Gyakie: The Afro-Fusion Song Bird Taking Flight
Carried skyward on the wings of her star-studded debut album, Gyakie is flying high. We sit down for an in-depth conversation with the Ghanaian songstress amidst this radiant chapter of her career.
Gyakie in 2025. Image property of Emily Brownett.
Some may ask whether stars are born or created, but what happens when nature and nurture collide? Enter Gyakie. This genre-blending, Afro-fusion songstress was cradled in a nest of music from birth. There's stardom in her bloodline, but alongside this inherited affinity to music, her evolving artistic passion was cultivated with love and attention.
Raised in a household filled with song, Gyakie found her voice in childhood and from adolescence, she began creating music of her own. In the spirit of her nickname and alter ego, Song Bird, her sweet melodies compelled everyone around to open their ears and listen.
She began by performing in her living room to an audience of her mother and family friends; now she captivates crowds across Europe, Africa and North America as a headline act. Gyakie's big breakthrough came in the form of the chart-topping hit, "Forever", in 2020, released whilst she was in the midst of her university studies. Today, as an award-winning artist with an array of colourful collaborations, Gyakie's wings have spread beyond measure.
Above all, the most striking thing about Gyakie is her aura. Nestled in a cosy room at Sony Headquarters, her energy fills the space around us—Gyakie's presence is uplifting and her spirit infectious. As her three-week trip to London draws to a close, she sits down with The Culture Crypt to talk about life, legacy, and of course, her star-studded debut album, After Midnight.
Before we dive into the present, we reflect on her past. At the hands of her mother and father, Gyakie (born Jackline Acheampong) grew up surrounded by song. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were playing music in the hospital as my mum pushed me out into the world," she laughs. From the very beginning, she was bathed in the vibrant, beloved Ghanaian genre of highlife.
"Girl, every single day [my parents] were playing music in the house. My dad listened to a lot of highlife and I fell in love with the genre from there. Highlife kind of blends in with different sounds and I think that is where my love for R&B, soul and jazz came from."
But there was a special edge to young Jackline's introduction to music: her father, Nana Acheampong, was a music icon. Before embarking on solo endeavours, he was one half of the notable Ghanaian duo, the Lumba Brothers, alongside the late Daddy Lumba.
Reflecting upon Daddy Lumba's recent passing, Gyakie muses: "May his soul rest in peace. It was amazing to be able to witness such an iconic legacy between him and my dad. Seeing the two of them making music was so special, they were friends who turned into brothers."
As a child, Gyakie revelled in the adoration expressed by her peers and teachers when her dad, the great Nana Acheampong, picked her up from school. As she grew older, she studied his legacy for herself and understood the impact of his artistry, realising that she'd unknowingly had a front-row seat to his greatness; witnessing her father's journey was the highlight of Gyakie's upbringing.
Other than this profoundly unique side to her childhood, Gyakie's memories of growing up in the "laid back" environment of Kumasi were, in her eyes, unremarkable: "I went from the house to school, from school to church, from church to the house, there wasn't really much going on... outside of [my dad's work], girl, it was really dry."
The thing that would add more colour to Gyakie's life was her talent, which her mother captured from a very young age. "My mum has always seen something in me that I never saw. When I was a child, anytime she would have a visitor in the house, she would call me to come and perform. I'd be in my room playing games and she'd call me to come and sing. I thought she was just disturbing me, but she knew."
When asked whether she thinks her love of music is in her blood or if it's a product of her environment, Gyakie ponders with care before answering. "It's really a blend of the two. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree: it's in the genes. My dad, being a musician, is what really influenced my love for music, so that was there. But then what I put into those music genes—that nature, whatever came from him, mixed with what I did with it, that is what has made my art become what it is, you know? It's really a blend of the two."
“One of my main goals is to really touch a lot of souls. I would really want my music to be here even when I’m not on earth anymore. I don’t worry about the numbers and the charts, it’s about the music that will be played and remembered for years and decades to come.”
As she grew older, Gyakie exchanged her living room performances for shows at restaurants and bars. She never thought she would pursue being an artist, though. Instead, she took an academic diversion, completing a degree in International Business at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology before making a home in the music industry. "In my mind, I was gonna do something around business, anything that was gonna bring your girl some money. But when God places something in your lap, you have to follow it."
Thus, Gyakie juggled her studies with making music in the most arduous balancing act. "I would never want to go back to those days. Every day that I woke up, I had to make a decision—I had to decide whether to go and play a show or do my class presentation. The more songs I dropped, the more difficult it became. That phase of my life, I don't know how I did it. But I finished my degree… I remember when 'Forever' was released, I almost thought of dropping out. But I made it."
Images via Press.Now, Gyakie holds both her hard-earned degree and a skyrocketing music career in the palms of her hands. And as she introduces her debut LP—three years in the making—the majestic body of work is finally ours to hold too. Alongside a colourful selection of tracks, varying in pace, genre and lyrical content, the array of iconic features is a testament to her own artistry: a huge achievement for a debut.
Speaking of her collaborations, she lights up with joy: "I've always had Omar Sterling on my bucket list of artists I want to work with, so to be able to have him on my first album, it feels unreal. Shatta Wale? That is legendary. I've been listening to Kojey Radical's music long before we collabed. Headie One? Come on, he's a legend. Young Jonn from Nigeria and 6LACK were great to work with too."
With each name, her excitement only grows. "To have these amazing giants on my project—it's my debut album, and for them to be happy to work with me, it means I'm doing something right. That alone is huge validation. I'm blessed. And I'm happy and thankful to all of them for gracing this project with me."
Building her own legacy, carving a path that exists independently of her father’s greatness, yet still guided by the lessons he passed down, Gyakie continues to thrive. She is twisting and turning to the sound of her drum, living by her own words of wisdom: "When you are your true, original self, people will love you." Gyakie is doing it her way, being unapologetically herself and creating melodies, sweet like birdsong, that continue to lift her wings in flight. It's a joy to tilt our heads back and watch her rise.
Stream After Midnight below: