Nnenna Shelby is not your regular, next door teen. At just fifteen, this Nigerian-American girl is gifted with the kind of talent reminiscence of Beyonce at the genesis of her career with Destiny Child. Coincidentally, like Beyonce, Nnenna has the support of her family, especially her Nigerian dad who doubles as her manager; her African-American mum, and two younger brothers; Amos and Theodore.
New Artiste- Nnenna Shelby
‘I like to write stories about people’s lives. I like my lyrics to be able to relate to other people about things that they have been through. I also try to be encouraging with my lyrics. Help people to push on and be better and do better.’
The Texas-born artiste did not discovered music rather it was music that found a fertile soil in her. Treading down memory lane, Nnenna recalls how the flames of music were stoked in her heart at a tender age. ‘ My parents exposed us to all kinds of music when we were growing up. I grew up listening to Jimmy Hendrix, Michael Jackson and lots of dance, R&B and salsa.’
By the time she turned ten, Nnenna has started playing the bass guitar, writing her own songs and generally experimenting with music.
The United States was however not where Nnenna’s musical career would be launched. Destiny has it all pre-arranged that Nigeria is where her talents will find its audience. In August, 2011, the family decided to return to Nigeria. The decision was necessitated by the fact that the parents wanted their children to ‘get educated in the Nigerian system.’
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Even as a tenth grade pupil in a Lagos private school, Nnenna’s passion for music cannot be subdued. Despite being regular at school, she still find time to perform at events and go for studio sessions, which has so far produced three sensational singles; Feel the Music, Reflection and Nogere – all which are currently enjoying massive airplay across radio stations in the country.
In the Nigerian musical scene, Nnenna Shelby looks up to the likes of Asa and Tiwa Savage. For her genre of music which can best be described as Afro-R&B, Nnenna explains that her target audience are youths and young adults.
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