A few years ago a rising star went viral and everyone thought she was going to be the next dancehall sensation in the country, but all of a sudden she fizzled into the twilight, and not much was heard from her.
Her name is Ernestina Afari, popularly known as Dhat Gyal. She had the ability to get anyone’s attention with her unique voice and fierce attitude. She did covers and mashups of popular songs and it was rumored at a point she was going to be signed by Zylofon media.
Dhat Gyal was set to do great exploits, but she slowly removed herself from the spotlight and that was that. But it turns out the poor girl was going through a lot, and without proper guidance in the cold entertainment industry, she sunk into depression.
The good people at Okay FM dug Dhat Gyal out from wherever she was hiding and got her to tell her story. It is a story so sorrowful that she was in tears the whole time she was narrating it.
After the tragic loss of her mother when she was only 15 by a careless tourist in a car accident, an unfortunate series of events saw her in Dome Nsamanpuom (the headquarters of Ras Kuuku’s Puom movement) as a ghetto girl living the street life.
She got involved with friends who introduced her to smoking marijuana and other vices, which she eventually got addicted to. Through her wanderings on the street, she met with her manager Jeremiah Adjei who did what he could to get her where she needed to be.
Just as her videos were making her popular and the world was at her fingertips, someone who knew about her shenanigans in the streets made posts to expose her lifestyle. This led her into severe depression and she eventually shied away from the limelight.
A sad story indeed. Dhat Gyal is a truly talented girl and it would be heartwarming to see her get all the support she requires.
