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Veteran Nigerian singer Salawa Abeni has recounted the physical and emotional challenges she experienced after beginning her music career as a child.
The 65-year-old Waka singer shared the experience during an interview aired on Channels Television on Sunday, reflecting on the difficult experiences that shaped her early years in the music industry.
Abeni revealed that she was so young when she started performing that she often had to stand on a stool during shows because she was not tall enough to reach the microphone.
She explained that performing alongside older musicians came with significant physical pressure, which sometimes affected her ability to sing.
According to the singer, there were occasions when her voice failed her during performances and she would struggle to continue. She also recalled instances when she vomited blood.
“When I finally started music, they used to call me Salawa o, Salawa Abeni o. Some said Omo Kekere, some said nine years old,” she said.
Abeni recalled arriving at performances where older musicians were already entertaining the audience before it was eventually her turn to perform.
“Anytime they used to call me to come and play, older people used to be there too to come and play. They would be singing before I got there,” she said.
She explained that when it was time for her to take the stage, she would be given a stool to enable her to reach the microphone.
“But when it is time for me, they will give me a stool to stand on so my mouth can reach the microphone,” she added.
The veteran singer said the physical demands sometimes became overwhelming, affecting her voice and making it difficult to deliver her performances.
“When it is time for me to sing, my voice will go. I won’t be able to sing. Sometimes I will be vomiting blood,” Abeni said.
Despite the difficulties, she remained determined to continue with her music career, describing her journey as one filled with obstacles.
“But what will be will be. It is a long journey. It is a lot of obstacles,” she said.
Looking back at how she was treated as a young performer, Abeni also attributed some of the challenges she experienced to jealousy.
She recalled that some people questioned how a young girl could suddenly attract so much attention from audiences and have people constantly calling her name at performances.
“It was jealousy. People saying that you, this small girl, who is your parent? Where did you come from that you just come, and everybody will be shouting your name?” she said.
Abeni began her music career in the 1970s and gradually established herself as one of the prominent figures in Nigeria’s Waka music scene.
She released her debut album, Late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed, in 1976, marking an important milestone in her career.
The singer continued recording under Leader Records until 1986, after which she joined the record label owned by her then-husband, Kollington Ayinla. She remained with the label until 1994.
Her contribution to Waka music was later recognised by the traditional institution in Oyo State.
In 1992, Abeni was honoured with the title ‘Queen of Waka Music’ by Lamidi Adeyemi, the then Alaafin of Oyo.
Waka is a traditional Yoruba music genre influenced by Islamic musical traditions. The genre was popularised by Batile Alake and existed before the emergence of other major Nigerian music styles, including juju and Fuji.
Abeni’s story provides an insight into the challenges she faced while building her career from a very young age. Her experiences included physical strain, difficult performances and what she described as jealousy from people who questioned her rapid rise.
Despite those obstacles, she continued pursuing music and eventually became one of the recognised names associated with Waka music.
Decades after beginning her career, Abeni remains known for her contribution to the genre and the legacy she has built through her music.
Her latest revelation offers another perspective on the sacrifices behind her journey from a child performer who needed a stool to reach the microphone to an artiste who would eventually earn the title of Queen of Waka Music.
Watch her speak below…
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