Renowned Nigerian singer Teniola Apata, professionally known as Teni, recently shared a childhood anecdote involving her sisters Doyin and fellow singer Niniola. During an episode of the Tea With Tay podcast, Teni revealed that she once believed Niniola was envious of her musical talent due to her critical remarks about her voice.
Recalling their childhood rehearsals, Teni mentioned that her elder sister Doyin often praised her voice, describing it as melodious. However, Niniola, on the contrary, was less complimentary, asserting that Teni’s voice lacked sweetness. This divergence in opinions led Teni to believe that Niniola might be harboring jealousy towards her.
Teni explained, “My elder sister, the one that’s older than Nini [Niniola], Doyin, maybe she was deceiving because she didn’t want to hurt me; she used to tell me I have a melodic voice whenever I sing during my childhood. Nini, on the other hand, would say to me my voice isn’t sweet. So, I thought she was jealous of me.”
Further, Teni shared that Niniola later took her aside and advised her not to be misled by Doyin’s compliments. Niniola instructed her to sing from her diaphragm instead. Teni began observing how Niniola sang and adopted the technique of singing from her diaphragm.
Teni then recounted an event at her school where she sang, and the entire school audience gave her a standing ovation. Excited by this reception, she returned home and proudly informed Niniola about her success. To her surprise, Niniola asked her to perform the same song for her, and upon doing so, Niniola applauded her as well. This moment of support made Teni realize that they shared a common interest in music and ignited her enthusiasm for pursuing it further.