Sylvia Tella facts for kids

Sylvia Tella (born Silifatu Mornii Wehabie Tella in 1961) is a talented British singer. She is famous for her 'lovers rock' music, which is a smooth and romantic style of reggae. Sylvia started her career singing backup for the popular group Boney M. Later, she became a successful solo artist. Her first album came out in 1981. She also had hit songs with other bands like the Blow Monkeys and Pop Will Eat Itself.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Sylvia Tella was born in 1961 in Manchester, England. Her parents were from Nigeria. Sylvia's music journey started in the late 1970s. She was part of a group called the Black Beautiful Circus. This group was a backing band for the famous disco group Boney M. They performed together in live concerts from 1977 to 1979.

Singing at Eurovision

In 1979, Sylvia was briefly part of a singing group called "Anderson." This group sang at the Irish final for the Eurovision Song Contest. They performed a song called "Goodbye."

Solo Success and Collaborations

After the Black Beautiful Circus band split up, Sylvia began her solo career. She got help from a well-known reggae artist named Lloyd Charmers. Her first album, called Spell, came out in 1981. It became one of the most popular 'lovers rock' albums ever.

Working with Other Artists

In 1983, Sylvia sang backup vocals for Alton Ellis on his album Daydreaming. In the late 1980s, her song "Spell" became a big hit on the UK reggae music charts. She also helped with a charity song to help people affected by Hurricane Gilbert. This song was released by a group called Windjammer.

Sylvia then worked with the band the Blow Monkeys. They had a hit song together in 1989 called "Choice," which reached number 22 on the music charts. Three months later, they had another song, "Slaves No More," which also did well.

In 1990, Sylvia provided lead vocals for the song 92 °F by Pop Will Eat Itself. This song was on their EP "Very Metal Noise Pollution" and their album Cure for Sanity. The single version of 92 °F also became a hit in 1991.

Later Achievements

In 1996, Sylvia had more success on the reggae charts. She sang with Vivian Jones and also had solo hits like "Searching for the One" and "Happy Home."

In 1997, Sylvia toured around the world with Saint and Campbell. She also performed at London's Notting Hill Carnival with artists like Beenie Man. That same year, she was nominated for Best British Reggae Artist at the MOBO Awards. Her second album, Tella – Like it Is, was released in 2000. It was mostly recorded in New York City and produced by Sidney Mills from the band Steel Pulse.

Music Albums

Here are some of the albums Sylvia Tella has released:

• Spell (1981), Sarge
• Tella – Like it Is (2000), Living Room

Compilation Albums

These albums are collections of her songs:

• Sylvia Tella Collection (1995), Stingray
• Reggae Max (1998), Jet Star