Tony Cummings reports on the British Ghanaian singer, songwriter and actress MIRIAM NYARKO

Miriam Nyarko

Afrobeat, the music which has brought the stylistic flavouring of the African continent into the R&B/hip-hop world is continuing to flourish on radio and in churches. Although Miriam Nyarko has yet to reach the heady heights of the success of Limoblaze and Uwa, she's well on the way. British Ghanaian Miriam's delicious single "Built On You" is drawing in more and more Cross Rhythms listeners every day. Talking about her hit, she said, "The track was created in under half an hour, and easily became one of the most favourite songs I'd ever written. The song is inspired by my Bible verse for 2023, Matthew 7:25, which says, 'The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundations on the rock'. This song is my personal testimony shared to inspire anyone listening. This is my love story, my faith story, declaring that God is my firm foundation."

Nyarko was blessed to grow up in a Christian home and by age four she was singing in church. But music wasn't the only artform that appealed to Miriam and from an early age she was landing parts in stage productions and TV programmes first appearing in a West End musical at just 10 years of age.

In 2019, Miriam also made her TV debut as Miri in CBBC's Almost Never (one of the platform's most watched shows). Miriam has described her character as "bubbly and someone who always has a smile on her face." The show follows the rivalry of two bands as they compete to release music and head to number one on the UK music charts. It has featured stars such as JLS' Aston Merrygold, The Pussycat Dolls' Kimberly Wyatt and Love Island's Amber Davies.

From summer of 2019 through to the beginning of 2020, Miriam worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company (for the second time) to portray Lisa James as part of the original cast of The Boy In The Dress: The Musical - with music and lyrics by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers, as well as an adaptation by Mark Ravenhill.

But with all this activity Miriam is still finding time to write and record Afrobeat gospel songs and "Built On You", produced by Samuel Jinadu, Still Shadey and The Voice UK winner Annatoria, shows how much Miriam has developed since she released her first single, "Step By Step", in 2019 at the tender age of 17. UK Afrobeat gospel clearly has a new star ready and willing for the long haul.