The importance of women sharing their experiences through music
We should be listening to women and always uplift their voices
April is the month of sexual assault awareness, and while there should never be a time where we’re not raising awareness about the effects, we’re glad there’s a dedicated month to the cause. Over 10 years ago, The #MeToo movement began with the aim to give women a space to speak about sexual assault without the fear of unfair consequences. In the last three years, the movement has gained enough momentum, become an outlet for women to hold abusers accountable for their actions, and also done a fair bit to dismantle silence culture and victim-blaming.
Over here in Nigeria, misogyny and systematic oppression of women and children is the order of the day, and the stigma attached to being assaulted leaves women who experience this trauma wanting to keep quiet about their experiences. UNICEF says 1 in 4 Nigerian girls are victims of sexual violence before they turn 18, and according to a national survey carried out in 2014, only 38% of those who experienced sexual violence as children told someone about it, and only about 5% sought help.
Something that ties all women together, from any walk of life is the fear and anxiety of attack from a possible abuser. Anywhere in the world, you will find that women are walking around in survival mode and taking measures to avoid attack or prepare of the possibility. It should be noted that black women suffer more from domestic and sexual violence as this study shows and this is why it’s important for us to have our voices amplified in any form possible, and music has proven to be one of the most effective.
Black women have always used their music as an outlet to speak up against the injustices they face, from recounting their own personal experiences to just serving as a socially conscious mouthpiece for other women who have been in similar instances. Ludacris’ 2006 single “Runaway Love” which featured Mary J. Blige was a powerful depiction of this, although the song focused on children who run away from abusive homes, the accompanying video showed the violence that women withstand in the home at the hands of abusive husbands.
Other anti-assault anthems have been Asa’s “Murder in the USA”, one of the lead singles off her last project, which deals with the realities of toxic romantic relationships that are physically abusive and lead to the death of one of the partners involved. ‘I shot my lover and I run away/committed murder in the USA’ she solemnly croons over the tracks hook, as the Sesan-directed video plays out a situation in which a woman in an abusive relationship wishes to end the life of her lover who has physically hurt her but we painfully watch as he gains power and leaves her for dead.
Asa takes an active role in the video, playing the police officer who arraigned the murderous boyfriend, but she also plays the role of every person who uses their music as a vessel to channel pain. We see Asa fully clothed in a bathtub as she submerges herself in water with the intention of drowning herself, this action is a bold metaphoric stand with women who feel so choked up in their relationships or marital homes and a clear message that we see you, and we mourn with you in solidarity.
There is a long history of music putting women down – particularly hip-hop and rap which has a track record for being entirely misogynistic and glorifying violence against women or depicting us as accessories to their stories. This is why the unified strength of women who come together and speak out against these injustices through different mediums such their music is extremely necessary and powerful.
Beyond positive empowerment, with songs such as Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” or Lil’ Kim & Christina Aguilera’s “Can’t Hold Us Down”, artists like Kelly Rowland have also released powerful tracks about their own experiences. Back in 2013, she shared a single “Dirty Laundry” which was a cut-throat candid track where she laid herself bare. touching on numerous topics but more poignantly recounts her personal experience with assault. ‘Hitting the window like it was me / And still it shattered. He pulled me out and said ‘Don’t nobody love you but me / Not your mama / Not your daddy’ she sings recounting her abusive relationship and also revealing her mental struggles of wanting to leave despite being warned by loved ones. This trope of women blaming themselves for staying with physically and emotionally abusive men is not uncommon, and Kelly vulnerably gives us an insight to her truth, which will be sure to inspire someone who is going through something similar.
Feminist anthem “For My Sisters” on Ko-jo Cue’s album is another worthy noteworthy mention, which speaks out about women seeking allegiance against the injustices they face. Ms Fu, Raphaela, Anae and Dzyadzorm feature on the highly illuminating song, where they angrily stick it to the men who continue the cycle of silence and harm. The track begins with ‘Listen to the stories, you can’t see the pain in our eyes/do you call yourself an ally just to keep your mind satisfied’, imploring all who listen to reflect on their own actions and strive to do better within their own communities and groups to protect and empower women.
Although we’re a long way from how people viewed the danger women face back in the days, there have been great strides and effort to punish perpetrators (shout out to Harvey Weinstein & Bill Cosby spending the rest of their lives in prison). Music is a powerful tool that has a wide reach to everyone all over the world, and you never know what can inspire you to either speak up or help someone who is in need out.
Men have used gangster rap as a tool to empower each other and let the world know about the struggles they had to overcome and the violent conditions of the hood they grew up in. They have used music as therapy to deal with their mental stress, whilst making enough money from it to get out of their situations, and this should be the case for women too. By always speaking up and becoming irreverently loud, we can reduce the chances of being ignored, and increase the chances of making our society a safer and saner place for everyone – especially us women.
Tami is a lover of women, music and astrology. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
ICYMI: We finally have a sex offenders registry in Nigeria
NATIVE PREMIERE: Rigo Kamp Runs Ahead Of The Pack With The Visuals For “Marathon”
Rigo Kamp’s Marathon video is an intimate Afro-juju revival that pays homage to Sir Shina Peters and stamps...
