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For many viewers, Amazon Prime’s After 30 will register as the latest sexy Lagos-based romance to hit streaming services, and one that gives a fresh voice (and look) to that beloved four-girls-just-trying-to-survive-in-a-big-city motif. But for the film’s director, Momo Spaine, and the legions of fans who have been clamoring for a follow-up to the original series that the film is based on, this project has been a long time coming. 

Spaine first cut her teeth in filmmaking on After 30’s predecessor, Before 30. Released in 2016, Before 30 was a series that followed the love lives of four young women navigating the well-known, uniquely Nigerian pressures to settle down and get married before they hit 30. Now, armed with nearly a decade’s worth of experience and a sweet Amazon production budget, Spaine has brought the four women’s stories to the big screen, picking up eight years after viewers last saw them.  And while there’s no shortage of stories about women navigating love and career life in Nigeria — think hit series like Unmarried, Smart Money Woman and Skinny girl in transit — Spaine brings an attention to detail that radiates as you watch its four lead actresses, Dami Adegbite, Beverly Naya, Ane Ocha and Meg Otanwa, reprise their starring roles. 

From carefully curated color palettes to meticulous costume design to hair and makeup, the pages of sketches and decks that Spaine shows me on our late-May Zoom call are nothing short of a creative shrine to a very personal story. “I had hours of conversations with my [director of photography] and with our makeup artist, Lillian,” she says. “Talking about [things like] light reflecting makeup, what kind of underpainting we’re doing under the foundation so that when the light hits their skin it just glows and pops.”

Spaine’s filmmaking journey began when she was attending university in South Africa in the early 2010s. Back then, she’d assist her close family friend and veteran rapper, Sasha P, whenever she came to South Africa to shoot music videos. “That was like my first proper exposure to filmmaking, and I just fell in love,” Spaine recalls. 

It was toward the end of her time in South Africa that Spaine received a script for the pilot episode of what would become Before 30. Soon after, she started an internship with the show’s producers, Nemsia Productions, who produced After 30, as well as other projects like Soft Love and the AMVCA-award-winning Breath of Life. Spaine worked with Nemsia over the roughly four years it took to make Before 30, and helped build the story and the audience that helped make its follow-up, After 30, possible.  

”People loved the characters, they loved that the story was relatable,” she said of the positive response to the show. “It felt different. It felt like something that was slightly more elevated in terms of the storytelling, [and] the character development.”

Spaine also attributes the show’s success to the fact that it took risks with the kinds of stories it told. “Back then, you were talking about a Muslim couple bringing women into their marriage for sex, about a sexually free character in Nkem. We’re also talking about a born-again virgin who wanted to use spirituality to reverse her past sexual relations. So it was a lot of edge for that time as well, that I think we got feedback on being very successful.”

Before 30 was re-released on Netflix in 2019, and then saw a resurgence during the COVID-19-necessitated lockdowns in 2020 that brought a broader audience. After two years on Netflix, Amazon commissioned After 30 to continue the women’s story with a look at where they are now. Spaine spoke to us about how her personal experiences helped shape the film, how she’s continuing to push the envelope in terms of what kinds of Nigerian stories are being told, and what she hopes 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

I’m assuming there are parts of you that are in this movie. Can you tell me about that?

I struggle to think of a part of the film that does not have a piece of me in it. But starting with the characters, I’ve always had my favorites. I fancy myself a [Temi] in some ways, which is the lead character. I love fashion, I have that legal background, and I have almost the same relationship with my mom. But Nkem (played by Beverly Naya) is who I would like to be: that level of confidence, sexiness, just being this powerful woman that does what she wants and is unapologetic about it, but is still soft and honest at heart. Ama, for me, is an expression of who I think we should all aspire to be. The kind of good, pure-hearted, well-intentioned person, — that youthful, naive energy. And then for Aisha, it’s just that strength; she already has the security, but you also kind of have to show that being married does not mean all your problems are solved. 

All these years after making the original show, how do you think the ways that you have grown as a person show up in the way that these characters have changed?

For [Temi], I don’t know, [Temi] pisses me off. She’s very confused. I don’t agree with how she runs her dating life. Like, I could not stand Carrie Bradshaw, and I love Sex and the City, but all she does is make bad decisions. And that’s kind of what makes a complex and dynamic character. With [Ama], I wanted to do a storyline where a character had to contend with their sexual identity, but from a very respectful place, from a true place that was not going to make fun of or minimize that experience. And for Aisha, the biggest thing with her is the conflicts that she has with Nkem. In the last eight to 10 years of my life, I’ve fallen out with friends that I thought we would die together. That kind of devastating friendship fight where you don’t think you can come back from. 

