The rising soul star marks her first visit to her paternal homeland of Ghana with new music
Nectar Woode had yearned to visit Ghana her whole life, having always heard the sounds and stories of this other world that seemed so far away. Born in Milton Keynes to an English mother and Ghanaian father, she grew up in a household filled with creativity while navigating her own mixed heritage identity and establishing her musical voice. The past year has treated her well with the release of her ‘Head Above Water’ EP, a sold out London show and support slots with both Leon Bridges and Nao. But still, something was missing.
And then finally, this spring, she made her first magical trip to Accra – with her father and her guitar in tow. Through the artist’s open-hearted embrace of the local-life, she learned how familiar this land felt to her. Her soul recognised the laughter and her heart remembered the rhythms as she navigated the coastal capital. What she found was a country that not only filled her with serenity but a new sense of self. With a clearer understanding of her own cultural heritage, she has found a new home.
Woode’s upcoming EP' ‘It’s Like I Never Left’ was also given new life in Ghana. Expanding her jazz-breathed sound with songs both inspired by and written during her time in Accra, first singles ‘Only Happen’ produced by Jordan Rakei and ‘Lose’ recorded in collaboration with SuperJazzClub, are ripe with spiritual legacy. Nataal catches up with the London-based singer-songwriter to hear about her pilgrimage.
Tell us about arriving in Ghana for the first time?
It's always been a dream of mine to go and even though I'm half Ghanaian, it has felt out of reach, you know. Then to finally go… I was in awe! I mean, just realising that I was in Ghana and doing the thing that I love the most was overwhelming. I just tried to take it all in.
Also, I thought I’d go there and not know the culture or the customs, but it actually made me realise how much my dad had exposed me to. The people, the food, the sounds were all really familiar and everyone was so hospitable and friendly, so I felt like I fitted right in. I just wish I knew the language better.
“Ghana left me feeling whole and wholesome; like I've got the home I've always wanted"
Your dad did good, then.
As soon as we landed, he had one mission: getting us to Osu for talapia, banku and a big bottle of Club. I grew up eating these dishes but having them fresh in Ghana felt completely different. We also had fresh waakye with plantain and gari – everything was incredible.
Were you able to document these moments while you were out there?
I was writing a lot and I took my film camera and got some amazing shots. But I was also being super present. The biggest take away for me was the feeling of trying all these new experiences, visiting family and the places my dad grew up, and then going into studios and recording music. Ghana left me feeling whole and wholesome; like I've got the home I've always wanted.
What were some of the things that felt most familiar?
Literally just Ghanaians being Ghanaians! The way they talk, the way they engage with you, was like talking to my aunties at home. It was the same warm vibe, but of course I was now at the source, so these interactions felt much richer. It was freeing to be in a country full of my kind of people.
Ghana has always meant a lot to me, and the culture is so rich inside my family. There was just this missing piece of not knowing it fully – what it smells like, what life is like for the local people. So, it was like completing a puzzle.
And what was it like to perform in Ghana?
Doing the live show was so sweet. I had a lot of ‘pinch me’ moments just thinking about the fact that I'm actually playing here, and that people are listening! It would still be 30 degrees in the evening, so I’m sweating and my guitar is getting hot but I just loved it so much. My dad also got to see me perform, which was a special experience. It was a full circle moment, something I wanted my whole life and there I was singing and seeing it all come true. It’s making me nostalgic; I want to go back.
That must have been really affirming.
Exactly! Some of my previous music documents my pain of being of mixed heritage and not feeling like I belonged anywhere – that thing of ‘you're too black, you're too white’. I was second-guessing that maybe they won't accept me in Ghana but now, I’m like, why did I think that in the first place? So, it definitely soothed a lot of anxiety. Now I’m back here, I don’t have that inner doubt any more. I’ve been brought up here but I also have my culture there and it’s all me – they don’t have to compete.
Is that something you’d want to share with other people that may have apprehensions about reconnecting with their roots?
Yes. I made ‘Only Happen’ with Jordan Rakei who is of mixed heritage too and we were both just chatting about feeling like sometimes people just brush you off because you’re not fully this or you are not fully that. And that's how we got to this song.
Which artists did you collaborate with while in Ghana?
I connected with loads of really talented artists including SuperJazzClub, who I’d worked with when they came to London a few months before. I met them again out there and we finished up those songs. The single ‘Lose’ was made in Ghana and it was really fun.
How does the song-making process differ between London and Accra?
There isn’t this pressure to stick to a standard form of ‘song’ over there. Here it’s usually, ‘Where's the chorus? Where's the free? Where's the verse?’ In Ghana, it's, ‘Let's just write, let’s experiment with different melodies and how they make you feel.’ I'm going into sessions now and being like, ‘Let's do that. Let’s do this the Ghana way!’
Please leave us with one lasting memory from the trip.
It was visiting Aburi Gardens. My dad really wanted to check out this abandoned helicopter, and we ended up filming a live session there. It was also somewhere with a view where I could take everything in and I thought, ‘What a beautiful country, and this is half of me’. It was a reflection on my love of that place. All my senses are still tingling from this trip and I can’t wait to go back.
The singles ‘Only Happen’ and ‘Lose’ by Nectar Woode are out now. The EP ‘It’s Like I Never Left’ is set for release on 18 July on SINCE93/RCA.
Nectar Woode appears on Later with Jools Holland, 10pm, 1 June, on BBC2 and BBC i Player.
Visit Nectar Woode
Words Eugene Ekuban
Photography Desirepedia
Charlie Millar
Styling Kofi Yeram
Published on 29/05/2025