Arya Starr

by

Summerfest

It's difficult to begrudge Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe a change of professional name if she expected the masses to remember her as a singer and, earlier, a fashion model. Aderibigbe followed Whitney Houston's path from catwalks and runways to concert stages and recording studios, nicking the Beatles' drummer's pseudonymous surname in the process.

And, it's been working out well for the Yoruban chanteuse born in Benin and raised in Nigeria. Starr is among young African artists transposing their continent's native rhythms to American-styled pop and R&B. Strangely enough, the results of Starr's hit hybrids often as not sound akin to Hispanic tropical reggaeton with Spanish lyrics traded out for her amalgam of English (both the king’s and the Nigerian variation thereof) and the tongue of her Yoruba people.

Themes of her songs that have hit the charts across the globe are familiar to domestic African-American vernacular music, rife as they are with romantic travails and material aspiration, Neither should be surprising, considering the influence on her artistry by listening to acts such as Nicki Minaj during her childhood. And like Minaj and other contemporary rappers, Starr is unconcerned with dropping the occasional f-bomb and other profanity in asserting her independent personality lyrically. 

But beyond the appeal of her music is the rest of Starr's entire package as an entertainer. She retains the sartorial consciousness for making bold statements with colorful attire, showing a trim figure with a midriff she often bares. And for as many music videos she has made, at last half as many show her with a different hair color. Starr sees set to star in one of the most vibrant shows of this year's Summerfest. It would be one overdue vindication for her homeland's popular music.