Nigerian singer Salawa Abeni celebrates God’s goodness in her life as she turned 59 today May 5th 2020 amidst the pandemic.
Taking to social media, she wrote a note to herself and shared a video of her lovely photos:
Alihamidulilahi oo, modupe modupe… thanking Almighty Allah for another year.🙏 HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me. Please rejoice with me my family. 💃💃💃. Thank you @besteditorstudio for this beautiful collage. @musicvibes9ja
The musician was crowned “Queen of Waka Music” by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi in 1992.
In 1976, she released her debut album ‘Late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed’ on Leader Records. Salawa who started a career in waka music, an Islamic-influenced traditional Yoruba music, is from Ijebu Waterside, in Ogun State.
QSA, as she is fondly called, is the first female recording artist in Nigeria to ever sell over one million copies.
Born Salawa Abeni Alidu, on May 5, 1961, QSA is from Ijebu Waterside, Ogun State. She began her professional career in Waka music when she released her debut album, Late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed, in 1976, on Leader Records. It became the first recording by a female artist to sell over a million copies in Nigeria.
Salawa Abeni continued recording for Leader until 1986, when she ended a relationship with the record label’s owner, Lateef Adepoju. She married Kollington Ayinla and joined his record label instead, staying with him until 1994.
She was crowned “Queen of Waka Music” by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi in 1992.
Waka is an Islamic-influenced, traditional Yoruba music style, popularized by Batile Alake; it is a much older genre than jùjú and fuji.
