Our lives are not complete without music; it promotes relaxation, fosters romantic relationships, and even aids in making the most important choices.
Check out these 10 inspiring Ghanaian female musicians that you should have on your radar.
DARKUA
Naa Darkua Chinonye Wristberg better known professionally as Darkua is a Ghanaian/Nigerian-born musician. The singer/ songwriter is an Afrobeats an AfroSoul artist who perfectly fuses her African origin to produce distinct sounds. Darkua’s abilities are not only limited to these genres but also explore other genres to her capabilities. Before gaining any notability in the Music industry Darkua has constantly been surrounded by music.
Growing up with parents blaring the likes of A.B Crenstil, E.T Mensah, Lagbaja, K.K Fosu, and Weird MC, allowed her to cultivate her sound from a very young age at four. In 2021, Darkua released her debut single “Amalelor” to announce her presence in the Ghanaian Music industry. Which quickly become a fan favorite and was played across FM stations nationwide. After her initial release, Darkua has since released “Go Low” and two videos for both singles. Darkua also was nominated for the 2022 ‘3 Music Award’ as “Emerging Woman Of The Year.
Darkua as a singer has afro-soul blends in her vocal range helping her to experiment across a wide range of genres. Darkua’s sound thrives at the intersection of music and movement, image and object, discovering and weaving together new modes of African perception. Darkua’s groundbreaking exploration of the voice as an instrument expands the boundaries of musical composition, creating landscapes of sound that unearth feelings, energies, and memories for which there are no words.
– 3 Music Emerging Woman Of The Year -2022 – Nominated
– Opened for E.L’s Bar Concert 2021 – BAR V
ESSILFIE
Maame Esi Essilfie is a Ghanaian singer/songwriter. She is a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree holder and was making music purely for fun until 2019 when she decided to take it on as a career. She describes her music style as a lush sultry pop-infused addition to every genre she touches.
Like many artists, Essilfie’s earliest interaction with music came from her parent’s love for the music of all genres, from Country Music, Funk, and Reggae to Highlife. These and her discovery and personal like for soulful singers like Sade, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and more have all contributed to Essilfie’s current style of music.
Essilfie has performed at over 40 Live shows, including the Jameson Connects concert (2022), Social Media Week Accra, 2019 Worlafest by Ghanaian musician, Worlasi, A Night of Soul & Poetry at Alliance Français (2023), and so on. She has been featured in GQ’s Magazine online (SA), Lambo Extra, Okay Africa, iMullar, and Muse Africa publications. She has also participated in international music residencies such as New Folk-Lore (Institut Français) and Black Girls Glow. She received her first award in 2022 as best new artiste (Golden Age Creative Arts Awards) and was also awarded a grant from the British Council.
“My growth in music over the past years is what drives me to keep working hard. I feel like one way or the other, I have always been meant to work in the field of music and I know that someday soon I’m going to be up there with other great names in music.”
Essilfie is currently working on a new unique project which is going to be very different from her previous work, this is to be released by April 2023. She’s worked with over 20 producers and over 30 artists which include Fortune Dane, Ctea, Auggie, Kuvie, $pacely, Titi Owusu, Darkua, Juma Mufasa, Kwame Yesu, etc
KUNELI
Deborah Mawunyo Kunneh, better known professionally as Kuneli or Debbie Kuneli is a Ghanaian singer and songwriter. Kuneli’s music is a blend of RnB, Afrobeat, Afropop, and Soul. She studied BA in Religious Studies at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and completed it in 2020.
Kuneli wrote her first song at age 15 and subsequently recorded her debut single ‘PLEASE DON’T GO’. She continued to release ‘RUN AWAY COVER’ in 2018, ‘Guilty Pleasure’ written by her in 2018, and ‘Like I Do’ in 2020. In 2019, her hit singles ‘Odo Lastik’ and ‘‘WANNA LOVE ME’ won her lots of fans.
To continue an impressive start to her career, Kuneli released another banger Chacha 8th October 2021, and garnered impressive numbers whilst finding its way to mainstream radio rotation in Ghana. It is a deep song about people who found love again after being brokenhearted. Followed up by her current singles “Makoma (Promise) and “Understand”.
