Today we’d like to introduce you to Esther Alayo.
Esther, before we jump into specific questions about your music, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My name is Esther Alayo. My stage name is S’TA. I am 24 years old was born in D.C. , grew up in Maryland, and I moved to Texas in the summer of 2014. Music stole my heart at a very young age. Honestly, I don’t know when I started singing. I always remember doing it. My mom says I started talking when I was 18 months and says I’ve been singing since I was two. So I think it is safe to say it is embedded in me. There is no me without it. Music is my culture and singing is my language. Because it required me to be so vulnerable, something I struggled with doing so openly at the time, I never saw myself putting anything out there the way I have been. As a Nigerian, I was raised to do “practical things” like going to school and getting a degree in something “ideal”. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but in the African community when you stray away to pursue things such as art, music, etc., you become a black sheep. It’s almost as if alarm bells start ringing. Although I come from a musical family, and my parents have always supported me, I was still always told that music wasn’t going to pay the bills and that I needed something solid. Because of this, I pushed anything that had to do with it away, and honestly, after years of that being drilled into my head, I began to doubt myself to the point where I couldn’t even envision myself pursuing my passion and dream for it anymore. When I moved out here in 2014, I had just graduated from high school, so the next step for me was college. I found myself dipping and diving into almost every single major and career path, all in the name of doing what society felt was right. Because I was trying to please others, I fell into a deep pool of confusion that I could not swim out of. But one day, I woke up and realized that I was missing one of the biggest parts of me. It wasn’t even that it was missing.
I just suppressed the thought and idea of it. The key to my clarity had always been with me. I just needed to silence the noise, pick it back up, and use it to unlock my destiny. I finally overcame my fear and released my debut single “BOJU” February 16th,2020. Taking this leap of faith, took a lot of courage that I did not know that I had. This bravery led me to uncover my inner diva, inner star, and inner light. I call this woman of power S’TA and she fears no one. So stay tuned and know that this is just the beginning.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were a lot of obstacles but the biggest one of all was honestly my lack of confidence. I did not believe in myself at all and it in fact, took years for me to get to the point where I could boldly say that this is what I wanted to do. I never doubted that I was talented. I knew I had the gift of music, but I could not understand what makes me different from the billions of other artists and musicians in the world. I did not believe that I had a “spot.” After multiple meltdowns and heart to hearts, I realized that there is not a “spot” waiting for me. I had to put in the work to create that “spot.” The moment I figured that out, I knew that the sky was truly the limit. I knew that my dreams were not impossible. Yes, I still struggle sometimes and have my moments where I question myself because my vision is so big that it scares me sometimes, but I refuse to let go or give up.
Please tell us about your music.
Seasoned with culture and marinated with soul, My music is a fusion of Afro/Neo-Soul and R&B. My Nigerian background helps me to express myself in other languages further and allows me to incorporate different elements of soul and art into my music. But even with these core genres, I have many layers that I cannot wait to show the world.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be when my mom bought me a recorder and a notebook for Christmas when she noticed my passion for writing music.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/sta3/boju
- Phone: 9033307576
- Email: estheralayo@gmail.com
- Instagram: crowned.queene
Image Credit:
Michael Fowobaje
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