Di’Ja (Age: 34 Years Old, Born: 14 August 1989) is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, visual artist, humanitarian, and fashion designer born in Kaduna to a Sierra Leonean Mum and a Nigerian dad.
Popularly known as the princess of Mavin Records, Di’ja’s unique stage name is an abbreviation of the word “aphrodija”. In addition to her musical talent (beautiful voice and awesome musical prowess), another thing that fans can’t seem to get enough of is her astounding beauty. All these have earned her some ambassadorial roles, one of which is from the Nigerian telecommunications company, GLOBACOM.
Profile Summary Of Di’Ja
- Full Name: Hadiza Salma Blell
- Stage Name: Di’Ja
- Nationality: Sierra Leonean-Nigerian
- Age: [ age dob=”19890814″] Years Old
- Profession: Musician
- Record Label: Mavin Records
- Marital Status: Married
- Children: 3
- Net Worth: $500,000 (estimated)
Di’Ja Hails From A Family With Mixed Ancestry
Di’Ja, whose birth name is Hadiza Salma Blell, was born into a Muslim family on the 14th of August 1989, which makes her 34 years old. Her dad is a Sierra Leonean and is notable as a former Deputy Defense Minister in Sierra Leone. Her mother, Asma’u Blell, on the other hand, is from the Northern part of Nigeria, Kaduna State.
The singer is also known to have a brother, whom she calls her best friend. They both grew up together, being her only sibling. More so, the music diva is quite fond of her parents and from what is gathered, she had a great childhood and owes her notable virtues to the upbringing she got from her parents.
Due to her family’s work, Di’ja has lived in several countries such as Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Canada, and the United States of America. In Nigeria, she grew up in Kaduna, and while she was growing, education was her main focus. She was able to complete her secondary school education before going to the university where she graduated with a joint degree in Biology and Psychology. However, after her graduation, she developed a keen interest in music, art, and philosophy which triggered her to delve into building a music career.
Her Journey To Becoming A Musician Started From Scratch
Di’Ja did have some days of little beginnings, where she had to work as a waitress just to get money to fund her music. Though she owed a large part of her love for music to her parents, they did not necessarily support her. Things later began to take shape when her friend, Aman Manhas, had her sign up for a singing competition while she was in Canada. This competition was called the Beat Music Awards, which had about 200 participants in 2008.
This competition proved to be quite remarkable for the budding singer as she emerged as the winner even though it was actually the first time she was performing in front of a large crowd. Di’Ja was not even sure her performance was good but the victory she recorded, in the end, served as a push for her in the musical career path she had chosen.
Within that same period, Di’Ja performed as one of the opening singers for Akon’s performance at the 49th Independence Anniversary Celebration. This was one of those things that added to her coming to the limelight and taking advantage of the exposure she had gotten. She would later go on to release the song “Rock Steady” while in Canada which was nominated in the category of Best Urban Reggae and Blues at the Canadian Music and Radio Awards in 2009.
Joining Mavin Records Launched Her Into Stardom
A couple of years later in 2012, the musical talent added some new singles like “How Can We Be Friends”, “Hold on (Ba Damuwa)”, etc to the list of her released songs. Di’ja’s manager eventually got to introduce her to the musical icon and producer, Don Jazzy – this happened at a time when she wanted to give up on music.
After the meeting, Don Jazzy listened to two of her songs and that was enough reason for him to invite her over. The singer would go on to work alongside other artists like Reekado and Korede Bello for a period of 8 months to see if they could fit in as members of Mavin Records. At the end of the evaluation, Di’Ja was officially signed to the record label in 2014. She released her first official single titled “Yaro” that same year. More so, in May 2014, Di’ja was featured in the song titled “Dorobucci” along with label mates Don Jazzy, Koredo Bello, and D’Prince, Dr. Sid, Tiwa Savage, and Reekado. She also featured on a song titled “Arise” with Donjazzy and Reekado.
Still, in 2014, she released her biggest hit single titled “Aww”. The song reportedly topped several charts in Nigeria which increased her fan base. “Aww” would also go on to make it to the list of top hit singles in 2015. Two years later, in December 2017, she released her extended play which she called Aphrodija. The compilation featured artists like Tiwa Savage and Reekado Banks.
- Rock Steady – 2008
- How can we be friends – 2012
- Dan’Isaka(Rudebwoy) – 2012
- Hold on (Ba Damuwa) – 2013
- Yaro – 2013
- Dorobucci – 2013
- Awww – 2014
- Adaobi – 2014
- Looku Looku – 2015
- Take kiss – 2016
- Sowemo – 2016
- Falling for you – 2016
- Air – 2017
- Omotena – 2019
- Wuta – 2019
- Baby – 2019
- Teamo – 2019
Awards and Nominations She Has Received
Di’Ja has also received a handful of awards and nominations for her songs and they include:
- In 2008, she won the Best New Artist at Beat Music Awards.
- In 2008, Canadian Music Radio awards nominated her for Best Urban R&B single for her song “Rock Steady”.
- In 2014, she was nominated as the Most Promising Act to watch at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards.
Di’Ja’s Marriage To Rotimi Has Been Blissful
The Mavin singer had her Yoruba traditional marriage in 2015 but prior to the big reveal, she managed to keep her love life away from the public. This was why she tied the nuptial knot with her beau at a secret wedding where attendance was strictly by invitation – even the photographer had no idea who his clients were till he saw them with his eyes.
More so, not much is known about her husband who simply goes by the name Rotimi. The pair have been quite careful about showcasing his details although it is gathered that their romance started sometime in 2014 and an engagement plus wedding followed suit the next year.
The beautiful couple was also blessed with their first issue in 2016 when their son, Kiton Farouk, was born. In 2018, their daughter Amana Morenike arrived. Di’Ja was particularly overwhelmed by her daughter’s birth that she took to social media to celebrate her new status as a mother of 2. The family also had more reasons to celebrate in 2019 when their third child was born, Ayana Wura.
What Has The Music Diva Been Up To In Recent Time?
This passionate and visionary mother of 3 is doing her best to balance all areas of her life. Although she has not released songs for a couple of years now, she is quite busy with her husband running a foundation called iChange Foundation where they offer humanitarian services.
More so, she is busy catering to the needs of her young ones and the family at large. So, far, Di’Ja has done a pretty good job as she has kept her family and private life away from the public eye. She and her husband have maintained their status as a loving, stable, and scandal-free duo.
