Ghanaian music powerhouse Wiyaala, affectionately known as the Lioness of Africa, has announced the release of her latest project, Segerege, a bold and evocative collaboration with Afro-pop group, The Yaga Yagas. The album, which fuses traditional West African storytelling with contemporary European soundscapes, is set for release on 5 December 2025, with the lead single ‘Scorpion’ dropping on 21 November.
Rooted in the songs Wiyaala sang as a child under the moonlight in her hometown of Funsi, northern Ghana, Segerege is a sonic journey through memory, identity and cultural resilience. The album was recorded live between Studio Metro in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and the open-air rhythms of Funsi, capturing the raw energy of both locations.
Blending the ancestral sounds of the Sissala, Waale and Dagaare peoples with the avant-garde stylings of The Yaga Yagas (Miha Petric, Jošt Lampret, Nejc Škofic and Žiga Kožar), Segerege is a fearless celebration of African heritage and a call to young Africans to embrace their roots with pride and defiance. “You are lost if you don’t know where you have come from,” Wiyaala reflects, encapsulating the album’s ethos.
The lead single ‘Scorpion’, sung in Dagaare, delivers a poignant home truth: “Even if there is a scorpion waiting for you at home, go home and accept the sting.” It’s a stirring metaphor for the courage to return to one’s origins, no matter the pain, and to draw strength from the place that shaped you.
The collaboration was born out of a deep cultural exchange, following The Yaga Yagas’ 2024 performances in Ghana alongside Wiyaala in Funsi and Accra. Their Afro-Euro fusion sound, layered with Wiyaala’s commanding vocals and traditional rhythms, creates a rich, genre-defying experience. The album was produced and mixed by Janez Križaj and features visual artwork by Slovenian artist Prof. Milan Erin, MSc, adding a striking visual dimension to the project.
Wiyaala, whose name means ‘the doer’ in Sissala, is no stranger to breaking boundaries. A multiple award-winning artist and one of the BBC’s 100 Inspiring and Influential Women of 2024, she continues to champion children’s rights and cultural preservation through her Lioness Kingdom initiative – an arts centre, radio station and youth hub in Funsi.
Segerege is more than an album – it’s a cultural bridge, a tribute to oral traditions, and a bold statement on the power of music to connect across continents. With its analogue warmth, live instrumentation and fearless storytelling, it promises to be one of the year’s most compelling releases.
Watch Wiyaala & The Yaga Yagas perform with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra at the Opera House in Ljubljana here .
and catch the live broadcast of “Scorpion” on Slovenian National Radio here.
