Jane Awindor (born April 10, 1987), better known by her stage name

Efya Jane Awindor (born April 10, 1987), better known by her stage name Efya, is a Ghanaian singer, songwriter, and actress from Kumasi. She is the daughter of Nana Adwoa Awindor, a filmmaker and celebrity host of the late television show ''Greeting ...

, is a

Ghanaian Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

singer, songwriter, and actress from

Kumasi Kumasi (historically spelled Comassie or Coomassie, usually spelled Kumase in Twi) is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is t ...

. She is the daughter of

Nana Adwoa Awindor Nana Adwoa Awindor is a Ghanaian television host and the Development Queenmother of Afigya-Kwabre district in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. In 2013, she was elected the First President of the Continental Executive Board of the African Queens ...

, a filmmaker and celebrity host of the late television show ''Greetings From Abroad''.

got her first exposure to fame when she participated in the maiden edition of the ''Stars of the Future'' talent show. She won the Best Female Vocal Performance category at the

Ghana Music Awards The Ghana Music Awards, currently known as the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music awards event in Ghana established in 1999 by a local event organizer and planner company known as CharterHouse to origi ...

in four succession, beginning in 2011. Moreover, she was applauded for her performance at the 2013 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. Her debut mixtape ''

TINT In color theory, a tint is a mixture of a color with white, which increases lightness, while a shade is a mixture with black, which increases darkness. Both processes affect the resulting color mixture's relative saturation. A tone is produce ...

'' was released on November 11, 2013. It consists of songs that were released between 2011 and 2013. The mixtape was supported by two singles: "Getaway" and "Best In Me". She released her long-awaited debut studio album ''Janesis'' on April 22, 2016. It was previously scheduled for release at different times between 2013 and 2015. On January 11, 2014, Efya released "Forgetting Me" as the album's lead single. On May 8, 2016, she was announced as one of the newly signed acts to

Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. A prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene, Wizkid is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential Afri ...

's Starboy Entertainment. The announcement came following Wizkid's performance at the Ghana Music Awards. In March 2021, she was among the Top 30 Most Influential Women in Music by the 3Music Awards Women's Brunch.

Life and music career

Efya was born in

, Ghana. She has two brothers and a sister. Efya obtained her secondary education from

Yaa Asantewaa Secondary School Yaa Asantewaa Girls' Senior High School (YAGSHS) is a public high school for girls in Tanoso in the Atwima Mponua District in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. History Yaa Asantewaa Girls' Senior High was established in 1951 by Ghana's first ...

. She relocated to

Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

when her mother enrolled at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) film school. Efya received voice training from some of her family members at a very young age. She graduated with a degree in theatre and music from the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...

. In 2008, she gained national acceptance throughout Ghana by becoming the first runner up in Charterhouse's ''Stars of The Future'' television show. She lost to

Irene Logan Irene Logan (born February 16, 1984) is a Liberian-born Ghanaian singer, songwriter, philanthropist and entrepreneur. She was just a child in the early 1990s when her family moved to Ghana in search of refuge from the Liberian civil war. Irene bro ...

, but secured herself a three-year recording deal. The recording deal enabled her and Irene to do a collaborative album titled ''Unveiled'', which was released in South Africa. Following the conclusion of her recording deal with Charterhouse, Efya continued to record songs and perform at local gigs. She changed her stage name from Miss Jane to Efya prior to going solo. In an interview posted on the Modern Ghana website, Efya said, "When I decided to go solo, it made sense at the time to reinvent myself in every way, I wanted a name that was African and unique but at the same time relevant to me in some way. My manager, Jimmi, helped me come up with the name Efya". In 2011, she signed a recording deal with One Nation Entertainment.

2011–2013: ''T.I.N.T.''

Efya's debut mixtape ''

'' was released on November 12, 2013. An acronym for ''This Is Not The Album'', the mixtape comprises 13 tracks and was released as a precursor to ''Janesis''. It was also released for free digital download and was supported by the singles "Getaway" and "Best in Me". ''T.I.N.T'' is composed of songs that were released between 2011 and 2013. It features a

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

from Black Magic. In the aforementioned interview with ''ARISE'', Efya said love is the overall theme of the mixtape and that the record is about the good, the bad, the ugly, the heartbreak, the pains, the highs and lows of life. The mixtape's lead single "Getaway" was released on November 10, 2011. The music video for "Getaway" was shot and directed in and around Accra by Sony Addo. The mixtape's second single "Best in Me" was released on February 14, 2012. Directed by OJ of Big OJ Films, the music video for "Best in Me" was uploaded to YouTube in September 2013. On February 14, 2013, Efya released "Body" as a cover of Chris Brown's single "

Don't Judge Me "Don't Judge Me" is a song by American recording artist Chris Brown on his fifth studio album, ''Fortune (Chris Brown album), Fortune'' (2012). It was written by Brown and produced by The Messengers (producers), The Messengers. The song was sent ...

