Barbara Alli’s story

Barbara Alli was born in Ghana and grew up in Nigeria with the Yoruba culture. Since 2004, she has lived in Vienna, Austria.

The story of Barbara Alli as a singer began as a six-year-old girl. She sang where she could, from morning to night. Her talent as a singer was discovered at the age of 10 years in a choir. When she came to Austria, Barbara sang in a Protestant choir, where she also began to compose. Many of her songs she wrote in her mother tongue “Yoruba”. Soon she took professional singing lessons and learned to play the piano.

Over time, artists such as Beyonce Knowles, Michael Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Asa, Angelique Kidjo, Fela Kuti, 9ice, and many others inspired Barbara Alli to make her own style of music and to find her own personal style. Pop, RnB, soul, reggae, blues, funk, and other styles have influenced Barbara’s way of singing. Her own style she calls “Afro-Pop”.

“With some songs I want to touch the hearts and souls of the people. With others, I want to get people to dance and enjoy their lives completely.
When I see a touched person, dancing ladies and gents and they are laughing hilarious because of my music, – I see what for I sing.”

So in the early years of her career, she started with dancing, composing her own music, choreographing shows by herself, organizing dance-workshop, and singing with various bands at commercial events – and, she designed and sew the costumes for her appearances.

Then later, when she became an established artist and singer, she wanted to realize her long-cherished idea, of helping poor people in her homeland to live a better life. So she started to upbuild the shop “Hand Made Story”, trading with high-quality African goods and fashion. The fabrics, she bought therefore direct from public markets in her hometown and around. Only handmade was the motto, fabrics manufactured by the people themselves, from traditional colors and unique patterns.

Today, when Barbara Alli dances, then to the rhythm of her songs. The shows are now openings of new shops and fashion shows on a catwalk for her own fashion collection, and sometimes it is enough time, you can hear her still on stage.

Anyway, whenever you are looking for her, you can find her in one of her shops – but call her before because she is always busy.