Sista Afia recounts how Shatta Wale collaboration changed her music career

Award-winning Ghanaian musician Sista Afia has opened up about how her collaboration with dancehall artiste Shatta Wale became a major turning point in her career.

Speaking in an interview on Onua TV on December 15, 2025, Sista Afia mentioned that she was initially too shy to approach Shatta Wale because she was a huge fan of his work.

“I was Shatta Wale’s biggest fan so I was scared to approach him. The first time I met him, I was so shy,” she said.

According to her, she was surprised when Shatta Wale mentioned her name during their first encounter, as she believed he was unaware of her music at the time.

“He mentioned my man and I was so shocked that he knew my name. At that time, I had released `Are You Ready’ but it wasn’t a hit. I thought he didn’t know or hadn’t heard of me,” she explained.

Sista Afia stated that she seized the opportunity to express her desire to work with the dancehall artiste and humbly asked him to feature on a song.

“I told him it would be a dream come true to do a song with him so I begged him if he can give me his verse. He told not to worry and to work on the song,” she recalled.

I would have been more successful if I did gospel music - Sista Afia

She disclosed that the song was recorded in Takoradi the very next day and sent to Shatta Wale through producer WillisBeatz, who was instrumental in making the collaboration happen.

“The next day, I went to record the song in Takoradi, then WillisBeatz sent the song to Shatta Wale. Within 20 to 30 minutes, Shatta Wale sent his verse. I think he was moved by the song and he saw the vision, that’s why he hopped on the song,” she noted.

The song eventually became a hit and positively impacted her earlier releases.

“By God’s grace, the song was a hit and it influenced the other songs I released earlier. I remember I was jumping with excitement, I couldn’t sleep that day. I prayed over it and played the song many times,” she said.

Sista Afia further disclosed that Shatta Wale supported her wholeheartedly during the video shoot without charging her any fee.

“He came for us to record the video but he didn’t take anything from me. From there, music started picking up for me. I was making hit songs consistently,” she shared.

Reflecting on her journey, the singer expressed gratitude for how far she has come in the industry.

“I never imagined I would be celebrating 10 years in the music industry,” Sista Afia added.

FG/EB

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