of the jobs I get were given to me out of credibility.

I’m married to my work and my life is all about music. I’m not trying to get involved with any man

I’m very busy and don’t have time. I’ll go into a relationship whenever I’m comfortable and okay. It’s not easy to find a good man. But whenever he comes, I’ll definitely know so I don’t want to rush it.

Boys are boys and are the same everywhere. So, I don’t bother about comparing Nigerian men with Ghanian men and trying to find out who is different.

But it’s okay if you meet a good Nigerian guy. For now, I’ve not met any Nigerian guy who’s been rude to me. Ghanian men are good too. I can’t say anything bad about them because you never know who God wants for you.