Titiyo

Biography

Titiyo Yambalu Felicia Jah (born 23 July 1967) is a Swedish singer and songwriter who has won four Grammis awards.

Early life

Titiyo was born in Stockholm, Sweden, to Ahmadu Jah, a Sierra Leonean drummer, and Maylen Bergström. Through Jah, she is the younger sister of record producer Cherno Jah and half-sister of singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry. She grew up in Solna.

Musical career

Titiyo discovered her own singing abilities when invited by her older sister to sing with her at a studio in London. She fronted her own band in 1987 and played the Stockholm circuit, and signed with a local label, Telegram, in 1989. She also sang background vocals for a range of Swedish artists, including Army of Lovers and Jakob Hellman. In 1989, Titiyo released her self-titled debut album, which topped at No. 3 in Sweden, and was released in the United States on Arista, and became one of the contributions to a Swedish R&B wave in the US that lasted throughout the nineties. The single "My Body Says Yes" was a hit in North America, and "Talking to the Man in the Moon×Talking to the Man in the Moon1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksATalking to the Man in the Moon (The Good-Luck-On-The-Dancefloor remix)B1Talking to the Man in the MoonB2Jammin' with the Man in the Moon" reached No. 6 in the Swedish charts; the subsequent single, "After the Rain×After the Rain1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1After the Rain (7" version)3:462After the Rain (New Life mix)7:093After the Rain (Raga-Rap)5:30," reached No. 13.
Titiyo took a two-year break and returned in 1993 with the Aretha Franklin cover "Never Let Me Go" (a hit that reached number 25 on Swedish chart), later included on her second full-length This is Titiyo. Remixes of this and some of her other songs were popular in the London club scene. Her third album, Extended×Extended1997 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1I'll Be Gone2Secret3Before the Day4Comin' Home5Misunderstood6Josefin Dean7In Love8Two Gether9Even on a Sunny Day10This Is11Worried Eyes, produced by Kent (Gillström) Isaacs (released by the Swedish label Diesel Music), appeared in 1997, producing the hit single "Josefin Dean" (named after Mariah Carey's best friend).

In 2001, Titiyo revitalised her career with her successful fourth studio album Come Along×Come Along20 August 2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Come Along3:44219894:083Love Has Left Your Eye3:574My Heart Won3:295Show3:316Hold Her Tight2:477Right or Wrong3:328I See Good in People3:309Last Time3:1710Given Thing3:5711Time4:34 (released in the US in 2002; also on Diesel Music), spawning the eponymous single "Come Along", which became an international hit. Produced by Peter Svensson (The Cardigans) and Joakim Berg (Kent), the album and its title song made it to the top of in the Swedish charts, while the single was a success in several European countries including France, (Germany), Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The second single from the album, "1989", was not nearly as successful as its predecessor but reached the top-30 of the French singles chart.
After a lengthy hiatus, Warner Music released a greatest hits album named Best of Titiyo×Best of Titiyo2004 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Lovin’ Out of Nothing3:362Man in the Moon4:033Come Along3:434We Vie3:57519894:086Feels Like Heaven3:357Never Let Me Go4:258This Is...3:449Comin’ Home3:3110Before the Day4:2511Secret4:5412Defended4:0713A Change Is Gonna Come3:5414It Should Have Been You3:5815Flowers3:5416Make My Day4:5317Misunderstood4:3218Love Has Left Your Eye3:58 in 2004, which included two new songs. One of these songs, "Loving out of Nothing", charted within the top-20 in Sweden in early 2005.
In spring 2008, Titiyo was asked to contribute vocals to Kleerup's single "Longing for Lullabies". Released in April 2008 in Scandinavia, the single has since reached the top 20 in Denmark and top 10 in Sweden.
Titiyo released her fifth album, Hidden×Hidden19 November 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Awakening4:292Standby Beauty4:313If Only Your Bed Could Cry3:414Crystal Clear Mud5:545Stumble To Fall3:056Longing For Lullabies4:287Drunken Gnome7:408N.Y.4:499X2:36, on the Swedish independent label Sheriff late 2008. The album mainly feature self-penned material but also results of collaborations with the likes of Kleerup, Moto Boy, and Goran Kajfes of Oddjob. So far videos for "Stumble to Fall" and "Awakening" have been released.
In 2015, she released her sixth studio album, 13 Gården×13 Gården16 October 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Första låten3:152Taxi3:303Solna4:474Fram till kanten4:205Självantänder3:066Företagsgig2:337Hålla dig vaken3:40813%2:399Du tar hand om honom4:4910Drottningen är tillbaka3:4711Jag lovar5:0812Nån måste gå för långt0:57, which was nominated for a Swedish Grammy in the category "Best Pop". Named after her childhood address in the Solna Municipality, outside of Stockholm, it was Titiyo's first album to be recorded entirely in the Swedish language.

Personal life

Titiyo's daughter Femi was born in 1992. Femi's father is music producer Magnus Frykberg.