Yahzarah facts for kids

Dana Nicole Amma Williams (born June 24, 1978), known as YahZarah, is a singer and music producer from Ghana and America. She is famous for her popular songs "Wishing" and "Why Dontcha Call Me No More". YahZarah started her music journey in 1997. She sang backup for the well-known artist Erykah Badu.

YahZarah's music style has changed over time. It includes R&B, rock, acoustic, soul, jazz, and pop. She has been inspired by artists like Michael Jackson, Minnie Riperton, Prince, and The Beatles. She has a high singing voice and can even use a special high-pitched vocal technique called the whistle register.

Early Life and Education

Dana Williams was born in 1978. Her parents were from Ghana and America. She was later adopted by her stepfather, Clarence Williams. She grew up partly in Germany and Washington D.C.

YahZarah started singing when she was seven years old. She sang in her church choir. Her love for music grew after she won a local talent show. This happened at the Kennedy Center when she was ten. She practiced her singing for many years. She performed in churches, talent shows, and local concerts.

For high school, she went to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington D.C. This school is known for teaching arts. After graduating in 1998, she received a full scholarship. She went to North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. There, she studied jazz music.

YahZarah's Music Career

Starting Out: 1999–2004

In 1999, Dana Williams recorded some songs. She also toured with her band called "Dirty Soul." She chose the name "YahZarah" as her stage name. This name honored her grandmothers, Yaa Asantewaa and Sarah.

In 2000, YahZarah got her big chance in the music world. She sang backup vocals for Erykah Badu. YahZarah also appeared in Badu's music video for the song "Bag Lady." Later in 2000, YahZarah toured with Erykah Badu. She was the opening act for Badu's "Mama's Gun Tour."

In 2000, YahZarah signed with Keo Music Records. She started working on her first album. In early 2001, she released her first song, "Feel Me." Her first album, Hear Me, came out in 2001. Other songs from this album included "Love Is You" and "Natural."

In 2002, YahZarah signed a new music deal with Three Keys Music. She began recording songs for her second album. In August 2003, she released "Wishing." This was the main song from her second album. In September 2003, her second album, Blackstar, was released. She then started her "Blackstar Tour." Later that year, she performed at the Black Luv Festival in her hometown. In November 2003, she released the song "Blackstar" as a single. In 2004, "One Day" was released as the third single. Later that year, YahZarah left Three Keys Music. She then joined The Foreign Exchange Music group.

New Music and Tours: 2005–2011

In 2005, YahZarah was featured on The Foreign Exchange's album, Connected. She sang on the song "Sincere." This song was chosen as a single for the album. In 2008, YahZarah released a shorter music collection called The Prelude. She toured with famous artists like Chaka Khan, Musiq Soulchild, The Roots, and R. Kelly. This helped promote her new music.

YahZarah also appeared on the Little Brother album The Minstrel Show. Later that year, she opened for Anthony Hamilton on his "Playing it Cool Tour." She also sang on The Foreign Exchange album Leave It All Behind.

In 2009, YahZarah was chosen to be on the "Board of Governors." This was for the Washington D.C. Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). She still holds this position today. Also in 2009, she performed for the Republic of Italy. This was for the inauguration of Barack Obama.

In the same year, YahZarah started recording her third album. It was first called Introducing Purple St. James. Later, it was renamed The Ballad of Purple St. James. In mid-2009, she announced the album title and a release date. It was first set for fall 2009 but was moved to May 2010. She continued to tour to promote her upcoming album. In July 2009, she toured with Conya Doss, Sy Smith, and Maya Azucena. She hosted the Soulsista Tour and paid tribute to Michael Jackson. In late 2009, YahZarah reunited with her friend "Natalie "The Floacist" Stewart." They performed "Butterflies" as a tribute to Michael Jackson.

In January 2010, YahZarah released a song called "The Tickler." In March 2010, she released the main single "Why Dontcha Call Me No More." In May 2010, her third album, The Ballad of Purple St. James, was released. A music video for "Why Dontcha Call Me No More" came out on May 19, 2010. In September 2010, YahZarah released "Cry Over You" as her second single. It also had a music video. On September 18, 2010, she announced a tour with The Roots and Q-Tip. This was for the 2010 Hennesy Artistry Tour. YahZarah also appeared on the song "I Remember" by Wes Felton.

In July 2011, YahZarah released the video for her song "Love Come Save the Day." In December 2011, she performed the song on FoxDC News again. On December 18, 2011, she released a Christmas song called "What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas."

Recent Activities: 2012–Present

In 2012, YahZarah started her "Tribute to the Beatles Tour." In 2015, she toured as a backup singer for Lenny Kravitz. This was during his Strut Europe Tour. In January 2017, she released a song called "Running." In 2019, she toured as a backup vocalist for Madonna. This was during Madonna's Madame X Tour.

Singing Style and Influences

Vocal Ability

YahZarah is known as a lyric soprano. This means she has a high and light singing voice. She is also known for being able to sing in the whistle register. This is a very high-pitched vocal technique. She has a four-octave vocal range. This means she can sing many different notes, from low to very high. She can also hold notes in the sixth and seventh octaves.

Musical Inspirations

YahZarah has been inspired by singers like Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Erykah Badu. While she has many R&B songs, her main music style is strongly influenced by electronic soul and rock music.

Personal Life

On July 28, 2011, YahZarah gave birth to her first son, Miles.

Discography

Albums

• Hear Me (2001)
• Blackstar (2003)
• The Ballad of Purple St. James (2010)
• The Ceremony (2021)

Tours

• Yahzarah & Dirty Soul Tour (1999)
• Mama's Gun Tour (opening act for Erykah Badu) (2000)
• Blackstar Tour (2003)
• Playing It Cool Tour (opening act for Anthony Hamilton) (2008)
• Soul Sista Tour (2009)
• The Foreign Exchange Tour (2010)
• The Hennesy Artistry Tour (2010)
• Tribute to Prince Tour (2011)
• Tribute to the Beatles Tour (2012–13)
• Strut Europe Tour (with Lenny Kravitz) (2015)
• Madame X Tour (with Madonna) (2019)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: YahZarah para niños