Yasmeen Helwani is one of the voices behind the voices. And by that we mean the one who makes sure that the contestants on ‘Stars of the future’ sound as great as they should.
As a songwriter and vocalist herself, she’s shared the stage and opened performances for international acts like Snoop Dogg, Xhibit, The Pharcyde, Naughty by Nature and Truth Hurts.
Yasmeen grew up in Ghana with a musical background as a child. This took the form of going to recording sessions with her father, the famous Faisal Helwani. In various countries she picked up a lot about music and the industry informally. With time she developed her skills and has worked on a couple of albums since.
Yasmeen’s first public appearance was when she was nine years and it was at the Ayekoo Tsooboi Concert in 1989 when she closed the show with the National Anthem. “It was a big show,” she says. “After that I kept developing the talent and at 13 I wrote my first song.” The song titled ‘Sunshine’ was the title track on her debut album, which caused some waves when it was released in 1997. She was only 17 years then.
She did two subsequent albums afterwards; one gospel album (dedicated to her mom) and the other, a jazz album; ‘Memories’ which has not been released officially.
After living some 8years of her adult life in Canada, where she obtained a degree in Business Economics, she came back wanting to know the “workings of the system.” Now back in the country, she’s found ways to share her expertise with others, hence her role with the ‘Stars of the future’ contestants as a vocal coach.
“When I came back to Ghana, I worked with Charter House for about two years. My last year coincided with the first edition of the stars of the Future. After that, I moved on and this second time around, they called me to help out with this year’s show and here I am.”
Speaking about ‘Stars of the Future’ show, Yasmin says a lot has been learnt and the contest will grow. “The first time around, there are more difficult challenges like finding your feet, your niche. It was also exciting because it’s a new thing and all that. However, this year, we knew what to expect and the idea and the theme has become more solidified.”
The paradox of Yasmeen’s job in the background of the ‘Stars of the Future’ is for her to be stern enough with the contestants so they improve upon their acts while allowing room for them to cry on her shoulder if the need be. From vocal to breathing exercises, to tips on keeping up their voices and performances, she grooms them to understanding the act of a good performance.
“It’s difficult because while trying to fine tune, you have to be hard sometimes and put your foot down but at the same time you shouldn’t make them feel like they are out there in the open all by themselves,” she says. “For example, you have to explain to them that even though they might enjoy a song, the audience will not necessarily enjoy it like they do. But I’ve learnt to let them learn through their own experience.”
Working with the ‘Stars’ on both editions has exposed her to many talents. It’s made her appreciative of the vocal talents in Ghana and the need to help to those who need it. So, even after the show, she’ll keep encouraging people to “never give up what they believe to be their real talent” and “work hard”.
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