The singer has stayed consistent with her releases throughout the years and the quality of her music has respectively increased with it. Kuneli started the year with another beautiful tune “Guard Down” which encourages people to be more open to finding love and giving love. The sultry singer has confirmed that she has an upcoming single “Better Days” dropping on 5th May 2023.
The singer stated and I quote “There are times when I feel so left behind and alone and I see people live out my dreams day in and day out and sometimes being human I feel discouraged but as a person raised from a Christian background I’ve grown to know and believe Gods time is the best and the presence of someone’s win is not the absence of mine. As long as there’s God everything is possible. So I wrote “Better Days “ on a day when I fell down and discouraged and I hope others can relate too. We all have secret battles and as far as there’s God we’ll be alright “.
The singer also stated that she has a lot for her fans throughout the year and she’s excited about it.
Kuneli is currently not under any management or Record Label.
QUEEN DRIE
Queen Drie, born Adrien Amponsah, is a relatively new Fusion artist. With a unique interpretation of music that blends genres and fuses experiences, Queen Drie began music in 2020 to highlight her journey through self-exploration and awakening. Drie’s artistry begs the question “Who am I?” Her songwriting and performing goals are to connect with human intuition, challenge, and channel it towards awareness.
Since then, Queen Drie has remained consistent and released singles like Nana, Nobody, Homosapien, Mama, and Go as well as some features with various artists in Ghana and Chicago.
Queen Drie is very versatile and thus her songs aren’t limited by genres and range from Hip-hop to R&B and Afrobeats. One thing you can always expect from Drie is some very poignant bars. Her fans are in love with her pen game and continuously rave about it online. When asked about her musical influences, she mentioned names like Sarkodie, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Ms. Lauryn Hill, J. Cole, and Eminem.
As an independent artist always seeking opportunities for growth, Queen Drie has performed live at various shows in Chicago. She featured on the Summer Jam Rap Show in 2020, opened for Bella Shmurda in Chicago in 2021, wowed the audience at the 2022 Chicago Ghanafest, and recently put on a stellar performance at the 2022 All White Bash at Stereo Nightclub in Chicago.
On August 13th, 2021, Queen Drie won the Best Female Act at the Afrobeats Entertainment Awards in Chicago. Her talent and charisma have earned her the name ‘The Queen’ among the Chicago entertainment community.
You have probably seen her most recent music video, Nana, being aired on 3Music TV.
According to Drie, this song was created when she visited Ghana in 2021 after being away for almost 10 years
TITI OWUSU
TiTi Owusu, born Abigail Tiwaah Owusu is a Ghanaian genre-less and genre-bending singer and songwriter based in Accra. Signed to the UK-based independent record label, Skillions Global, TiTi earned the love and attention of Ghanaians after emerging as the first runner-up of the prestigious Ghanaian music competition, Vodafone Icons in 2014.
TiTi Owusu’s musical journey began at a young age when she used to accompany her grandmother to The Church of Pentecost, Lapaz. Aside from the church, TiTi showcased her vocal talents at parties, weddings, and school, which led to her being awarded a scholarship from Primary 5 to JHS 3. While a student at Ghana Secondary School, TiTi decided to take her music seriously, which led to her winning Best Female Singer/Rapper and other accolades in school.
A woman empowerment Afropop anthem featuring Ghanaian singer Itz Tiffany. The artwork for the single is inspired by Rosie Riveter, the woman who became the face of working women during World War II.
She lent her voice on “Until I See You” by Ghanaian rapper BRYAN THE MENSAH.
An RnB highlife tune featuring Nigerian U.K.-based singer Moelogo
Netizens have repeatedly referred to TiTi Owusu as Ghana’s Beyonce, because of similarities in their voices. TiTi’s musical inspirations include Beyonce, Celine Dion, Nina Simone, Etta James, Asa, and J Cole. She considers living performances to be one of her key talents as an artist since they allow her to interact with a live audience, and showcase her powerful, soulful, and dynamic vocal range.
ASI RENIE
Renie Asi Bampoe-Abu whose stage name is Asi is a Ghanaian singer and songwriter.
She was born in Fairfax, Virginia (USA), and is climbing up the ladder to become one of the world’s greatest female vocalists. Her unique style of singing allows her to cut across different genres from R&B/Soul, Neo-Soul, EDM, Afro-Pop, and many others.