Talk to me about the music for the show, Before 30. How did you put that together, and what decisions went into that process?

The music on this show makes me so proud. I was not as involved in the music of season one. We had no budget for music, so all we could do was approach people. After begging and pleading, maybe two people collected money; the other people just gave us permission. Bez, I think, just gave us permission because he was close with someone on the team at the time.I begged TeeZee for “Toyin” – we were just going around asking family members who had made music. But then there are ones that were chosen because they were so perfect, like Temi Dollface and Blackmagic. So half of it was just using our community,  music from our existing community.  And the other half of it was just begging, and everybody was upcoming at that time. Everyone was so willing back then to do things as a favor or to do things because they liked the idea.

What was it like securing music this time around for the film?

I’m really happy that the industry has boomed now, but even with what we thought was a comfortable budget, we could not get all the artists [we wanted] for the film. 

Kaline [our music supervisor and the composer on the film], did a good job of going back to the drawing board like we did in season one, and just using our community. So, Kaline was able to pull together a bunch of songs from artists [who were willing to work with our budgets]. Everybody got paid, but it wasn’t a massive life-changing amount. They just did it because they believed in the story, and they wanted their music to be attached to the film.

What was your favourite part of making Before 30? 

My favorite part was just getting to direct. Honestly, I spent seven years of my life producing thinking, “Okay, this is what I’m good at,” and I feel like I have a natural flair for producing, but I wouldn’t say I ever enjoyed it. It’s just something I knew I could do. Directing makes me so happy. I’m just like, “Why have I been wasting my life producing?” Every time I’m directing, I’m at my best professionally. I get to be creative, I get to tell people what to do because that is my favorite thing in life. So, just getting to direct in itself was a blessing and a journey of self-discovery. I realized: this is what I’m supposed to be doing with my life, this is what makes me happy. 

This film was produced by Nemsia, but you have your own production company called Blush and Slate. Can you tell us about that?  

Now that Before 30 is out in the ether, I am just excited to continue building a company that centers stories about women, because I really think those are the stories that I am best placed to tell. I know how to speak to women, and I know what they care about. I care that they come off looking the way that they want to look. Whether it’s commercial, reality, documentary, or scripted [stuff], I gravitate towards content that either centers women or is targeting female audiences. So, just continuing to be able to build my own style, my own company, and my repertoire of films with Blush and State is what I am most excited about. Blush and Slate is a vehicle that allows me to express myself fully creatively, 

For people who have a story and don’t know where to start,  what is your advice?

First of all, call Blush and Slate. If you don’t know where to start, hire a production company or a producer who sees your vision and believes in it and is willing to help you move it to the end. If you are that person and you have the time and resources, and energy to produce it yourself, then just get started. If it’s a documentary, book your first interview.

You don’t have to film the interview. Just figure out who the first person you want to talk to in your documentary is. Call them and have a conversation with them. Ask them if they would even be interested in featuring in a documentary. You just have to start. If it’s a scripted thing, write the first page of the script. You don’t have to write the whole script. Just write the first thing. For people who want to produce things, it’s very overwhelming because there are 2000 things that you need to do at the same time to really kick off a production. But there’s only one way to eat an elephant, and that’s bite by bite. So you still have to do the first thing that you can do and then build the momentum from there. Ideas in your head don’t do anyone any good.

“Sweetest Time,” Maya Amolo’s latest single, is a soothing, lovesick confessional that mixes intimate, heartfelt lyricism with wistful production courtesy of Ugandan musician and producer SOULCHYD aka MAUIMØON. Alongside fellow Kenyan singer Ywaya Tajiri, the self-acclaimed sweetest girl delivers a lustrous duet that sees her soft vocals, which perfectly complement Tajiri’s more robust voice, skip and flit across moody synths, intensifying the spotlight on her wholehearted delivery. “I can feel you rushing through my system / Every single day it’s my religion,” she sings passionately halfway into the record. The whole thing sounds like the aural equivalent of a warm blanket; a truly affectionate record that immerses and envelopes its listeners in its warmth. This is the brand of vulnerable, understated R&B music that has been helping Amolo gain significant attention since she debuted in the pandemic year. 

Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Amolo always had an affinity for music. The singer and producer, who took on piano and guitar lessons as a child, has previously credited acts like Brandy, Erykah Badu, Prince, and Kenyan musical icon Eric Wainaina as her early influences – and it’s easy to see how Amolo’s style draws from this strong lineage of musicians whose music is equally expansive, soothing and vulnerable. After years experimenting with different styles, recording covers to beats she ripped from YouTube and posting them on her Soundcloud page, Amolo released her debut project ‘Leave Me At The Pregame’ in 2020. 

The EP, which quickly soared up the charts in Kenya, served as a brief but emphatic introduction to Amolo’s minimalistic take on R&B. Standouts like the emotive opener “Puddles,” “Lush Green”, and “Jokes” showcase her clever and poignant lyricism that reflects on themes of love, depression, and self-healing. Along with sparse, melancholic production and the icy sensuality of her voice, Amolo delivered a remarkable debut that made her one of the most promising figures in Nairobi’s alternative music scene. Two years after ‘Leave Me At The Pregame,’ the Kenyan rising star released her debut album, ‘Asali.’  

‘Asali,’ which translates to “honey” in her native Kiswahili, showcased Amolo’s progression as both an artist and a human being, as she swapped out the sad-girl tunes that filled her debut EP for more vibrant and intricate records – thanks in part to Sir Bastien and Kenyan producer and rapper Lukorito – that explore themes of growth and the complexities and rich luster of love. The album’s lead singles, “Foundry” and the self-produced “Can’t Get Enough,” found relative success on streaming platforms, placing Amolo as one of the continent’s most exciting new R&B voices. About a year after the release of ‘Asali,’ Amolo updated the album with 8 new songs on a deluxe version that featured Kenyan stars like Bensoul, Xenia Manasseh and Zowie Kengocha. 

In August 2024, a few months after she delivered a splendid Colors performance, Amolo released a new project titled ‘What a Feeling.’ The 5-track EP, which essentially serves as an ode to Amolo’s home city, Nairobi, sees her experimenting with an array of dance sub-genres without straying too far from her R&B roots. While the project still retains much of the melancholy and elegance that defined her earlier work, there’s a hypnotic and pulsating energy that courses through ‘What A Feeling,’ that highlights a shift in the singer’s sensibilities. Amolo’s honeyed vocals gently seep through subtle Dancehall, Electronic, R&B and House-inspired production and the accompanying visualizer, a mashup of camcorder footage of her and her friends in Nairobi, also adequately captures the charming and nocturnal vibe of the tape. 

The project produced standout tracks like the sensual “Let It Flow,” the title track and “Take It,” which later got remixed by Ugandan singer Soundlykbb and rapper SGawD. With Amolo’s latest release, “Sweetest Girl,” the Kenyan rising star continues her intricate exploration of R&B music, merging it with varying styles to produce her own distinct and refreshing variant. There’s no telling what Amolo might do next, but with only a handful of releases to her name so far, there’s undoubtedly more to come from the talented singer as she looks to solidify herself as one of the genre’s most prominent faces across the continent.

In September of 2023, hundreds of Ghanaians took to the streets of Accra to protest bad governance, high cost of living, and other social issues that have made their lives unbearable under the umbrella theme, “#OccupyJulorbiHouse.” The phrase, comprising the Ga words julor (the thief), and bi (the child), Julor-Bi, means “child of a thief.” 

Organized by Democracy Hub (a pressure group in Ghana), the three-day protest began online with social media users calling for the government to fix a range of issues plaguing the country’s people. Between the 21st and the 23rd of September, the protests would move from social media to the streets of Accra. The demonstrations were, however, met with government pushback with hundreds of protestors and journalists being arrested and detained. Following the efforts of several lawyers, all detained protestors were released.

In the 12 months since #OccupyJulorbiHouse, the agitations for a better standard of living have continued, with the government’s unresponsiveness necessitating another major demonstration. As such, Democracy Hub put plans in place to stage a new round of protests from the 21st of September to the 23rd of September 2024. Among the issues that motivated this second wave of demonstrations was the pressing issue of galamsey, which means illegal mining. Galamsey has been in practice for years, and despite promises by the government, including the president, to stop Galamsey, nothing substantial has happened.

Faceless individuals encouraging galamsey would be stopped – Akufo-Addo assures https://t.co/1cWHwpAugH

— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) May 14, 2017

This past August, Ghana Water Limited reported on the impact that Galamsey was having on the country’s water supply, causing shortages and leading to various communities around the country having less and less access to clean water. In fact, in 2011, a report by BBC Africa stated that Ghana may have to import water by 20230 if illegal mining is not addressed. Currently, 60% of Ghana’s water bodies have all been polluted.