2013–2017: ''Janesis'', clothing line and other releases

Efya released her debut studio album ''Janesis'' on April 22, 2016. It was initially slated for release in the third quarter of 2013. However, the release timeframe was postponed. The album's lead single "Forgetting Me" was released on January 11, 2014. The song was met with great reception. A writer for ''Modern Ghana'' described the song as a "powerful ballad that tells the story of love and heartbreak". In an interview with Alexis Stephens of ''MTV Iggy'' in 2013, Efya said the album will contain numerous love songs and explore the universal topics of hate and pain. Moreover, Efya said album draws from her personal experiences. The

Bisa Kdei Ronald Kwaku Dei Appiah better known by his stage name Bisa Kdei is a Ghanaian native solo singer and record producer from Eastern Region. Music career Bisa Kdei is the first Ghanaian artiste to break into the limelight with a movie soundtra ...

-assisted track "One of Your Own" was released on 16 July 16, 2014, as the album's second single. Efya initially wanted to release "Gingam Too Much" as the second single but after discussions with her team, she decided to postpone the release of the aforesaid single. The Kaywa-produced track "Gingam Too Much" was eventually released on December 26, 2014, as the album's third single. The music video for "Forgetting Me" was directed by Prince Dovlo of Seven Streets Entertainment. On December 23, 2016, Nigerian musician

released a solo single "Daddy Yo", with unaccredited vocals by Efya. However, Efya makes an appearance in the music video. On June 10, 2017, Efya released the reggae-infused track "Until the Dawn". It was produced by British-born Nigerian record producer and recording artist

Maleek Berry Maleek Shoyebi (born 11 August 1987), professionally known as Maleek Berry, is a British-Nigerian record producer and recording artist. After his break into the spotlight in 2012, Maleek Berry was nominated as "Music Producer of the Year" at the ...

. In December 2019, Efya announced the launch of her new clothing line called "The Native Chic". She collaborated with

Tiwa Savage Tiwa Savage (born 5 February 1980) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and performing artist. Born in Isale Eko, she relocated to London at the age of 11 for her secondary education. Five years later, she began her music career doing backup voc ...

on her single 'The One'.

Artistry and musical influences

In an interview with Danai Mavunga of ''ARISE'' magazine, Efya described her sound as Afro soul with a hint of pop. She said her sound fluctuates depending on how she feels and who she's working with. In another interview posted on Modern Ghana's website, Efya cited

Kojo Antwi Kojo Antwi, also known as "Mr. Music Man", is a Ghanaian Afro pop, highlife and reggae musical artist. Born Julius Kojo Antwi into a family of 13 siblings, he grew up in Darkuman a suburb of Accra. He has 22 albums to his name, with "Tom & Jerry" ...

, Aretha Franklin and

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

as her key musical influences. Moreover, she stated that she was into old school jazz and highlife growing up.

Humanitarian work

Efya is an official ambassador for the Awal Children of the Future Foundation (ACOTF), a non-profit organization aimed at helping victims of physical and emotional trauma, particularly orphans and street kids. The foundation was founded by Posigee, a Tema-based record producer famous for tracks such as "Sister", "Injection" and "Issues". The foundation consists of eight musical ambassadors, including Sarkodie,

Ruff n Smooth Ruff n Smooth is a Ghanaian-based music group made up of Ruff/Bullet (Musician), Bullet (Ricky Nana Agyemang) & Smooth/Ahkan (Clement Baah Foh). Although both have been on the music scene for a while, it was not till they formed an alliance tha ...

and Yaw Siki. The foundation released its theme song "This is Who I Am" in 2012; it was written by Chase and produced by Posigee. The song is available for purchase on several digital platforms, including iTunes and Amazon. All of the proceeds from the digital sale of the song goes to the ACOTF Foundation.

Notable performances

On April 9, 2011, Efya performed at the 2011 MTN Ghana Music Awards, which occurred at the Dome in Accra. In October 2012, she performed at the

Radio and Television Personality Awards The Radio and Television Personality (RTP) Awards are an annual awards ceremony for radio and television in Ghana. The RTP Awards, organized by Big Events Ghana, were first announced in January 2011. The first RTP awards show was held in June 2011 ...