Her music is focused on addressing social issues, empowering the youth, confronting the status- quo, enlightening people by promoting love, and telling the stories we all live.
JAMEELLA JE
After taking a much-needed break to rebrand, R& B and Afropop singer/songwriter/rapper, Jameella Jè has resurfaced.
Formerly known as Jamilla, Jameella Jè continued her music journey on November 4th with a new single, Come Thruu.
Come Thruu features renowned award-winning rapper, Kwesi Arthur, and renowned award-winning producer, KaySo. This unapologetically sexy bop consists of intoxicating melodies and lyrics delivered by Jameella Jè and KaySo while Kwesi Arthur draws us in even more with his fire punchlines and classic flow.
NAJA
18-year-old Vocalist Genuis with a meticulous finest Musicians in Ghana, Late Ebony Reigns is Called “Naja”, born Henrietta Marfowaa.
Naja is a Hi-Life, Hip-Life, Afrobeat, and Afro-Pop singer known for her delicious Voice and Joyful receptive beautiful dark skin beauty.
Naja is signed unto Vandys Empire a record label base in the USA, though the majority of her musical activities are happening here in Africa and Ghana.
The Youngest Female “A” list singer known for her Live Band performance was born on 5th July 2004 in Odumase-Sunyani-Bono region in Ghana same as her compared artist “Ebony Reigns”.
Naja at an early age had to experience the best circumstances in her life when her parents, precisely the Moth constantly allow her to accompany her to church choir practice. Both parents were singers and attendance of the Adventist Church. Both parents love to sing with her, Among the three singers, “she is the better one of them”. Says the Father always.
Naja is an Adventist, who attends every choir practice when she is in her hometown Odumase-Sunyani She was introduced into the Ghanaian music scene in 2020 when Joyprime Television from Multimedia Group Limited organized their maiden music competition dubbed “Joy Prime Studio”.
Naja was the youngest among all contestants yet she came out as the ultimate winner, getting a top-notch artist like Stonebwoy to hand over her winning prize and giving out a word of assurance to the newest Big artist; “the world needs to pay attention to this sensational vocalist, she is just the best”.
MAYA BLU
Miriam Adjei, known by her stage name, Maya Blu, was born on 6th January 2000. Miriam is a Ghanaian Gen Z Afrobeat and Afropop Artist, born in Aburi to Mr. Emmanuel Wilberforce Adjei and Mrs. Doris Adjei. She attended Morning Glory School and Anunmle for her basic school education and was an old student of St. John’s Grammar Senior High School.
Miriam started singing at the age of 15 and knew she had what it took to break into music and she did. She tried out for the MTN Hitmaker competition twice and had her “no” on the first try in the early stages of the competition but with her determination to rise as an artist, she went head-on the second time and claimed her spot in the light of fame as Mimi Gold when she strived to the semi-finals. Thereafter, Maya Blu was Bluemed!
Maya Blu has performed live on various platforms of distinguished places and is currently signed to Ghana’s leading Record Label, Lynx Entertainment.
GINIUS
Georgina Baker, better known by the stage name ginius is a Britain-based Ghanaian-born musician. The producer and singer-songwriter is an Afro-Fusion artist whose sound engineering abilities are not only limited to any genre.
Before gaining any notability, gInius had long been involved in music from as young as the age of 10.
However, it was not until 2019 that after making an appearance on one of the UK’s biggest music promotional platforms; LinkUpTV’s Producers event in London brought her to the attention of some of
UK’s finest producers and artists. She has also had several radio plays including from the BBC, No Signal Radio, London’s Reprezent Radio as well as Ghana’s YFM.
FUN FACT: Outside her music endeavors, ginius is the first black woman to study Chemical and Nuclear Engineering at the University of Leeds in the UK
ginius as a singer has afro-fusion blends in her vocal range. This includes subgenres afro-pop, alté, am a piano, afro dancehall, afro soul, and afro swing.
As a producer, she loves to experiment across a wide range of genres. She sometimes refers to this as an “Afro blend” because she explores various vibrations with Afro elements as its core foundation.
Whether one wants to dance or be in their feelings, ginius’ rhythmic melodies will always help guide her listener’s mood as she draws musical inspiration from generations new and old across the globe. This includes but is not limited to Paapa Yankson, Aretha Franklin, Show Dem Camp and H.E.R–
