Just back from Hollywood, California, Myoa (real name Mayowa Sobomowo) speaks of her musical exploits from London to Los Angeles and Las Vegas…..

udging by her passion and enthusiasm whether on stage performing or just talking music, you can tell that  Mayowa Sobomowo or Myoa as she is known on stage is set to go places. Just back from Hollywood, California, where she’d relocated to (from the UK) in 2007 to study music and hone her bustling music talent, Myoa already has cherished memories of performances at top music stages. Beginning notably with her performance as a soloist at the Gospel Art Show in London in 2006, Myoa has gone on to perform at the bi-weekly Live Sets at Café Audery (Hollywood), Artist Development Showcase at the Musicians Institute (2008), the Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles (2009), the Noen Venus Art Theatre, Las Vegas (February 2010); not forgetting that once in a lifetime opportunity she got in 2007 to sing alongside legendary Stevie Wonder at his Benefit Concert at the Staples Centre Nokia Theater, Los Angeles. Born of Nigerian parents in Lagos, Myoa also recently performed at the Bold & Beautiful Fashion Forum at the Eko Hotel and Suites and at the Opa Williams Tribute at the Oriental Hotels (2010), Lekki in what even she described as “a glorious home-coming.”

Of those recent performances in Lagos, Myoa who describes her music as Soul R&B (though with influences from other genres) says she was particularly thrilled by the audience reactions. “The reaction was amazing and I think it was borne more out of the fact that I offered them a breath of fresh air. It was not what they were used to, yet it was enthralling and engaging.” Charming, lively and very sanguine, you could indeed feel her confidence as she spoke about her exploits. The first of three girls, Myoa spent her formative years in Lagos and only moved to the UK at 16 to study for a degree in Accounting and subsequently a Masters in Business Management. Her uncommon desire for music since childhood, which saw her playing active part in her church choir (New Eden, London) would however keep haunting her, such that she at some point found herself at a cross-road. “As a child, I always wanted to be an accountant because of my father; he’s a very hardworking chartered accountant and I really look up to him. But on the other side, I was also always thinking, “I wanna sing, I wanna sing….” That was as far back as when she was 10. Myoa was also fortunate to be blessed with a dedicated music teacher, who took her up and helped nurture her budding talent, such that in a short while, her song was adopted as her school’s marching song. “I used to write songs a lot back then; it was a burning passion. And I’m so grateful to my parents and sisters, who have been more than 100% supportive.” 

She reveals that she went ahead to study Accounting and Business Administration in spite of her glaring bias and wiring for music because “I’d always wanted to be an accounting person; that was why I moved to England, and it was fine! But I was always singing by the side. I think it’s good to have your degree because it will help a long way in whatever you choose to do. Besides, I really never knew I would eventually go fulltime into music. I was just doing it for the love of it.”  

Taking the giant leap out of her comfort zone 

Soon after rounding off her Masters Degree course, Myoa got herself a lucrative job in the UK. But deep down, she wasn’t fulfilled. “Something in me was just kind of empty. I would come to work sometimes and I would just be singing. I just felt there was something different for me. So I would go home, pray and say, “God what is the next level of my life? What am I really supposed to be doing?” And then slowly I began to feel that burning thing in me, and decided I was going to study music.” 

So in 2007, she got everything including her visa, quit her job and left the UK for the United States of America. “I decided to go fulltime by enrolling at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. I applied for a degree in vocal performance and recording and production, to be precise.” In addition to a remarkable proficiency and skills on the drums and keyboard, Myoa also undertook lessons in production, recording, stage performance and the business side of music. By this time, she was also doing lots of performances – having put together a band….