Don’t miss Winnie Ama live in Camden, buy tickets for her next show here
Winnie Ama blends conscious lyrics, soulful vocals with pop and dance and rhythms.
The Belfast born and raised Northern-Irish-Ghanaian artist has had success with multiple Music Week UK Club Chart top 10’s and support from: BBC6, BBC2, RTE2FM, FM104, BBC Radio Ulster, with BBC Introducing’s Gemma Bradley referencing her fresh writing style and distinctive voice. Winnie Ama’s writing style is inspired by Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse.
She switched from writing poetry and stories to writing music. Then she studied jazz vocals
before making her commercial music debut in 2019 writing 3 songs in collaboration with Francis Groove
that made the top 10 in MusicWeek’s UK Urban/Black Club Chart – Can’t Wait #1, I Swear #7 and Born to
Win #6. She also appeared in Photo Vogue in 2019. Her solo debut ‘What Are We’ was in MusicWeek’s
Black Club Chart for 6 weeks, peaking at number 11. In 2022 she has been the resident artist for the
Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival -Belfast, One Night Records – London and Bert’s Jazz Bar – Belfast.
Winnie Ama is also a data analyst for the Why Not Her? movement which campaigns for gender equality in the music industry and she mentors other artists. She has a weekly radio show on Colourful Radio for new Future Soul and RnB music. She also DJs and has performed DJ sets at the Southbank Centre and Electric Picnic.
‘’Ama is a model modern artist. Flitting effortlessly between vintage jazz vibes to sparkling neo-soul, she and her band took the city by storm’’ Belfast Media
Get tickets here for the gig on June 9th at Camden Club
1) How did you get into music?
I didn’t know anyone in music until a few years ago. I joined a group singing evening class as therapy after a bad breakup and I loved it. Then I posted a few videos on Facebook of some short songs that I wrote, and my friend Francis Groove asked me to collaborate on a track together. I didn’t know that he had a label, but he did, and he ended up signing me. I started writing for other artists while I was still learning to sing, then eventually I started to sing my own songs. Before that, I loved music but I was way too shy to sing on my own, so I only sang in choirs, usually at the very back.
2) What bands inspired your style and how do you differ to your roots?
Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Etta James and Billie Holiday are my inspirations. I love the emotion, soul and honesty in their voices. I am always listening to music from 100 years ago. I love the way they describe their feelings and the purity and transparency of their analog recordings. The music I make is modern electronic pop, but it’s inspired by the jazz and soul giants that were the pop stars from the last 100 years. I reference them with my writing style, tone and energy. Sometimes I also perform all my pop songs with a full jazz organic instrument arrangement.
3) What would you say thrills your soul?
I love spending time with people with the same values. I love meeting new people, sharing ideas, moving forward, enjoying the moment, dancing, singing, story telling, exploring, philosophising. A lot of things thrill my soul, there’s something beautiful in most moments and on most days that will make me deeply grateful and happy to be alive.
4) If you were to get stuck on a lonely Island, which would be the 3 albums you’ll take with you?
1/ Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – stone cold modern classics the perfect sing-along at the top of your lungs alone on an island kinda album.
2/ Ella Fitzgerald sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook – this is a practical choice because it has 59 songs on the one album and it’s just excellent.
3/ Bubba by Kaytranada – there are so many layers to it, it’s musical soul food I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of it.
5) Beatles Vs Stones?
Beatles!!! I love them. They write very simple songs, they don’t need to add a million layers of instruments to their songs to make them hit hard. My favourite Beatles song is Blackbird. I saw Paul McCartney at Glastonbury last year and it was magical. I love the film ‘Across the Universe’ too.
6) Do you believe in aliens?
I’m not certain they exist, but it would make sense if they existed since space is incomprehensibly big and there could be any combination of conditions in space to make life possible, but we don’t have confirmation yet so I’m not jumping to any conclusions. I would love it if they visited us and were sentient and friendly. I feel like we might mess it up if they came since humankind is constantly at war. If I were an alien on earth I would not be making myself known. I’d be watching people very carefully and working out the best way to introduce myself without causing a big drama.
‘’The friendly feel of Ama’s vocals and the positive tone of the song are hard to resist. It would be silly to do so, so just let yourself enjoy a few moments of happiness in the company of Here I Go.’’ – Analogue Trash
Style: Pop, Electro-pop, RnB, electronic soul, jazz, soul
Sounds like: Nao, Lauryn Hill, Jessie Ware, Banks, Macy Gray, Lykke Li, Tove Lo, Billie Holiday, Jhene
Aiko, Nina Simone, Eryka Badu.
Don’t miss Winnie Ama live in Camden, buy tickets for her next show here
Check out Winnie Ama’s Socials here:
Instagram – Spotify – Youtube
