Ayra Starr: How Don Jazzy added ‘Starr’ to my stage name

Since breaking into the mainstream in 2019 with her eponymous debut Extensive Playlist (EP), singer Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known professionally as Ayra Starr, has become one of the female stars whose music is adding excitement and promoting the Afrobeats genre to a global audience.

In an interview with Arise News, the award-winning singer revealed how she came about her stage name. According to her, she wanted to be called ‘Ira’ in Yoruba but wanted people to pronounce the name as ‘Ayra’, so she decided to Google the word Ayra, and she instantly fell in love with the meaning.

On how she came about the Starr in her stage name, the 66th Grammy Awards nominee for Best African Music Performance said it was given to her by legendary music executive and Mavin Records founder, Collins Ajereh, popularly known as Don Jazzy, who wanted everyone to know she’s a star.

Since breaking into the limelight, the Bloody Samaritan crooner has become a household name with her music winning her listeners around the world and several awards. She has enjoyed a hugely successful 2023 with her hit singles, Rush and Sability, enjoying commercial success.

The Mavin Record signee recently became the first Nigerian female lead artiste and the youngest Nigerian artiste to be nominated for the Grammys after her hit single Rush was nominated for the Best African Song Performance.

With the song, Starr became the youngest African Female artiste to surpass 100 million views on a single video on YouTube, and also the first to do so within five months.