Of late African music has taken a new dimension with the women taken their rightful place in the industry, featuring a new generation of talented, romantic, sexy lady singers. They romantically combine interesting lyrics to draw their listeners closer to them than before. One such bubbling purely magic African queen is the Liberian sensation who goes by, the name L I B Queen.
The ace ebony singer uses ethnic musical forms with a true love, passion and the zeal to excel in all spheres. Already a household name back home in Liberia.
“Music is not a one day thing that you just wake up and say I am going to do it. Even though I am talented, I still need recognition” She told Weekly Fylla, she has been an underground artist supporting some known musicians like Ambassador Julee of Liberia, Fred Meiwey and a host of others, traveling all over to perform. Her tortuous journey from the scratch to where she is now was not by chance but through hard work, dedication and determination.
She didn’t go back but did her first recording as a solo artist which marked the beginning of a new musical journey, for the first time, she was free to explore her God given talent. The result is a ground – breaking mélange of Africa rhythms on melodies fused with western- inspired beat and harmonies
“In 2003 we came to Ghana for a Peace talk between the warren factions. After the event I didn’t go back, I stay here to work on my projects. It was during that period that a friend recommended Hush Hush Studio to me and I was hooked up by their management led by Daniel Adgie who decided to produce me. So I recorded my maiden album A New Day here in 2006” She started.
“I did it for my country after that barbaric inhuman treatment melted out to the people. I was only 5 years when the war broke out” she revealed and said “A terrifying crime was committed to my family. That day when I went to school I felt a severe headache and I returned home only to meet my Dada who had also came home apparently to pick something, just around the same time the war broke out” She stated.
Then there was this man in the neighborhood, who was a close pal to the family, not knowing to us, he was a spy. During the pandemonium that ensued he came to our house demanding some money but when my dad told him, his money was in the bank. He gave my dad two options, to allow him to rape me or risk losing his life but when my dad didn’t budged he killed my dad in front of me. As a result of that I elope to the bush for 3 years before returning home.
“I have wanted to revenge my daddy’s death but I was restrained by my mum, hence my dedication of my first album A New Day to the people of Liberia” she explained. My focus then was not about the financial gains but the peace in my country. It was not a commercial venture but something to unite and forget the past.”
The quality of work on this album show how matured she has become after years of music errands. The young pretty singer is about to release her second album called Pretty Woman, a song she dedicated to all women in Africa. The album will be launched simultaneously in two West African countries. Ghana in the first week of November and Liberia around December.
“This is more of a commercial venture and I hope to make it big with this album. The song depicts the braveness, beauty and the strong will to keep the smile despite the problem they go through like the war in Liberia”.
The 25 year old actress and beautician believe that her music cuts across all spheres from Hiplife, Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae and Dance Hall. Her style is a bit different from what is being done in Liberia, where copy-cut music is the other of the day. The success of the album will only intensify the flow of LIB Queen’s creativeness. She has broadened her personal music fusion, by combining American style with the African feel (Jama) as portray in her latest album Pretty Woman.
The songs were in English and her native language well bended to suit today’s African rhythm both in style and presentation. There are variety of flavors you can choose from; Hiplife (Jamalization) and Dance Hall, that is designed to move you to the dancing floor, trust JQ to make your day with such combinations. The title track Pretty Woman which featured Shege of Triple M fame will capture the heart of the listener who may hear it for the first time.
The Liberian music diva hopes to lead her country’s music into another level. No wonder, twice she was invited by the UN to perform for her country, she was also invited to perform during the inauguration of President Sheriff Johnson’s and was again invited to perform during the first anniversary of the ruling government.
L I B Queen is known in private life as Nancy Kumba Gbollie. She was born into a family of three to the late Mr. Saah Gbollie and Madam Lucy Jomah Gbollie from Liberia. She started school at a Mission School in Monrovia through AME Zion and Catholic Jnr High School where she had her basic education and then went to Methodist school for her high education
LIB Queen has been nominated for US African Music Video Award from her first act, come November. “I am very happy for this recognition and I hope to win; in fact it has inspired me to work hard on my latest album. I am going to do billboard adverts, intensive TV and Radio Promotions and so on” she said excitedly.
The eccentric creative singer, whose face is on many billboards and run a lot of jingles back home is single and believe that the future hold bright for her and hope to raise to the occasion. She paid tribute to Daniel Adjie, her producer and CEO of Hush Hush studios and her sound engineer JQ for the wonderful things they are doing for her.
Her biggest dream is to be rated among the best in Africa and capture the international market within a couple of years as she put it “I will keep on jamming and give them what they want. The songs on the latest album are already enjoying a lot of air play in far away Liberia even before it is officially release indicate how she will be received when the album comes out finally .
