[FEATURE] VIPER PRESENTS: GYAKIE

We caught up with Ghanian afro-fusion artist Gyakie, following the release of her collaboration with JBEE, ‘Scar’. Learn about her most vulnerable moments and more with her VIPER interview…

What five words define your sound?

Versatile 

Emotional 

Empathetic  

Groovy 

Sensational 

Tell me something unique about your creative process

I write and record in the dark. I don’t want to see anything. It distracts me because I’m always imagining things when I’m writing music and I always want to feel like the only person in the world at the time I’m recording. 

Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?

‘Far Away’

What inspired you to make that song?

Love.

What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music? 

My song ‘Waka Waka’ was one song that I wrote in a very vulnerable state. I said everything that came to mind at that moment. I didn’t restrict or take anything out. 

What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?

•The best experience I’ve had on stage was a performance I had not long ago and what made it the best experience for me was the crowd! The crowd felt like multiple versions of me! 

•The worst experience I’ve had on stage has to be the one stage performance I had where I couldn’t hear myself and the energy from the crowd wasn’t the best. 

What is your favourite song to perform?

Favourite song to perform is ‘Need Me’ – uggghhh that song!! 

Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?

It’s a lot!! i’m gonna squeeze in three:

•Nana Acheampong (my dad) 

•Asa’s ‘Bed Of Stone’ & ‘Asha’ album. 

•Jill Scott’s ‘Who is JiIl Scott?’ album 

What’s the meaning behind your name?

My name Gyakie is “Jackie” derived from “Jackline”  The spelling was derived from my local dialect “Twi” where usually a “Gy” is pronounced as “J”

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?

If I wasn’t making music, I’d be an entrepreneur.

What’s success to you?

Success is victory, success is everything without failure. Success is where this journey is leading us to. 

What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?

When I was juggling music and school. 

Where can people keep in touch with you?

People can get in touch with me on my socials: it’s @gyakie_ on all social media platforms.