Shola Ama

Shola Ama

Shola Ama is a British R&B and soul singer from Paddington, London, born in 1979. She begins her recording career after being heard singing at Hammersmith tube station by producer Kwame Kwaten, who works at the FreakStreet label. Her early single “Celebrate” is released in 1995 on an independent label and, while not a commercial hit, it brings her wider attention.

Early singles and breakthrough

On her 16th birthday, Ama signs to WEA. Her first single for the label, “You’re the One I Love”, reaches No. 85 on the UK chart in 1996. Her second WEA release, “You Might Need Somebody”, becomes her biggest hit, reaching No. 4 in April 1997. It is a cover of Turley Richards’s version of the Randy Crawford song. The single stays in the UK top 40 for almost two months and is one of the major hits of that year. A re-release of “You’re the One I Love” later in 1997 reaches No. 3, and “Who’s Loving My Baby” follows, reaching No. 13.

Albums and awards

Ama’s debut album, Much Love, is released in 1997 when she is 18. She performs “You Might Need Somebody” at Wembley Stadium in May 1997 as part of the build-up to the Rugby League Challenge Cup final. The success of the album brings her a Brit Award for Best British Female and two MOBO Awards, for Best Newcomer and Best R&B Act.

Her second album, In Return, appears in 1999. It involves work with Fred Jerkins III, Stargate, Shaun Labelle, Full Crew, D-Influence Productions and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, formerly of A Tribe Called Quest. Co-writers include Angie Stone, Babyface and David Foster. Despite label backing, the album does not perform well commercially, and she takes a break from recording afterwards.

Later recording and collaborations

In 2002, Ama returns to the studio to record Supersonic. She does not secure a major label deal for the project and instead enters a distribution deal with Pony Canyon. In 2004, she appears on “You Should Really Know” by the Pirates, a response to Mario Winans’ “I Don’t Wanna Know”, which reaches No. 8 in the UK. She also mentors her sister Sadie Ama, who signs a recording contract and releases “So Sure” in 2004 and “Fallin” in 2007.

Her later guest appearances include “DJ Play” with Perempay & Dee in 2009, “Cut Above the Rest” with Giggs, and a bonus-disc track titled “Blow Em Away” from Giggs’s Let Em Ave It. In 2010, Wiley forms the collective A-List, which includes Ama, Sadie Ama, Roll Deep, Mz. Bratt, Wrigley, Margs, Young Kye and Kivanc.

Recent work

In 2013, Ama narrates on My Crazy Jamaican Life. In 2015, she releases the eight-track EP Surreal on Necessary Mayhem Records, with reggae-influenced material. In 2016, she features on Frisco’s album System Killer on the track “Rocket”.