Ayra Starr also said she attended a Deeper Life school where she was constantly scolded for not following religious rules
By Kehinde Okeowo
Beninese-born Nigerian singer, Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, better known as Ayra Starr, has said her Mathematics teacher had predicted Mavin Records would sign her before it did.
The Afrobeats singer who said she was only 14 years old when the prophecy came also added that even though she wasn’t from a religious family, she attended a Deeper Life school where she was constantly scolded for not following religious rules.
Ayra Starr made the claims when she appeared as a guest on the latest episode of Afrobeats Intelligence podcast hosted by Joey Akan, where she said two of her male teachers encouraged her to take her passion for music seriously.
According to the ‘Sability’ crooner, her Mathematics teacher, a Muslim, not only encouraged her to join choir but also prophesied that Mavin Records would sign her in the future.
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She said, “I went to a very religious school even though I was not from a religious family. I went to a Deeper Life school. It was a shock but I learned how to live with it. They [some of the teachers] used to beat me. I grew up in a household where we are allowed to speak our truth and ask questions. I can remember they [my teachers in school] will tell me like oh women are not allowed to wear trousers. I will be like, that’s not true. God did not say that. They will be like, ‘what do you know, you this small girl?’.
“One time, I painted my nail pink, just one nail pink and one teacher saw it. I remember they knelt me down and all the teachers were just like, you can never be anything if you continue like this. I was like 13/14 and you have like all these female teachers around me saying that.
“I have a teacher that literally inspired me. He literally said I was going to be signed to Mavin. I was like 14 then and he was like, Mavin is going to sign you, start making videos. And he would just inspire me when I’m singing in school, he would be like, oh sing in the choir. And he was even Muslim but he would tell me to go to church and join the choir.”
Ayra Starr was eventually signed to the record label two years later after the prophecy at the age of 16.
She had posted a video of her singing on social media when Mavin’s boss, Don Jazzy noticed her talent and sent her a message to her DM.