The ratio of male-to-female of professional guitarists is still skewed in the male direction, though that doesn’t mean women aren’t capable of playing the guitar.
In fact, in 2018, Fender showed that half of their guitar sales were from women—which is something to look forward to in the music scene. For now, let’s take a look at a female guitar player who is sure to pique your interest.
Meet Helen Ibe, a passionate guitarist from Nigeria.
She is soft-spoken and gentle looking that one could fairly assume she is a regular woman.
Even so, that’s only her on the surface. Beyond her humble and modest personality lies an incredibly brilliant guitarist, performing artist, songwriter, and a passionate humanitarian. If you happen to meet her with an electric guitar on her hand, be prepared to be swayed with the vibrant rhythm of her music!
Her versatility as a guitarist is awe-inspiring!
Her bio describes her as a versatile guitarist with an expressive musicality in her works, and we can see that from her video performances.
Ibe set up a YouTube channel in 2014 and uploaded her first video titled “JOROMI – simi (loop cover)” in 2017. With a total of 90 videos and nearly 100,000 channel subscribers, her channel remains a hidden gem among the many guitar players on the platform.
Her channel features some of her original tunes and guitar covers from artists like Bill Withers, Sam Cooke and even Jimi Hendrix.
In addition to that, she has posted tons of video guitar tutorials to welcome guitar beginners.
Here is one notable performance of hers, playing “Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix.
Hendrix is a legendary guitarist who left the world astounded with his nearly impossible riffs and intricate runs.
Still, with Ibe’s guitar skills, there’s no doubt she could nail a Jimi Hendrix song or two!
As the video begins she sits on her sofa, playing her snow-white electric guitar passionately.
It was amazing that she could transition from note to note effortlessly all while keeping her vibrant personality as she plays. The overwhelming passion she shows makes it seem that each chord has its own unique expression. Moreover, she never fails to keep the essence of the song intact as she gives her improvisations on the song. Ibe ran through many riffs neatly, bringing with her a contagious smile that you can see from the beginning to the end of her performance.
Since it was posted, the video racked up 286,000 views on YouTube with 18,000 hitting the like button.
After skimming through the comment section of the video, it’s wonderful how most of the commenters showed support and left heart-melting compliments for the Nigerian guitarist.
All her videos are brimming with positivity, which makes it welcoming to people who are new to her channel.
It is easy to relax listening to her wonderful performance of various classics (and even some originals)!
Perhaps above all, it’s a joy just to watch her play her guitar with her charming personality. As she is currently expanding her name all around the world, make sure to visit her on her social media and website to give her some support. We hope we see more of her in the future!
Check out the full performance by clicking the link below:
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