Paulina Oduro is a

Ghana 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 ...

ian

highlife Highlife is a music genre that started in present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its Gold Coast (British colony), history as a colony of the British Empire and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It describes multiple local fusions ...

musician, actress, talent show judge and stage performer.

Early life

Paulina Oduro was born in

Sekondi-Takoradi Sekondi-Takoradi is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi – Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly and the Western Region of Ghana. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city and an indus ...

in the Western Region of Ghana. When she was seven years old she moved to

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

for two years with her father, a diplomat, and mother, and took lessons in playing classical piano until the age of nine. She travelled to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

with her parents when she was 10, and took part in many school plays, acting and dancing. She became a qualified nurse a decade later, but at 21 years old left this profession to pursue the performing arts and started singing professionally.

Musical career

Oduro's singing career became commercial in the 1980s when she was introduced to

soca music Soca music is a genre of music defined by Lord Shorty, its inventor, as the "Soul of Calypso", which has influences of African and East Indian rhythms. It was originally spelt "sokah" by its inventor but through an error in a local newspaper ...

and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

by musicians and bands she played with, including

David Rudder David Michael Rudder OCC (born 6 May 1953) is a Trinidadian calypsonian, known to be one of the most successful calypsonians of all time. He performed as lead singer for the brass band Charlie's Roots. Nine years later, Rudder stepped outside t ...

and

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

. She was part of the

Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

reggae band in 1982 which released the single "Loving You This Way" within a period of six months. Oduro went solo in 1999, launching her album ''Woman Power''.

Personal life

Oduro reportedly moved to settle in Ghana in 2009 due to her son Raymond Charles's Jnr embarrassing the family stealing her beads. Her grandson Carter is a famous footballer in Wales, United

Kingdom Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

. She claims to be the mother Teresa of Ghana. This is of course alleged.

Performances for charity

Oduro has supported several fundraising and charity events with her performances. These events include ''Love Your World 5000'' for

Autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

awareness, Dream Child African Renaissance Project and ''Grand Ball'' by MUSIGA.

Natural Skin Tone campaign

Oduro has served as an ambassador for a campaign launched in July 2014 by Ama K. Abebrese promoting natural skin tones. She joins other famous women in Ghana, including Hamamat Montia and

Nana Ama McBrown Felicity Ama Agyemang (born 15 August 1973), popularly known as Nana Ama McBrown, is a Ghanaian actress, TV presenter and a music writer. She rose to prominence for her role in television series ''Tentacles''. Later, she found mainstream success ...

, as forerunners in fighting skin bleaching in the "I love My Natural Skin Tone" campaign.

Filmography

*'' Coming to Africa'' *''Love Regardless'' *''The Hero: Service to Humanity'' *''Chronicles of Odumkrom: The Headmaster''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oduro, Paulina Living people Ghanaian women musicians Ghanaian actresses Year of birth missing (living people) Ghanaian highlife musicians