Gospel musician Diana Hamilton has shared how she started her musical career as a backing vocalist for renowned gospel artist Francis Agyei, a role she held for 10 years before going solo.
Speaking on The Career Trail on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, Diana shared that her passion for singing began very early in life.
“I think I was singing from my mother’s womb. I started singing even before I turned seven. In church, whenever I heard somebody sing, the moment they finished, I would be singing exactly the way they did,” she recounted.
“Growing up, I remember one of my aunties would say, ‘You sing like an adult, sing like a child,” she added.
Following this early passion, Diana shared that she often sang at church.
“I remember when I was 13, I sang at church on my birthday. But even before that, I would sing whenever there was an opportunity,” she underlined.
This routine eventually led to gospel musician Francis Agyei discovering her talent and inviting her to join his team.
“All that time, I wasn’t singing for anything specific, until Francis Agyei, who was in my church, discovered me and added me to his team. That’s how we first recorded ‘Metwere Obotan Bi’. I was in Junior Secondary School then,” she recalled.
Between Junior Secondary and Senior Secondary School, she spent a lot of time following Francis to studio recordings and gigs, gaining valuable experience.
By the time she enrolled at Ghana National College, Diana and Francis had an album together, and she continued singing with him for 10 years.
“When I went to Ghana National College, we already had an album together. I continued singing with him for 10 years. I was 13 when I joined him, and at 14, we released the song ‘Metwere Obotan Bi,’” she highlighted.
Diana explained that her transition to pursuing her own music independently began when her current manager, who has remained by her side ever since, advised her to focus on her studies because music was interfering with her education.
“When I went to nursing school at Kumasi PIWC, I would still sing in church. But because I was singing with Francis, I missed church on some Sundays. My manager got upset and would come looking for me at school, only to be told I had gone out to sing with Francis. He realized this was affecting my training, so he told me to concentrate on my studies and promised to produce me when I was done,” she detailed.
Following that advice, Diana paused her singing career. After completing her nursing training, her manager took her to record a demo of a song she wrote titled ‘W’ani Ku Me Ho’.
“After nursing school, I wrote ‘W’ani Ku Me Ho,’ and my manager took me to the studio to record a demo. That was the first song I wrote that made it onto an album,” she disclosed.
A few years later, the manager kept his promise and brought her a songwriter, which led to the release of ‘Osoro Bekasa’.
“I finished schooling in 2002 and got married in 2005. When we returned from my honeymoon, my manager introduced me to a songwriter, and that’s when ‘Osoro Bekasa’ was released,” Diana shared.
Despite the challenges she faced along the way, Diana Hamilton has risen from backing vocalist to gospel powerhouse, penning hits like ‘Adom, ‘My Meditations, and ‘Mo Ne Yo’. Her inspiring music has earned her multiple awards, including the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Gospel Artiste of the Year.
Through it all, her loyal manager, who first encouraged her to focus on her studies, has been by her side.
She also expressed deep gratitude to Francis Agyei, acknowledging that her decade-long experience as his backing vocalist played a crucial role in shaping her musical journey and preparing her for the success she enjoys today.
“Francis took me as a sister. Anytime he met me, he gave me something; not because we went to sing, but because I was his little girl who knew how to sing. He was a big brother to me,” she acknowledged.
Source: Irene Adubea Aning
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