Rare: Rebecca Winter

“The blessings are endless and I’m just so grateful, because I feel like I really do work hard for it and people are really going to see what Rebecca Winter is about.”

Rebecca Winter

Written by Megane Akundabo

With singles such as Love, Pree Me and Vibe, London based singer-songwriter Rebecca Winter displays a versatility and range that sets her apart from her contemporaries. For those who are not yet familiar with the name, know that you will be very soon! Rebecca discovered her passion for music at the age of six and over time found a love for performing. From putting on her own performances with her cousin - singing to Beyoncé in her living room - to now performing her own songs on stage and working with some of the best names in the industry, the Afro-fusion singer has showed us that if you’re passionate about something you can achieve it. Following her support of Afrobeats darling Burna Boy’s recent UK tour, we caught up with Rebecca and chopped it up over a range of different topics.

The journey to becoming a singer-songwriter wasn’t as straightforward for Rebecca as she’d have liked, finding herself working at a law firm before making the transition. She speaks on how difficult the transition was as she reminds us of that old African chestnut. “Coming from a Nigerian background they just want you to do well. Over time, I realised that it’s all about stability more than anything. That’s why they want you to study Law or Medicine.” Yes, THAT old ‘doctor, lawyer, engineer’ chestnut where parents, particularly from an African background, impose their wishes (read: will) on the career path of their offspring. “I was going to propose to my mum that I wanted to do music. That plan didn’t really go as well as I’d wanted but she would see a lot of positive things coming out of it. I was working at a few firms and she was like ‘okay fine, just make sure you know what you’re doing and make sure you always have God’ which is why I still go to church every week, still help out there a lot and put Him first. So, for me as long as I stuck to that, she was okay with it but now she’s very supportive.”

Since choosing to focus solely on music, Rebecca has gone on to achieve many amazing things. She won her first award for ‘Best Female Artist’ at the Legacy Awards 2019 and has opened for Davido Wande Coal and the aforementioned Burna Boy; which has helped her widen her audience. In her words? “You get given an opportunity, you do it well and then another opportunity comes as a result.” The burgeoning artist has caught the attention of notable figures in the industry such as Wyclef Jean, Lilly Allen and Grammy award winning producer Brian Soko – who worked with Rebecca on her debut EP Rare.

Check Out Rebecca’s latest single Show Dem

Rare features Vibe as well as collaborations with dancehall artist Doktor and Nigerian vocalist Jimmi Abduls who she both admires and looks up to. Not only is this the singer’s first major project, it’s also the world’s first real introduction to who Rebecca is as an artist and human being. “I feel like people have heard a lot of music from me but they still don’t know what type of artist I am because I have so many different types of music, but the EP literally touches on every single genre that I incorporate in my music. Like the dancehall, afrobeat, bashment [and] the UK afro-swing type side[s] of me. It’s a Rebecca Winter twist on all of those things.”

With future projects lined up and a second award nomination for Breakthrough Musician, it’s safe to say that Rebecca is on the right path, despite the journey’s challenges. The singer still reminds us that if you’re passionate, do your research, work hard and have faith, it’s possible to get to where you want to go.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, you can get to where you want to be and do really well, so I just hope people look at my journey and are inspired. I never thought that I’d encounter these people that I’m in contact with but hey, we just thank God! He has just been blessing me recently, I feel like doors are really opening for me left, right and centre. The blessings are endless and I’m just so grateful, because I feel like I really do work hard for it and people are really going to see what Rebecca Winter is about.”

Rare is out now on all digital vendors.

Link Up with Rebecca Winter | Afro Fusion and Working with Beyoncé’s producers