Thu, Feb 4 2010

Written by:Caragh Logan

Soul and pop singer has had a long ascent to the top. After training at the Brits School and spending the majority of her twenties in a girl band and working as a backing singer, Abena is now ready to take on the industry as a solo artist. Abena's first solo project is Live and Unsigned, the UK's biggest original music competition for unsigned musicians. Having made the regional final with a self-penned track - that the judges declared the track of the day - Abena is hoping to take it all the way and win the finals at London's O2 Arena, with a judging panel that include's friend of Rivmixx, Annie Nightingale. Mixing soul vocals with a pop vibe, Abena is reminiscent of the likes of Keishia White, mixed with the potential of Alexandra Burke's commerciality.

Who are you and where are you from?
I'm Abena, a pop / soul singer from London. I've been writhing and performing for years now. I decided from very early on that I wanted to be a performing artist and have been working towards that ever since. I trained at the Brit School, which was an amazing experience. We all thought we were superstars!  

What inspires you?
I love so many genres of music! I have a soulful voice but I couple that with pop and sometimes rock. Growing up I listened to Whitney, MJ, and Mariah - all the greats. I used to study the way they sung, so that one day I could hopefully be just as good as them.  

What have you done?
I've worked with a number of amazing writers and producers in the U.S and U.K. I have recorded with producers such as Lionel and Trevor Job, whose credits include Tyrese's multi-platinum selling album 'Sweet Lady' amongst many others. I have also worked on writing projects with Universal/Geffen.   My live performances include a number of events and venues in the UK such as China White, Café de Paris, Soho Revue Bar, and Umbaba. I have supported acts such as Alexander O'Neal, Simon Webbe and U.S act MVP.   TV wise, I appeared on Dancing on Ice's 'Ice Star' weekly for 5 weeks in March last year whilst part of a group. During the weekly show we attempted to ice skate and sing live! Nevertheless, Torvill and Dean were impressed with our singing ability, as they believed we already had 'performance quality' and we found ourselves in the final four. Hundreds auditioned for the show so it was quite a shock! A number of papers ran the story and we appeared in OK! Magazine.  

What makes you stand out?
I work very hard and I like to think that the music I make reflects that. The producers I work with have been in the music industry for years and we work well together as a team to write and produce music that people can relate to, nod their head to and generally feel good to.

Where are you going?
Fresh out of a group, I'm currently working on an album of solo material with some great producers. This year I plan to do a lot more musically on my own. There will hopefully be a release soon, no dates have been planned as yet but I will keep you 

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