Timaya Biography: Age, Real Name, Children, Songs & Career

Timaya is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and label founder whose dancehall-rooted music helped widen the sound and storytelling range of modern Nigerian pop. Born Inetimi Alfred Odon in Port Harcourt and deeply connected to Bayelsa State, he broke through with “Dem Mama,” a record shaped by the violence suffered by his Niger Delta community.

He later built a durable catalogue around struggle, celebration, faith and self-belief. On his official X account, the artist also maintains the outspoken public voice that has followed him throughout his career. More than two decades after his early professional work, Timaya remains active through new recordings, collaborations and his independent Dem Mama Records structure.

Who is Timaya?

 Timaya is a Nigerian Afro-dancehall and Afrobeats artist born in Port Harcourt and rooted in Bayelsa State. Known for “Dem Mama,” “Plantain Boy,” “Bum Bum” and “Cold Outside,” he turned personal and regional experience into a long-running music career while building Dem Mama Records and influencing younger Nigerian performers.

Early Life and Creative Roots

Timaya was born Inetimi Alfred Odon on 15 August 1980 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He is 45 years old as of 26 July 2026 and will turn 46 in August. Although Port Harcourt is his birthplace, his family roots and public identity are tied to Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta.

In a January 2026 Guardian Life interview, Timaya said the region supplied both the stories and the confidence behind his work. His childhood interest in performance developed through singing, church and the music he heard around him. After moving towards professional music, he worked as a backing vocalist for Eedris Abdulkareem. That apprenticeship exposed him to touring and the difficult business behind performance before he pursued a solo path.

The strongest recent source confirms his name, birth date and Port Harcourt birthplace, while presenting Bayelsa as the cultural home that shaped his artistic voice. Claims about his exact height are excluded because no dependable direct or institutional source was found.

Breakthrough and Rise to Fame