Wiyaala

Noella Wiyaala Nwadei (known under the stage name Wiyaala; born 22 December 1986) is a Ghanaian Afro-pop singer-songwriter who sings in her native language Sissala and Waala dialects and English, often combining all three languages within her songs.

Wiyaala means "the doer" in the Sissala Dialect.

She has attained public renown with her single "Make Me Dance" and her androgynous image.

In 2009, she recorded her first album Tuma ("Work") in the Sissala language at Echo Soundz Studios in Wa.

Songs like "Dannu" and "Dirik…" soon became local hits.

Looking to establish a national career, she made the journey to Accra to audition for Ghana's own "Stars of the Future".

At the third attempt in 2011, she earned her way into the finals, winning two Golden Moments awards.

Won the 2012 Vodafone ICONS Mixed Edition contest hosted by fellow Ghanaian DJ "Benny Blanco", as part of the Ghanaian band Black N Peach, while singing Tina Turner's "Simply The Best".

After making her name in reality shows in Accra, she established a solo career in 2013 with the hit single "Rock My Body",(Dance move was initiated by Van Calebs) which won her two awards at the 2014 first edition of the All Africa Music Awards, the Most Promising Artiste in Africa and Revelation of The African Continent.

Wiyaala is also associated with UNICEF Ghana and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection of Ghana in campaigns against child marriage, child poverty, health and sanitation.

She left the Black N Peach band during April 2013, after having released one single ("Wonkoa"), to pursue a solo career with Djimba World Records.

"Make Me Dance" has been included in the top of feminist songs for the 2013 winter by Bitch feminist magazine.

Wiyaala has also partnered with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection of Ghana's government and UNICEF on several projects to help protect the rights of children and public health issues.

Wiyaala sings both in English and her native language Sisaala.

She writes her songs herself.

She has earned praise for her bold and powerful voice and distinguished timbre.

Her first release was "Make Me Dance" which featured Ghana's first-ever underwater scenes in a music video, and soon afterwards the single "Rock My Body", which quickly became a hit and won her two awards at the 2014 edition of the All Africa Music Awards.

Wiyaala won two of the coveted 23.9-carat gold-plated trophies for The Most Promising Artist in Africa and The Revelation of the African Continent.

In November 2014 Wiyaala released her "official" debut album, the eponymously titled Wiyaala which was nominated for album of the year at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2015 and the All Africa Music Awards 2015.

She headlined the 15th London African Music Festival in London.

In March 2021, she was among the Top 30 Most Influential Women in Music by the 3Music Awards Women's Brunch.

Noella Wiyaala was born in Wa, Upper West Ghana as one of four sisters and grew up in Funsi and Tumu.

She got first singing lessons from her mother, a choir singer in the local church, and she has performed ever since she was 5 years old.

Her surname, which she picked for a stage name, means "the doer" in her native Sisaala language.

During her late teenage years, she played football as a midfielder.

She attended Kanton Secondary School and later Kanton Secondary High in Tumu, where she acquired a reputation for being a tom-boy, playing football and was in demand as a dancer and entertainer in school productions.

She also attended Takoradi Polytechnic on an art and design course.

Wiyaala won Video of the Year 2015 with "Africa" at All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).

Wiyaala began her international touring career in 2015 with performances at the Hague African Festival in The Netherlands and The Afrikadey Festival in Calgary, Canada.

In 2016 Wiyaala performed at WOMAD UK where the Irish Times noted: "Feisty is not the word – she (Wiyaala) is a powerhouse in the mode of a young Angelique Kidjo, Effervescent and funny, she rocked the crowd and got a great reception" Wiyaala also joined In Place of War's "Voices of The Revolution" directed by Errollyn Wallen, an international collective of female musicians from countries of conflict around the world performing at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and UK festivals including Shambala, Hull Freedom Festival.

In 2018, Wiyaala disclosed in an interview with Becky on the E with Becks show on Joy Prime that she has been married for four years but would not disclose the name of her husband.

Only four people were present at her wedding; a lawyer, a judge and her mum and dad.

From early childhood in the Upper West Region of Ghana, Wiyaala was active as an entertainer, earning her first income as a performer in a local bar in Tamale.

After attending Kansec Secondary High School, Wiyaala's musical career began in earnest when she joined the local music scene in Wa which centred around Echo Soundz Recording Studios.

She performed at local events and recorded as a usually unpaid session singer for artists in the Upper West Region.

In 2018, Wiyaala, alongside Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American to be elected into the US Congress and Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopia's first female president and others, was selected as one of BBC News "African Women We Celebrated in 2018".

Wiyalaa tours Europe in 2019.

Wiyaala is outspoken on the male-dominated culture and polygyny of some African countries and to stand up for women's rights and against family violence in her native Ghana.

Her song "Tinambayai" in Sisaala language has been regarded as a protest against the exploitation of women in Africa.

Wiyaala has featured on BBC talking about early child marriage and has expressed sympathy for feminism as a means to encourage young girls into completing their education so that they can be the ones that make the choices in their lives and also declared her success would serve as an example to her community that there was a future for young women beyond an early forced marriage.