Seyi Shay
| Seyi Shay | |
|---|---|
Seyi Shay
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua |
| Born |
21 December 1985 London, England |
| Genres | Afropop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, performer |
| Years active | 2001 – present |
| Associated acts |
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| Website | iamseyishay |
Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua (born 21 December 1985), professionally known by her stage name Seyi Shay (pronounced Shay-yee Shay), is a Nigerian-based English singer-songwriter, recording artist, performer, and record producer. She wrote and produced three songs for the soundtrack to Konami's video game Crime Life: Gang Wars (2005). She also wrote "You Will See", a song that was included on Melanie C's third studio album Beautiful Intentions (2005). Shay wrote "White Lies", a song from Chip's Transition album. In 2008, she became the lead singer for the now defunct pop girl group From Above. The group signed a recording deal with Sony/Columbia and was managed by Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment company. In November 2013, she signed an endorsement deal with telecommunications service provider Etisalat. In November 2015, Shay released her debut studio album titled Seyi or Shay. It was supported by the promotional singles "Irawo", "Ragga Ragga", and "Chairman".
Shay was born and raised in London, England to Nigerian parents. Her mother was from Northern Nigeria and her father is a native of Ife. She has two elder brothers and an older sister. She and her siblings were raised by their single mother. Shay grew up in a religious setting and felt like a single child during her adolescence. She started visiting Nigeria when she was two years old, and eventually attended the Command High School in Maryland, Lagos. She went back to London to complete her undergraduate studies. Her interest in music was influenced by members of her household. Her late mother was a chorister and her sister used to compose songs for TV. Moreover, her brother was a radio and club disc jockey. Shay started performing at the age of 6, and was part of her secondary school choir. She performed for the London Community Gospel Choir during their world tour, which included 13 cities in Japan. Shay was applauded for her performances in Japan. She studied music at a local UK college, and went on to study Business Management at the University of East London. In an interview with Lanre Odukoya of Thisday, Shay said that her mother wasn't a staunch supporter of her musical ambitions. Moreover, her mother wanted her to become a doctor or lawyer. Prior to departing the Earth, her mother told her to focus on her music career and put God first.
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