About STELLA
Where The Journey Began
Estelle Messina Bikibili, known professionally as Stella, was born in Yaounde, Cameroon and moved with her family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in October 2004 at the age of eight years old. Within the next three years, she taught herself how to play the piano and started writing songs, curating and performing shows to her family and friends.
Educational Career
Stella was always a part of a choir in her early years whether it was involved with a church or school. During her school years, she was a part of various theatre plays and musicals such as Footloose, Annie, and received lead role as Wendy in Peter Pan. She moved to New York in 2018 to study Music and New Media & Communications and received a Bachelors of Arts at Concordia College - New York.
Artistry and Mission
Stella is heavily influenced by Alicia Keys who is the artist that inspired her to learn the piano. With Jazz and Soul being prominent sounds in her music, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Sade, Nina Simone, and Billie Holiday are just a few artists that are on a continuous rotation in her playlist. As a proud Cameroonian, Afro-pop, Afro-beats, and Afro-fusion are elements that she loves to incorporate in her music.
Stella envisions a world where music is a universal language that brings people together. It is not just about listening, but also about sharing and connecting with others. Her mission is to connect audiences with a world of emotions, music, and storytelling that sparks ideas, conversations, and meaning by using all that is at her fingertip to advance social change by bridging the gap in African and American culture.