Popular Nigerian singer, Teniola Apata, with the stage name, Teni, has opened up on a childhood experience with her sisters Doyin and singer Niniola.
Teni stated she once thought Niniola was jealous of her talent because of the way she criticised her voice.
The singer disclosed this during an episode of the Tea With Tay podcast.
Teni recalled that while rehearsing with her sisters during childhood, their eldest sister, Doyin, would say she had a melodious voice, but Niniola insisted it was not “sweet.”
She said the latter’s harsh criticism made her think she was jealous of her.
Teni said, “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.
“She [Niniola] called me aside and told me not to let Doyin deceive me. She now said, ‘You sing from your stomach.’ So, everytime Nini sings, I would watch her sing. So, I also started singing from my stomach.
“There was a time my school organised an event, I sang and the whole school stood up and was clapping for me. I said, ‘I’ve arrived.’ I went back home to tell Nini that I sang in school and everybody was clapping and she said I should sing want I sang. I sang it and Nini too clapped for me. I said, ‘Okay, we are up to something.’”
