Know all about Noella Wiyaala; from her Naughties to her Angelics

My guest is an edgy (in a good way) kind of girl. She is fashionable, African, down to earth and real. She is hot on the market right now or should I say climbing the peak of her career? When I had the opportunity to interview her, I was elated and so would you. Let’s get straight into knowing this African specifically, Ghanaian diamond.

AMOAFOWAA:

Please tell us your name and something about yourself.

NOELLA:

My name is NoellaWiyaala. I am a Sisala girl from the Upper West. My father is a Sisala and my mother is a Dagarti. We are five girls. I sing, I dance and I entertain people.  My style of music is Afro Pop. I had my primary education at T. I. Ahmmadiya, and attended Tumu Senior Secondary; KANSEC. I completed in 2005. I’m in my mid-twenties. I’m from a normal family where things can go well and things can go so bad.  So bad that sometimes for months you can’t get meat in your soup.  But you can’t believe this, I’m a full blooded royal. My mother is a royal and my father’s father was a chief. Somehow they met and got married. Now I’m a known singer.

AMOAFOWAA:

How did you get into singing?

NOELLA:

I was a dancer, until I started backing a local artist in Wa. Ras Bingi saw a potential in me. I used to sing in English but he advised that I sing in my local dialect, I did and it worked.

 

 

AMOAFOWAA:

Which artists inspire you?

NOELLA:

Angelique Kidjo, Tina Turner, Miriam Makeba. I love these artists because beside their talents, their stories inspire me. They embody perseverance. When you follow their stories, you realize they went through stuffs like: People not wanting to believe in them and how they suffered before finally succeeding in life. I see myself in most of their stories so they inspire me to aspire to achieve more. Angelique Kidjo always rocks as an African and acts African wherever she goes.  I love Sherifa Gunu too. She works hard and is a proud northerner. Hardly do you come by such talents, she really is a proud Dagomba and I love that of her.

 

AMOAFOWAA:

What is a normal day like for Noella?

 

NOELLA:

I wake up as late as ten in the morning, and then I make earrings/ necklaces for myself if I don’t have any engagements. I’m an artist too, I love painting. Every week, I go for rehearsals because an artist must always sharpen her tools. I believe in hard work so I always rehearse my songs with my band every week.

 

AMOAFOWAA:

Who can earn Noella’s respect?

NOELLA:

People  who respect themselves, take themselves seriously and people who are hardworking. I don’t like working with lazy people and people who criticize me without basis. I love to be criticized in a positive way though.

 AMOAFOWAA:

Do you feel very bad when you receive negative criticisms?

NOELLA

Yes sometimes I feel bad, but who don’t? No matter who you are, once you receive a criticism, your first thought will be “Why is this person telling me this?” but I can take it. Before I cut my hair, I knew I would be bombarded with comments like “You are ugly o” and the like but at least I knew it would decrease the number of harassers and chasers and I believe that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. So if someone truly loves me, that person should love me whether people find me attractive or not. People should be expecting more from me next year. There are going to be massive changes.

AMOAFOWAA:

Changes? Can I get a sneak peak into the types of changes?

NOELLA:

More changes, my sound will improve, my instrumentation will improve and whatever I did this year would really grow, so next year people should expect my daring self, my hair, my boldness, my songs but I know my limit. When I say daring, I don’t mean dressing naked and all that. I know I must dress well because I’m from a cultured home. I think the stars who dress anyhow are bad influences on the young ones and that is not the message I want to send across. So when I say changes, positive changes I mean.

 

AMOAFOWAA: What is the naughtiest thing, you’ve ever done?

NOELLA:

(Exclaims “ei! Let’s see”) Well, I was really hungry and so I stole a chicken. I have to say it and confess it now to be free. I’m sure the person knew that I was the culprit. I knew it wasn’t good but I really needed to feed. Apart from wearing boys’ underwear, I think that is the naughtiest thing I did. If you’re my boyfriend and you put your underwear down, I’ll wear it, after all sharing is caring, no?

AMOAFOWAA:

Which types of men attract you?

NOELLA:

Me I don’t care. I’m not really attracted to boys that are really handsome. I love men who are marriage materials, honest, hardworking. I’ve noticed that gentle, gentle guys are into me. Others are afraid to approach me, so I think I’m lucky that these kinds of people like me. I don’t mind a handsome man though. I just care much more about the character than physical.

 

AMOAFOWAA: Noella, what is your take on marriage?

NOELLA:

Marriage is a beautiful thing and the joy of women, ei, let me say most women since many foreigners decide not to get married. I’m an African so I respect my values in Africa, the joy of every woman is to marry. My mother is worrying me about marriage and asking for her grandchild. Right now,  I don’t want to say this or that person is my boyfriend because if it doesn’t work,  people may think I’m promiscuous so I keep my private life private. Of course I’d like to get married one day and settle down, and also have time for my children.

I want to be a good role model for the girls. So I’m setting good examples. Anyone who will come must be serious and come with a ring. I don’t support women jumping from man to man. Once you put your relationships out there, even if they fail genuinely, people who look up to you may start copying your life saying “If Noella who is my role model is doing this, then I can also do it” and that is not cool.

 

AMOAFOWAA:

What is your take on feminism?

NOELLA:

Well, as for this issue, I think women can never be compared to men and men can never be compared to women. God has given women power, power that even men are jealous for, but we are not using it well. We go to school and say we are equal but do nothing to show. If I am a singer and act right, encouraging people to act right, a man sitting somewhere will give me the needed respect. If I do not act right, why will the person respect me? We have the charm to store and give life. Women are very special.

