Ghanaian actress Fella Makafui has shared how she learnt to speak Yoruba for her role in the Netflix series Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens.
Fella received praise online for her performance, especially her delivery of the Yoruba dialect, and shared screenshots of fans’ comments on her Instagram page on Tuesday.
She wrote, “Thank you all so much for the overwhelming love and reviews on my performance in ANIKULAPO: The Ghoul Awakens. Seeing you appreciate my effort, especially the Yoruba language, truly means the world to me. Please keep watching the series and sharing your reviews 🤍🙏🏽 Ẹ ṣé gan-an fún gbogbo ìfẹ́ àti àtìlẹ́yìn yín. Ẹ máa bá a lọ láti wo eré náà kí ẹ sì máa pín àyẹ̀wò yín.”
In a previous post, Fella shared how she was recommended for the role by producer Juliet Asante and later told by director Kunle Afolayan that she would be speaking Yoruba. “My heart skipped for a second because I have never even said ‘the’ in Yoruba before. But I responded, ‘Yes sir, I can do it,’” she said.
To prepare, Fella worked with a language coach and practiced constantly. “I almost gave up because wow… the language was HARD. I woke up at dawn, constantly asking my coach for voice notes, listening to them everywhere I went. Literally everywhere. I told myself this had to be the most challenging role I’ve ever taken on but this was exactly the kind of challenge I wanted,” she added.
She also praised the support she received on set. “Everyone was so welcoming from my able director @kunleafo to the amazing cast and crew. They made me feel completely at home. I honestly didn’t even want to leave the set after I was done,” Fella wrote.
Fella thanked Juliet Asante for recommending her and believing in her talent. “Thank you for mentioning my name in rooms I never imagined I’d be in. Thank you for believing in my talent. Thank you to my able director for your patience and guidance. It is truly an honor to be part of this masterpiece. And to my amazing fans, we’ve really come far. This is just the beginning,” she concluded.
Fella’s role as Abena in Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens marked her first time speaking Yoruba on screen. The Netflix series continues the story of the original Anikulapo film, exploring themes of power, loyalty, and survival in a mythical Yoruba-inspired world.
