Waka music icon Salawa “Queen of Waka Music” Abeni has opened up about the challenges she faced at the beginning of her music career, revealing how jealousy and alleged “diabolical attacks” from senior colleagues nearly forced her out of the industry.
The 65-year-old began her career in 1976 with the release of her debut hit album, “Late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed.”
Speaking on “Rubin’s Mind” on Channels Television on Sunday night, she recounted some of the challenges she faced, including losing her voice and vomiting blood at different points in her career.
Abeni said she developed an interest in music at the age of nine and regularly performed alongside older musicians whenever they invited her to join them.
She said, “So they (the elderly ones) would sing before I got there. But when it was time for me, they would give me a stool to stand on so my mouth could reach the microphone. So when it was time for me to sing, my brother, my voice would go. I couldn’t sing. Sometimes I would even vomit blood. But what could I do? It’s a long journey. There are a lot of obstacles. You know, how do I say it in Yoruba… in English, it’s jealousy. Yes. Like, ‘You, this small girl, who is your parent?
