Shola Allyson

Sola Allyson Obaniyi was born in Ikorodu, Lagos State in the early 1970s. She was born into a Muslim family.

She had her primary education at Anglican Primary School, Ikorodu, and attended Shams-el-deen Grammar School, Ikorodu for her secondary education. At Government Technical College, Agidingbi, Ikeja, she studied Business Studies and obtained an NBTE Certificate.^[5]

In 1997, she gained admission into The Polytechnic, Ibadan to study Music Technology, majoring in Voice and minoring in Music. Professor Oluwole Oladejo Adetiran mentored her music career. She later acquired a Higher National Diploma (HND) degree with an Upper Credit.^[5][6]

Allyson started her career as a backup singer in the late 1980s, when she was thirteen.^[5][6] She later became a professional backup singer and worked with musicians including Yinka Ayefele, Gbenga Adeboye, Pasuma, Obesere, and Daddy Showkey.

The opportunity to make her first album, Eji Owuro, came when she met a man with a movie script in a public bus. The man initiated a conversation about a film he had just concludedshooting, titled Orekelewa. Allyson was called to sing a soundtrack for the film, which led to the change in the title of the film to Eji Owuro. When the film was released, the studio decided to make a full music album for the film. The album became a huge success commercially and critically, launching Allyson into the music industry.^[4][6]

Allyson got married in March 2003. She met her husband, Toyin Obaniyi, in the church choir. They have three children: Ayobami, Mopelola and Obafunmiwo.^[5][6][7]