 

AMOAFOWAA:

Which religious sect do you belong to?

NOELLA:

My father is Muslim and my mother is a Catholic. I know God put my parents together for a reason; to unify people. My father has three wives and he doesn’t force us to practice his religion. I am a moral person. I used to go to church. Although I don’t remember the last time I went to church,  I can say I’m a Christian or a Christian sympathizer.

 

AMOAFOWAA:

What is your take on domestic abuse? I ask this because most abuse cases are recorded in the north and mostly, women seem to be at the receiving end of this canker.

NOELLA:

It is very alarming and disturbing. It is very bad because a woman carries a man in her tummy and takes care of him until he grows and he grows to call women names, act cruel and beat women? Women must be allowed to do things for themselves and be educated. If at a point your life was in the hands of a woman who could have done you so much harm and she didn’t, you must at least grow up to appreciate her. And for the men who say a woman’s place is in the kitchen, I’ll tell them that I know men who cook for a living. I think this statement shows that most men are insecure and hate that women take over the world. The northern men must stop this because things are changing so they should leave us because we don’t ask for too much but they treat us as slaves. We are your mothers and sisters. The kitchen is not for women alone, if that is so, I dare all men who run restaurants to stop it now! (Laughs) Women must take their schooling seriously so they can be taken serious.

 

AMOAFOWAA:

What is your take on politics?

NOELLA:

For me to be honest, I’ve decided to stay away from politics. I made a song for my uncle who was aspiring for a political position and people tagged me as belonging to the political party he belonged to, so I learned that I must stay away from it. I need to work hard to be in the industry for as long as I can. I don’t want to be the one person who will come like the wind, blow and pass and be past. I am here and I intend to stay here for a long time. And so I’ve realised that associating ones’ self to a political party can kill talents fast. I wouldn’t mind if any of them decides to sponsor me but I will never record any song for one political party and  I advise all musicians to stay away from politics. I think that is how we can protect the peace and maintain unity.

 

AMOAFOWAA:

Do you think politicians are playing with the educational system?

NOELLA:

I think they are playing with it. Look at my hometown  Funsi, we don’t have a primary school, we just recently had a secondary school. The school there is a missionary school. Before things get there we only get the bones and not the meat. There are many schools in the south but in some northern parts; nil.  I must add this, I think harnessing the talents of students should be added to the curriculum. There are students who are not doing well in their studies but have some talent which can be harnessed. Look at me, I went to school but now my talent is working for me. In time, I plan to go and create jobs in my home town; this shows that having talent and developing it can be a lucrative path in life. The north must be well taken care of where education is concerned because there are many great minds coming from there.

AMOAFOWAA:

Now to sports. Which team do you support in Ghana?

NOELLA:

I support Black Queens and Black Stars. I used to be a footballer. I was a member of the Telecom Girls and I played number 5 and 10. I was considered a very aggressive midfielder!

AMOAFOWAA:

Wow! Then why didn’t you join the Black Queens of Ghana?
NOELLA:

I did not join them because they do not make it lucrative and even all parents tend to dislike it. Which parent will let their child do something they think will yield no results? That’s why I wrote “Go Go Black Stars” to empower the Black Stars. I could have been the Christiano Ronaldo for Black Queens you know? (Laughs)

AMOAFOWAA:

If you were given the chance by God to change something on earth today as Jesus Christ, what will you change?

NOELLA:

Wow! (Laughs) I’ll change human nature. I’ll just change the way people are so greedy and wicked that they take lives of people. If I were I teacher, I’ll erase evil because I’ll love to live to see how the world will look like without any flaw, even if it is for thirty minutes.

AMOAFOWAA:

If you were Jesus and you knew you were going to be killed, will you have allowed it?

NOELLA:

NO! No! NOOOOO! I’ll run as fast as my legs could carry me. After all, the people I’ll be dying for I know they were the same people who betrayed me. I would never allow it. As for that one, life is just one.

 

AMOAFOWAA:

Now please give your final advice dear Noella.

 

NOELLA:

I advise everyone to sit down, look at yourself and find yourself. What is it that I can do as an individual that nobody can do? We are all different and so should think in our capacities rather than copying other people because even twins are different from each other. I think everyone should find that unique talent and make it work. They should also stop blaming the government for them being jobless and find something doing. The devil finds work for the idle hands. If you look around, you can find something doing, something which can at least help you live right.

 

AMOAFOWAA:

Thank you very much for your time Noella.

NOELLA:
Don’t mention.

(This is the poem Noella Wiyaala inspired me to write after the interview)

 

NOELLA’S INSPIRATION

Bubbly bright and brimming cup

Streaming with a positive vibe

Going on and on and on

Throwing inspirations in the air

 

II

She may have a perfect life

But see how her words are filled with strife

Strife to work on and gain more

To eventually be a wife

 

III

Noella Wiyaala, babe of babes

Is the good tree which cherishes her roots

Living largely so no one can uproot

Her supporting root which holds her all

 

IV

Let all take bow under her tree and take seed

She is the one who works to feed

She calls on all to work to feed

And stop being whiners who need to be fed

 

V

Never ever give up the fight

Open and go past your hurdles

Emancipate yourselves from poor threads

Love yourself

Lean on good thoughts

And above all, learn the right

 

VI
Great words from a maestro in the making

I hope you shine on

Living like you should

Impacting lives as always

Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia © 2014