Last Friday, Rigo Kamp, a NATIVE uNder alum and one of the architects of an equal parts nostalgic and refreshing sound released his self-titled debut EP, delivering a propulsive fusion of Alte, R&B, Funk, and Soul-infused rhythms.
Featuring previously released singles “Morning Sun” and “Summer”, the six-track eponymous EP executively produced by Odunsi The Engine sees Rigo lean heavily into his element as a sonic alchemist, jumping from silky falsettos to gritty grooves without losing an ounce of cohesion, and ultimately stamping the Abuja-born, Lagos-based singer-songwriter as a mad scientist of sound.
Just last November, Apple Music named Rigo Kamp as its Up Next artist, an acknowledgment that underscored his potential and confirmed what the tastemakers and underground scene already knew. Weeks later, he delivered an exhilarating live set for Spotify Fresh Finds in Lagos, proving he’s just as compelling live as he is in the studio.
On “Marathon”, the refreshing opener to the Rigo Kamp EP, Rigo borrows the bounce and swagger of Afro-Juju legend, Sir Shina Peters’ golden-era, fusing nostalgia with re-imagination to birth a vintage performance that feels like a private party for two, where it’s just Rigo, and you.
Get an exclusive first look at the video for Marathon here:
Listen to the Rigo Kamp EP:
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Togo YEYE & VLISCO’s new collaboration is a celebration of Lomé’s thriving creative scene
Togo YEYE is a community we are building for us by
Togo YEYE, a creative duo formed by Lomé-based creative director Malaika Nabillatou and London-based photographer Delali Ayivi, is a conceptual publication that was created to empower and champion Togo’s young fashion creatives. Since its inception in 2021, Togo YEYE has released several personal projects and has also partnered with a number of brands to further its hugely imaginative aesthetic mandate. For their latest collaboration, Togo YEYE teamed up with textile printing company VLISCO to present Blossoming Beauty. Tagged as a love letter to Togo’s creative community, the campaign captures Lomé’s scenic beauty alongside VLISCO’s vibrant prints with the aim of connecting the feminine grace of nature with identity and artistry.
What does Togo YEYE mean?
Malaika Nabilatou: My name is Malaika Nabilatou, I’m the creative director of Togo YEYE. I’m Togolese and I was born and grew up in Lomé. I see myself as a West African creative director and I’m working to be the best in a few years. Togo YEYE means new Togo in Ewe, one of the most popular languages spoken in the South of Togo.
What inspired you to create Togo YEYE?
Malaika Nabilatou: We started this project, my friend Delali and I, 5 years ago. We just wanted to show that Togolese youth are also creative. Togo YEYE is a community we are building for us by us. It wasn’t just a project for Delali and I. It’s become something for the creative scene of Lomé. Lomé is like our studio.
What role does Togolese culture play in your creative process?
Maryline Bolognima: For me, Togolese culture comes first. For example, in the South, there are the people of Anero. If you come, you can go to Anero. In the North, there are the Evals, so if you come to Togo, you’ll learn a lot.
What’s the most exciting part of working as a team on projects like this?
Malaika Nabilatou: I need to tell the truth, we dreamt about this campaign before [it happened]. When VLISCO contacted us, we were like wow. I can’t really explain how thankful we are to VLISCO for trusting us. Because it’s a risk that they took by trusting us, making that campaign here with our team and honestly we are going to keep it in our hearts for the rest of our lives.
Claudia Sodogbe: For me, it is the first big contract of my life that I had with Togo YEYE. I still remember, on the last day of the shoot, I was feeling nostalgic about separating from the teams and the others. It went well in any case, and I’m very grateful to have been on this project.
What has been your proudest moment as part of Togo YEYE?
Malaika Nabilatou: I think the proudest moment I had with this campaign was when I saw the result first on the website. When I saw the story, I was like “wow, we finally made it.”
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Inside The Parties Breathing New Life Into Lagos’ Nightlife Scene
No matter who you, these parties provide a safe space to let loose without fear of objectification or...
The crowd marches along on the dancefloor, vibrating to a pulse that is both familiar and electrifying. It takes a second to identify Grammy nominee, Rema’s “Ozeba,” pouring out of the speakers and whipping the crowd into a frenzy as it takes on new life as a turbulent EDM track. The crowd growls and screams in approval of the DJ’s remix, yet another banger in a night filled with back-to-back hits. Hands in the air, sweat dripping from glistening bodies, smoke floating around the dancefloor and young people gyrating with reckless abandon, Element House provides the people with the release they deserve and they reward it with an undying loyalty to its rhythm and raves as they keep coming back.
