It’s been an amazing induction of new songbirds into the Afrobeats scene, over the past few years. And one of such voices whose wings soar with a remarkable gusto and charm is the Nigerian-American chanteuse Adaorah. A voice replete with emotion and zen, Adaorah, born Chantel Adaorah Chukwuemeka, is steadily rising into the mainstream radar of Afrobeats’ new class of mavericks. And her timeless discography has continued to distinguish her as a voice to watch out for.

Honing her music from childhood, where she enrolled in a school for visual and performing arts, in Chicago, Adaorah roamed freely in her musical world from the tender age of 13. She kept shining for her grit, and undisputed sonority. She furthered by training as a classical musician, pitching her vocal tent as a Coloratura Soprano, a notable vocal type among the operatic voices. She’s also won gold medals for her impeccable opera and theatre performances at national levels, in the US, singing in multiple languages to the awe of her listeners.

Now, a trained actress and singer, Adaorah is gently climbing up the ladder in Afrobeats, leaving her impact in her music.

Her most recent song release dubbed, ‘Peace of Mind’ showcases the singer’s sonority, but more profoundly her lyrical depth. As a follow up to her earlier released singles, ‘Rock Your Borry’, and ‘Slowdown’, the song showcases Adaorah’s growth in her artistry, especially with localizing her content to resonate deeper with her audiences back in Nigeria.

Catching up with Guardian Music, Adaorah ushers us into her avant-garde sonicverse where wits and emotions blend smoothly to create a cathartic listening experience quite laudable in Afrobeats. She peels it back to her come-up journey, her creative process, as well as her dream to become a powerhouse in the industry.

What are you up to?
I’m currently working on creating more music right now. So, I’ve been in for a couple of weeks and also preparing for upcoming shows in about two weeks, which I am really excited about. Yeah, that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing.

Typically, what’s a day in the life of Adaorah like?
I really like exercising. So, I usually wake up early and go to the gym, and then from there I work on a couple of things with music. Either I’m doing an interview, or I am doing a live studio performance or something like that. And I also prepare with my team because we are all trying to get set for the festivals and concerts. So, we have a lot we are doing at the backend, from social to contents. Then, I actually end up with half of my day. I clock into my corporate job. I’m kind of doing both right now, and it’s been a lot.

Where did you grow up?
I was born in Onitsha. I schooled there doing my younger half there, and I moved to the state. Kind of like the early 2000s. So, I landed in Chicago and that’s where I pretty much grew up the majority of my time in the state. And I just recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue my music. So, now I am between Los Angeles and Lagos. I usually come 3-6 months on and 2-6 months off.

When did you get into music?
I have been doing music for a very long time. But the first time I really got to dive into it was when I went to my secondary school. There was this visual art performance academy that I had to audition for. So, I got into it and I kind of evolved from there. I was singing opera and I was singing in different languages; Italian, French, German and I really got to understand music theory in the real and how it originated from, you know, back in the 1800 and 1500 and all that. That kind of gave me my base to really appreciate music, and since then, I have loved performing, I love competing so I decided to pursue it full time.

How did you draw influences for your music?
I really loved Beyoncé. I really loved artists like Tina Turner, Micheal Jackson, even Britney Spears at the time. But then I also loved the musics that I grew up with like 2Baba, Flavor and all those guys that really just had that Afrobeats sound. And I really like the Beyoncé’s because they have really great stage presence. If you go to their show, it’s not just like you’re watching someone on stage perform, it’s a journey that you go on with them. So, it was really exciting to kind of channel that part of me, which is why when I perform on stage, I try to make it an experience for my fans or the audience. And I try to make sure that you know, you don’t forget me by the time I leave that stage.

So, why do you stick with Afrobeats?
You know, I always really value the fact that I have two kinds of backgrounds. I have my Nigerian background culture and I also have the American culture as well too. And you know, just because I left Nigeria doesn’t mean Nigeria left me. Being in the state, we were still very much involved in our communities. There were Igbo meetings, Nigerian conferences, things like that for us to participate and stay tuned with our culture. And so, afrobeat has never left me, it’s always been a part of my household, I’ve never left it. And so, I wanted to bring my own mix into it. I wanted to mix you know, pop and afrobeat together because I love both of those genres and that’s why I’m in it. You know, I’m in it for the love of the music. I’m in it for the stories they tell, the vibes they give, the energy they bring and it makes me want to actually be part of that.

Have you ever collaborated with any of the Nigerian artists?
Yes, in 2024. I do have a collaboration I recently finished so my upcoming single would be released probably around the end of January, beginning of February. So, I am very excited to share with everyone. And he’s an old school guy back in the 90s, but he has hit songs that just made waves everywhere. We made a song and it’s going to be awesome. And we are also working on an EP, and we are scoping some people right now in talks to see who we can get on to jump on it.

That’s quite interesting. Do you have a typical creative process?
It varies, honestly. Like, if I am in the studio and I hear a beat, I’m able to just kind of hum to it, just find my melody and then try to gibberish and then I start saying a couple words that make sense and then the next thing we start writing. The flow guided us to what story we are telling. And the other times, I just get inspired by myself, my story, and also other people’s stories. You know, the things that I see from other oriole’s experiences and I get to really channel that in my music.

What is the most challenging record you’ve ever had to make?
I don’t think I have made a challenging record quite yet, but I will say that I was recently working with one of the top producers out here and they wanted me to throw some Yoruba in there. And you know, I’m Igbo so I was like okay, I can perform for the Igbo language but Yoruba was something I’ve never done because i’ve never really channeled that side. So, it was really fun just trying to add the sauce into mine that Yoruba people add into their music. So, I think that was really challenging, making sure I didn’t sound silly.

When you’re not making music typically, what does Adaorah like to be?
I like to travel. I like taking classes where I get to learn different things. It could be pottery, it could be clay making. I don’t care, as long as it’s fun, I get to learn something new. So, I love doing that. I love exercising too, It really helps to clear my mind and start my day. It keeps me strong and helps me with my stamina especially when I perform on stage. And I just like to spend time with my friends and family, to be honest. Like I feel like I don’t get that much time with them as much as we used to get when we were younger. Now, we are all fighting for our lives. So, it’s really nice to just spend these times and also enjoy my alone time. Like I really do Netflix and chill with myself.

What do you want people to experience from your artistry in the long run?
You know, I want my fans to be as flexible as I plan to be with my music. I think that you know, one thing that happens with artists is that they always get pigeonhole category, one genre. And I want to explore all types of sounds within afrobeat, not just what you’ll typically hear. So, I want my fans to be ready for diversity, for my music to be multifaceted and to just go with flow because regardless, it’s going to sound good and they are going to love it. So, just go with the flow.

If you are going to describe your brand or your artistry to someone in one word or phrase, what would it be?
Powerhouse. That’s the goal.