Nigerian-born, UK-based singer Nino Mayanna returns with “Aje,” a vibrant and empowering Afrobeat-R&B-pop fusion that captures the grit, determination, and self-belief forged through her remarkable life journey. Bursting with rhythmic confidence and melodic warmth, the single is both a celebration of hustle and a statement of independence, rooted in lived experience rather than aspiration alone.
Nino’s story adds powerful weight to the music. Raised on the streets of Lagos, her life shifted dramatically at age 11 when her father ascended his ancestral throne, suddenly casting her into the public eye as an African Princess. Yet despite the symbolism of royalty, music remained her true calling. That conviction deepened in 2007 after surviving a devastating gas explosion, an event that left lasting physical and emotional scars but ultimately became a catalyst for healing and creative expression. From that moment on, songwriting became both refuge and release, shaping Nino into a fearless, genre-blending artist and a pioneer in incorporating the talking drum into contemporary R&B.
“Aje,” sung in English and Nigerian Pidgin, draws directly from a moment of doubt and pressure in Nino’s life. The song’s lyrics push back against scepticism from those closest to her, asserting the necessity of self-reliance and belief in one’s own path. That authenticity carries into the track’s creation, born from a stripped-back studio session where limited resources sharpened focus and emotion. The result is a dance-ready anthem driven by Afrobeat rhythms and grounded by raw honesty, where celebration and struggle coexist.
Now a multitalented performer and a First Class Master’s graduate in Performing Arts Research, Nino Mayanna continues to expand her artistic world with clarity and purpose. With its infectious energy and unflinching truth, “Aje” stands as both a personal manifesto and a universal rallying cry, a reminder that the grind, however lonely or misunderstood, is often the very thing that shapes who we become.
