Singer Yemi Alade Reveals Why She Chose Her Birth Name Over Stage Names

• Yemi Alade has revealed why she rejected the stage names “Electra” and “Ginger” before choosing her birth name.

Award-winning Nigerian singer Yemi Alade has revealed why she abandoned the stage names “Electra” and “Ginger” before settling on the name that made her famous.

Speaking during an interview with the BBC, the singer said she deliberately avoided names that would create expectations about her personality or music before people got to know her.

According to Alade, one of the names she considered early in her career was Electra, but she eventually rejected it because it sounded too predictable.

“One of the names that I had played with in my early days was Electra, but I changed my mind because I felt that the minute you hear Electra, you already expect me to be electrifying, and I didn’t want people to see me coming or overexpect.”

She also considered using the name Ginger, but dropped the idea after realising the word already carries a strong meaning in Nigeria.

“In Nigeria, when you say ginger, it means energy, and I’m just telling everybody who I am before they meet me.”

The singer said she eventually sought God’s guidance before deciding to keep her birth name, which she believes reflects her identity and purpose.

“I honestly just reached out to God and asked, ‘Please lead me,’ and the reckoning that came to me was that I needed to stick to my birth name because it had a huge meaning behind it. Opeyemi means ‘thanks be to God,’ and Alade means ‘the one who holds the crown.’ I feel like that embodies who I am.”

Alade also disclosed that her decision to record songs in other African languages was inspired by the love she received from fans across the continent.

She explained that after seeing French-speaking fans passionately singing her songs despite not understanding English or her native language, she decided to translate some of her music into French as a way of appreciating them.

The singer later expanded the idea by releasing songs in Swahili and Portuguese, saying it helped strengthen her connection with audiences across Africa.

Reflecting on the music industry, Alade said opportunities for female artistes have improved over the years, although women still have to work hard to secure greater representation.

According to her, while the industry has become more accepting of women, female musicians must continue pushing for more space and visibility.