Maltese gospel singer and songwriter, Lara Familua also known as Omolara, has revealed that she had to learn Yoruba language in a bid to appeal to her African audience.
The multi-talented entertainer said she can speak five different languages, but Yoruba is the hardest to learn so she had to spend months practicing.
Lara made this known during an interview over the weekend while talking about her challenges since she switched from secular to gospel music.
She said; “The biggest challenge I face is the language barrier. Yoruba is definitely one of the hardest languages I have ever come across. I speak five languages, and Yoruba is the hardest, and that poses quite a big challenge for me, especially because I am ministering to people whose native tongue is Yoruba.
However, I have to execute my job to the letter, not only because that was how I was raised, but also because I am doing God’s work. I have to give it all I’ve got to make it sound authentic. To to do that, I sometimes spend months just to learn (the language), and that can be disheartening sometimes. However, the grace of God keeps me up and continues pushing me to do the best.
The other challenge I have has to do with the commitments I have. I have family and work commitments, which slow me down, and limit me from being in Nigeria as much as I would have loved to. I love Nigeria, especially the people and food; and, I really would love to be more present there. But, unfortunately, I cannot because of my other commitments.”
Speaking on her career, the ‘Jesu Soro Mi Dayo’ singer revealed that she grew up in a family that was music-inclined, with her father being a Jazz pianist.
According to the artiste, she started singing when she was in high school and that was where she first learnt to battle stage fright as she was a shy person.
Lara said; “I started singing at a very young age. My father is a jazz pianist, and my mum, even though she is not a professional musician, is pretty much music-inclined. Together, they had a band, and they used to sing during wedding masses. Meanwhile, things that one sees one’s parents doing usually rub off on one.
I actually started singing in high school, because I was pretty shy growing up. But, in high school, I managed to come out of my shell, and I started singing. From there, my love for singing started growing. I was singing secular music, and I am glad that happened, because it actually trained me for stage performances. I had really great musicians as friends, and they sharpened me as well. As regards gospel music, I released my first album in 2018, and I thank God that the journey has been good so far.”
