We’re counting down to Global Citizen Festival: Accra on Sept. 24 and the excitement is almost at a crescendo. We can’t wait to see artists, activists, world leaders, Global Citizens, and more, coming together to take action for girls, for the planet, and to create change on our mission to End Extreme Poverty NOW.
One of the performers who will take the stage at the Black Star Square is Afro-fusion artist Jacqueline Acheampong, popularly known as Gyakie — so let’s find out more about Gyakie and why she’s a great Global Citizen.
Who Is Gyakie?
Although Gyakie is the daughter of legendary Ghanaian highlife musician Nana Acheampong, she doesn’t want to ride on her father’s legacy.
“I am my father’s seed and I have been planted into the music industry,” she told Zionfelix Tv.
As she grows she is intentional about charting her own path and earning her own spot in the industry, which she’s done with incomparable style and fierce determination.
Big Vibe pic.twitter.com/XzEhoaBKSf
— Song Bird (@Gyakie_) August 24, 2022
The singer-songwriter came onto the music scene when her second single, “Never Like This,” released in 2019, became a hit two years ago. This was followed by “Sor Mi Mu,” a song that featured highlife sensation Bisa Kdei.
She describes herself as an Afro-fusion artist who is unafraid to experiment with different sounds. Overall, her warm, soothing, and deeply soulful voice is what’s doing a number on many music lovers. Her song “Forever” from her EP Seed propelled her steady rise to stardom and onto the international scene.
The song trended for weeks on TikTok, peaked at number one in Ghana, number one on the Billboard Top Triller Global chart, and debuted in over 20 countries, making her one of the few Ghanaian female musicians currently making waves internationally with her music. She recently won Best West African Artist at the 2022 Headies.
From Ghana 🇬🇭 to Naija 🇳🇬 🚌 Thanks for blessing the hard work and big love to the fans 💛 FLIP THE MUSIC 🌍 #The15thHeadiespic.twitter.com/FPco0qMxLq
— Song Bird (@Gyakie_) September 5, 2022
With Global Citizen Festival being broadcast and livestreamed around the world, millions of people will get to see her performance from the Global Citizen Festival: Accra stage as she rallies with us to advocate for girls, for the planet, and to create change. She joins Usher, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Stormzy, SZA, TEMS, and Uncle Waffles as we call on world leaders to end extreme poverty NOW.
As well as being an incredibly talented Song Bird (as she likes to call herself), Gyakie is a true Global Citizen who cares about taking action to help solve global challenges. Here’s what you need to know.
She Wants Young Girls to Stay in School
At 19 years old, Gyakie found success with her music while she was still in school. As her music career took off she had more obligations to fulfill in terms of performances and press interviews. She had every reason to drop out of school to solely pursue her music at the time, but she didn’t. She did the difficult task of combining the two, and after successfully graduating with a degree in Business Administration, she is on a mission to encourage girls in senior high schools to stay in school while pursuing their dreams.
“Aside from music, my interest is seeing young ladies thriving,” she told Global Citizen. “Last year I went to my secondary school to sing to the girls and encourage them.”
She Wants Prisoners to Experience the Power of Music
Gyakie also takes action for the rights of people who are incarcerated, believing that incarceration should not mean a lack of human rights.
“As a person immediately, your freedom is taken away from you, there are so many things that will change in your life and there are so many things you have to go through,” she told us. “I am curious to know what life is for that person being in an enclosed place and being far from the people you love; your family and friends.”
She wants to reach out to people who are serving time with her music. She believes they should be able to enjoy at least the simple pleasures, healing, and liberation that music carries and that is something she is working towards — visiting prisoners and performing her music for them.
She Knows Being Female Is Powerful
We can all agree with Gyakie that being a woman is incredibly powerful. It is why we are calling on world leaders to take action to empower girls and women through the Global Citizen Festival campaign, because when women and girls are lifted up, they in turn lift up their families and communities. “Being female is very powerful, so every girl in the world should not settle for less,” she told us.
When the full potential of women and girls is realised and unleashed, it will be transformational to the mission to tackle many of the world’s most pressing issues, from hunger crises to climate change.
Gyakie knows this and wants all women and girls to never lose sight of the influence they have to change the world.
Global Citizen Festival is calling on world leaders, corporations, and philanthropists to do more than they’ve ever done before to End Extreme Poverty NOW. Through our global campaign and with stages in two iconic locations — NYC’s Central Park and Accra’s Black Star Square — we will unite leaders, artists, activists, and Global Citizens around the world on Sept. 24 to achieve an ambitious policy agenda focused on empowering girls and women, taking climate action, breaking systemic barriers, and lifting up activists and advocates. Wherever you are in the world, you can join the campaign and take action right now by downloading the Global Citizen app.