Party culture has taken on new dimensions in Nigeria over the last two decades as a reaction to economic, social and cultural progressions. This evolution of the way we party is significant considering that Nigeria is a society that lays heavy emphasis on certain accepted standards of moral behavior, rooted in culture and tradition. But that has never once stopped a good time from happening. Millennials and older gen-z will remember the street parties and carnivals of old, usually held at the end of summer holidays or in December, where music by TuFace, Mo’Hits, Akon, Shakira, Lady Gaga and 50 Cent were the staple, among others. There were certain songs automatically expected from any DJ worth his salt otherwise it was not too far-fetched to see a DJ, with his equipment on his head, fleeing for his safety while being chased by an irate mob of partygoers.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. These carnivals and street parties might have been phased out but the idea remains the same while the power and influence of communities powering party culture in Lagos and Nigeria at large has only gotten stronger, especially with the advent of social media. The Block Party series–started in Lagos, Nigeria as the Mainland Block Party–has become the go-to event to celebrate youth culture and foster connections that cut across multiple African cities and walks of life. Today, with curated events in Ibadan, Abuja, Lagos, Accra and others, a community of partygoers is assured maximum enjoyment whenever the Block Party organisers announce an event in their city of the month. The people will always return to where their tastes are catered to, bringing along friends, family and newbies eager to bask in the atmosphere of loud music and togetherness.
In 2012, Warner Bros. Pictures released Project X–a film that follows three friends and high-school students who attempt to gain popularity by throwing a party which ends up escalating out of their control and reaching epic proportions. This idea propagated by Hollywood would go on to influence several house parties thrown in Lagos during the mid to late 2010s. The idea that with the right DJ/music playing at the right venue and with just the right crowd, then immortality was possible–a party so grand that it would be spoken about in glowing terms for years to come until it became lore. Today, house parties are more intimate and controlled, the degrees of separation between attendees reduced by a mutual friend or WhatsApp group they all have in common. From game nights to karaoke sessions to kinky sex parties, whether it’s at Balloons & Cups, a Vogue Boys pool party, or a get-together by the ‘Lagos on a Budget’ IG Community, the role house parties play in the ever evolving party culture is not insignificant, creating a pipeline that feeds into the much larger raves which weekends in Lagos are becoming synonymous with.
Whether it’s Element House today, Mainland House tomorrow, Group Therapy next weekend, WIRED or a host of other house and EDM inspired movements, partygoers are spoiled for choice when it comes to where to indulge their fundamental music tastes in a secure and controlled environment. Nothing is off the menu and a good time is the only badge of honor worth collecting. The increasing popularity of the rave movement in recent years is testament to the fact that it works for both organizers and attendees. The Covid-19 lockdowns changed the way Nigerians party; after months of being isolated from their communities and having to socialize in more intimate and private spaces, it’s no surprise that raves, with their underground nature, became the outlet of choice for several young people as soon as the world opened back up. According to Tonia, a medical doctor and frequent raver living in Lagos, her first few times at parties following the end of the lockdowns were not fun. “I was partying with caution, wearing face masks constantly and carrying hand sanitizer around. It became a much better experience subsequently when everything relaxed and soon enough, I was back enjoying the time of my life at Lagos parties.”
Unburdened from the heavy spending, bottle-popping culture that characterizes Lagos nightlife and cloaked in the embrace of judgment-free anonymity and numbers, raves have become a safe haven for a community of partygoers determined to turn up in the midst of the sheer craziness of living in this day and age. For Michael-Peace, a brand & creative assistant and frequent raver, the appeal goes beyond a need to unwind and the feelings of peace he experiences at raves. “Whether I’m listening to the DJ or just watching the crowd move to the music, it’s a very mindful experience for me,” he says.“I’m grateful to just be there and appreciative of how we can all be one community or family for that period of time.”
The appeal of the rave scene is its inclusivity and it’s a common theme for the new wave of parties exploding in Lagos and environs. No matter who you are or what you stand for, these parties provide a safe space to let loose without fear of objectification or discrimination resulting from socio-economic and political differences, misogyny and other less elegant occurrences which are part of mainstream Nigerian nightlife. This is important to Tonia who, on multiple occasions, has been prevented by bouncers from entering clubs without a male companion. “I’ll always prefer raves, they are much freer and nobody is performing here. There’s no need to show off the number of bottles you bought like there is in a club. Everyone just wants to turn the fuck up and have the time of their lives.”
For five or six hours, the disco lights, turbulent music and fellow ravers provide solace from the outside world. “Dancing the night away” is not merely a suggestion but a divine mandate from the gods of the rave. It is almost impossible to emerge after such an experience and not want to do it again. The music beckons all and sundry to come out, purge yourself of all inhibitions on the dancefloor, then return home and spread the gospel of the electronic music scene to all who might listen. In Michael-Peace’s own words: “There are people I’ve put onto raves and who loved the experience and constantly thank me for introducing them to it. Once you get hooked on it, you’ll never want to let go.”
Party culture in Nigeria continues to evolve as the new wave of parties mark their time and place in history. But the street parties and carnivals of yesteryears are not to be forgotten. The power of community continues to connect the old wave with the new wave, ensuring that actual people remain the focal point of these events, and party goers can enjoy nightlife experiences uniquely tailored to their ever changing wants and needs.
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