Nigerian singer, Asa has shared her thoughts on being a strong woman, handling love and dating.
In a recent interview with Schick Magazine, Asa shed some light on her personal life and what it feels like to be strong, date someone and be a vibrant woman in a world where everyone fights for attention.
Her words, “One day, you’re in a 5-star hotel, the next, in a below 1-star hotel. Life is full of ups and downs, and that’s what makes it stimulating. I think the most important thing is never to lose sight of who you are and your purpose in life”
“It’s either guys think they aren’t in your league or you have 150 sailors waiting at every port to swoon at your feet! Either way, it can be quite lonely and difficult to find someone who doesn’t mind taking the back seat to see you grow and wilfully take you for all you are.”
“You are simply an angry feminist. No one looks at the fact that being a strong woman is the influence of good parenting and society.”
Aṣa, born Bukola Elemide 17 September 1982) is a Nigerian French singer, songwriter, and recording artist. Her stage name “Aṣa” is pronounced “Asha” in Yoruba.
Aṣa was born in Paris to Nigerian parents who were working and studying cinematography in France. Her family returned to live in Nigeria when she was two. Aṣa grew up in Lagos city, in the south-western part of Nigeria, and 18 years later, returned to Paris, where her life as an artist took off.
Asa’s music influences grew over the years from the collection of great music her father had built up for his work as a cinematographer. These records featuring American, Nigerian and African soul classics, included musical greats such as Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, King Sunny Adé, Diana Ross, Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba. Aṣa went on to draw inspiration from them.
In 2004 she met her manager and friend, Janet Nwose, who introduced her to Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo, who in turn became the producer of her first studio album Asa (Asha).
Aṣa returned to France at the age of 20 to study at the IMFP school of Jazz music, where she was told by teachers that she should go ahead and become a recording artist because she was ready and needed no schooling. Back in Nigeria, her first single, “Eyé Adaba,” was beginning to get airplay. Aṣa soon signed to Naïve Records. Partnered with Cobhams, and with the new involvement of Christophe Dupouy and Benjamin Constant, she produced her first platinum selling self-titled album, Aṣa. The release of the album saw Aṣa charting radios across Europe, Asia and Africa and went on win the prestigious French Constantin Award in 2008, when she was voted best fresh talent of 10 singers or groups by a jury of 19 music-industry specialists in Paris.
Her second album, Beautiful Imperfection, in collaboration with French composer Nicolas Mollard, was released on 25 October 2010, went platinum in 2011. The lead single from Beautiful Imperfection is titled “Be My Man” was released in late September 2010.
Asa’s third studio album, Bed of Stone, was released in August 2014. The lead singles are “Dead Again”, “Eyo”, “Satan Be Gone”, “The One That Never Comes” and “Moving On”. She went on a world tour from 2015 to 2017.
On 14 May 2019, she released a new single titled The Beginning after a five year hiatus.
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