, alongside

, Asem, Ruff & Smooth, D3, No Tribe and

Stonebwoy Livingstone Etse Satekla (born 5 March 1988), better known by his stage name Stonebwoy, is a Ghanaian Afropop, dancehall and reggae musician. He is the CEO of Burniton Music Group. He won the Best International Act: Africa category at the 2015 B ...

. In April 2013, Efya performed at the Carnivore Restaurant in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

; the event was organized by Capital 98.4 FM and sponsored by Tusker Brewery. Efya performed at

Richie Mensah Richie Mensah (born 17 May 1986), better known by his stage name Richie, is a Ghanaian singer-songwriter and record producer. After producing records for several artists, Richie set up Lynx Entertainment record label and released his debut albu ...

's "This is Love Concert" held on February 14, 2013, at the African Regent Hotel in Accra. She performed her single "Your Body", which was released on the same day. She also performed the remix of her "Best in Me" song with

. On March 5, 2013, Efya performed alongside

Samini Emmanuel Andrews Sammini (born 22 December 1981 in Accra, Ghana), known by his stage name Samini (formerly as Batman Samini), is a Ghanaian Reggae and Dance hall recording artiste from Wa, Ghana. His genre of music is a melodious mixture of h ...

D-Black Desmond Kwesi Blackmore (born January 12, 1987), known by his stage name D-Black, is an anglophone hip-hop and Afrobeat musician and entrepreneur from Ghana. He has been described as "a successful entertainment mogul" Early life Born Desmond K ...

Sherifa Gunu Sherifa Gunu is a Ghanaian soul musician. She was born a princess into a royal family of the Kingdom of Dagbon, in the Northern Region of Ghana. Gunu had interest in music and dance during his childhood days. Sherifa has been in various danci ...

and

R2Bees R2Bees is a Ghanaian hip hop and hiplife duo from Tema made up of two cousins, Faisal Hakeem and Rashid Mugeez. They were nominated at the 2013 BET Awards. In March 2019, the duo released their third studio album ''Site 15''. Career 2007–2 ...

at the Hope City Launch Celebration Concert, headlined by American recording artist Chris Brown. On September 22, 2013, she graced the stage at the post-African Day Parade concert held at the

Marcus Garvey Park Marcus Garvey Park (formerly and also named Mount Morris Park) is a park on the border between the Harlem and East Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattan, New York City. The park, centered on a massive and steep outcropping of schist, interrupts th ...

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

. On Saturday, November 9, 2013, Efya performed alongside

P-Square P-Square is a Nigerian music duo consisting of the twin brothers Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye. They produced and released their albums through Square Records (now Square Root Entertainment) In December 2011, they signed a record deal with Akon's ...

, MI,

Wande Coal Oluwatobi Wande Ojosipe (born 18 October 1985), popularly known as Wande Coal, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Early life Wande Coal was born on 18 October 1985 in Lagos Island, Lagos state, Nigeria, to Chief Ibukun Olufunto and Omolar ...

Burna Boy Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album, ''L.I. ...

Edem Edem, occasionally referred to by the misnomer "Edem Ani" (in contradistinction from Edem Nru and Edem Iheakpu Awka) is an ancient traditional state in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. A culturally rich, stable traditional ...

Kwabena Kwabena George Kwabena Adu (born 17 October 1981) is a Ghanaian musician, guitarist, and an accomplished draftsman. His name, Kwabena Kwabena depicts the two vocations he is presently in, first as Kwabena, the draftsman, and Kwabena, the contemporary hig ...

, Asem and Paapa Yankson at the Glo "Slide N Bounce" concert series, which kicked off in Kumasi. On December 20, 2013, Efya performed at the 2013 edition of the annual Girl Talk concert, held at the National Theatre in Accra and headlined by

Becca Becca is a feminine given name, often a short form of Rebecca; however, it is also a name in its own right. People In arts and media Music * Becca (Singer, Songwriter), (Born 1994), Venezuelan Urban Singer *Beca (musician), American singer *Becc ...

Discography

Studio albums and mixtapes

* ''Unveiled'' (2009) (with

) * ''

'' (2013) * ''Janesis'' (2015)

Filmography

* '' Single and Married'' (2012)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Efya Living people 1987 births People from Kumasi Neo soul singers University of Ghana alumni 21st-century Ghanaian women singers 21st-century Ghanaian singers Yaa Asantewaa Girls' Senior High School alumni