Anna Efah is a born and raised South Londoner of Ghanaian origin. Having been influenced by her parents’ singing abilities since childhood, Anna pursued singing and was actively involved in musical events from churches to concerts.
Anna’s debut single “Lost Without You” was released on 30th December 2021. The song was produced by Iziah Yarde - who has performed for Ellie Goulding, Stormzy and Griff, to name a few. This song was written when she was 19 years old and has been performed at numerous events. It has caught onto the listeners of her generation and reigns as an anthem of revived love for the Gospel
Premier radio caught up with her recently:
⁃ Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey into music -
Hi! My name is Anna Efah and I am 26 years old. I am a South Londoner with Ghanaian heritage. I was raised on the timeless sounds of Ghana’s high life in the 70’s and 80’s because of my parents, so they played a major part in my journey. For instance, at 8 years old, Saturdays were mostly gig days for my parents and they would sing with their band at traditional funerals and have me and my brothers trailing behind. Our ears opened to chords, melodies and styles of music which we don’t take for granted. My secondary school music teacher at the time recommended a programme called Youth Music Voices and my love for music grew with gigs at the BBC, The 2012 Olympics, Abbey Roads Studios and The Jazz Cafe. Attending Trinity Baptist Church from an early age became a training ground for me to hone my listening skills, which helped me to refine my vocals. I was also heavily influenced by my secondary school choir director Clinton Jordan, who is an active member of The Kingdom Choir.
⁃ Congratulations on your debut single “Lost without you.” You’ve worked as a bv for a number of U.K. gospel artists. How daunting has the transition from being a bv to a solo recording artist been?
Thank you!
The transition was not daunting because as a background vocalist (BV), I acquired confidence in who I was and in my voice. I saw the confidence in BV’s like Candy West and Michael Bethany and I emulated them. I did my research, practised and ministered during praise and worship to improve my confidence. Biblically speaking, 2 Timothy 1:7 speaks of God not giving us the spirit of fear and I remember the saying, “ministering to the audience of one”,
This means that the only one you are ministering to is God. From that point, my mindset shifted and my focus became personal – it was just me and God in the secret place.
⁃ What are your aspirations for your new single?
‘Lost Without You’ is not limited to the church walls. I am hoping to have the single customised in various ways e.g. performed with a live orchestral arrangement. The feedback from the single has been touching, particularly because it seems to resonate with people and their personal struggles over the period of the pandemic. It’s a victory cry and I know that unbelievers will be able to experience and be impacted by God in a special way.
⁃ In 2020 you launched an initiative called “iUnravel,” tell us a bit about it?
iUnravel is a community created to support the bereaved with the aim of helping them to see through the lens of Christ that death is not the end. After my mother passed almost 5 years ago, COVID forced my family and I to really be stuck in our home surrounded by memories and it was painful. However, I wanted to create a community which helped the bereaved, particularly for Christians and settled on iUnravel. I could personally witness the effects of grief in people’s lives and saw that the topic and its effects were not spoken about enough in church. So far, we have had two worship events which included speakers within the sectors of music, mental health and insurance. We have been featured on Dentaa Show and other streamed events. We also launched our own merchandise and recently our Care Box! For further information on our work, please visit our instagram page @iunravelltd
⁃ What are the last 3 songs you listened to?
- It’s Gonna Happen (feat. Zarcardi Cortez)
- James Fortune No Greater (Live)
- Sing unto the Lord - Mark Beswick
She attended St Martins in the Fields High School, where she found her passion for singing and conducting, under the direction of Clinton Jordan - a member of The Kingdom Choir. From there, she strengthened her gift by singing for the Youth Music Voices choir in celebration of the 2012 Olympics and the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s on the “Later...with Jools Holland” show. She proceeded to perform as a backing vocalist for The Merseybeats and Beverley Knight MBE at the iconic Abbey Roads Studios. Anna did not sit on these opportunities and instead used this as motivation to become the Youth Choir leader at Trinity Baptist Church in London. Despite music being a key part of who she is, Anna also uses it to captivate young people and to help them realise that they have a voice to make a change.