Days before the protests, the Ghana Police Service issued a communiqué announcing they had secured a court order placing an injunction against the protests. They would later reveal in an updated communique, a meeting with Democracy Hub where new routes for the demonstration were suggested. Despite the communique, the original plans for the protest would be greenlit by organizers who cited a lack of compromise and a rejected proposal to the Ghana Police. 

By the afternoon on the September 21st, hundreds of protestors had gathered at the 37 Roundabout in Accra, with placards voicing their grievances. The low turnout did not deter those present, though, and the event helped put pressure on the government to take action against illegal mining. 

What began as peaceful soon turned sour when protesters were once again met with heavy police presence and pushback, reminiscent of what happened last year. Tensions rose, and protesters were arrested enmasse and whisked away to various police stations across the capital.

Unlike last year, the protestors who were arrested in this year’s demonstrations were put behind bars with no access to lawyers and quickly slapped with charges including conspiracy and unlawful assembly, causing unlawful damage, offensive conduct to breach of peace, assault on a public officer, and defacement of public notice. They were arraigned before the court without the prior involvement of lawyers who were moving across Accra trying to track the locations of the arrested protestors.

As Multimedia Group journalist Kenneth Darko told me, “A total of 51 people have been arraigned at the Circuit Court in Accra. As of today (26th September 2024), all have been denied bail and remanded into police and prison custody.” The detainees include a pregnant woman, an asthma patient whose family was denied contact even when they reached out with medication. Other detainees include Ama Governor, a lawyer, YouTuber, and activist; and fashion influencer Glenn Sam. All have been remanded until another court hearing on October 8th and 11th, 2024.

The detainees face eight charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime; namely unlawful assembly, unlawful assembly, causing unlawful damage, defacement of public notice, offensive conduct conducive to a breach of the peace, and assault on a public officer.

Protest convenor Oliver Barker-Vormawor faces all the aforementioned charges, along with an additional charge of stealing. Despite the arrests, he praised the coverage of the proceedings as a well-rounded affair, with everyone from traditional media to other digital and social media platforms putting their best forward and staying committed to presenting the facts of the developing story. 

However, as a journalist and a citizen, Darko feels that the charges are unjust. “It has been challenging to separate personal feelings from some developments,” he says. “For instance, the remand of 11 individuals into prison custody seems extreme, especially since the justification stems from inadequate police facilities to house them. Some Ghanaians are questioning why bail wasn’t granted instead of treating detainees, who are still suspects, with such severity. This, among other issues, including the fact that one of the protestors present in court, Felicity Nelson, was not even listed among the accused, according to her lawyer, is quite embarrassing and creates room for further suspicion. The detention of the pregnant woman and the general detention of most of them for over 48 hours (which is unlawful) before arraignment do not speak well of Ghana’s democracy.”

In the midst of all this, media outlets like the country’s Daily Guide have painted false narratives of the happenings in their reporting. The arrested protestors have been described as members of Ghana’s opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Even worse, a committee from the Youth Wing of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP)has shown support for the arrest and called for the prosecution of those arrested while describing them as “hooligans.”

Ibrahim-Anyass “Mo” Muhammed Esq, a lawyer representing the detained protestors, believes that they are not being treated fairly. “I have been in court twice. On the 25th and 26th of September, 2024. My observation of the protestors is that they were not in very good shape,” he says.“Most of them were complaining about the lack of space and the terrible conditions of our cells. That is the general view of cells in Ghana. They are not very conducive places for anyone to be. But there were more pressing concerns about insects, and getting sick without anyone readily assisting them with medication or medical care. I have a client personally who has bemoaned the state of the cell, saying that he suffered an asthmatic attack and still did not get the help he deserves.”

With this year being an election year, Mo explained how the current climate would affect subsequent protests but reaffirmed the rights of Ghanaian citizens to embark on peaceful protests. “The public will be conscious of the process or procedure for embarking on peaceful protests, which the constitution confesses to all citizens of Ghana,” he adds.“This is an election year, so all types of protests or demonstrations will be scrutinized by law enforcement agencies. I think that is why we have seen this level of toughness from the police.

“The police, under the Police Order Act, have the discretion to provide you with the necessary tools – the mode of exercising your protest, the routes to use, and the means to achieve it. The police have sometimes abused the power in the mode of exercising the mode of protesting.” 

While the police have provided updates on matters pertaining to the protests, members of the media and citizens on the ground have poked holes in some of their statements. Particularly the arrest of one Benjamin, who was detained by the police as he was delivering essential products to arrested protesters, as reported by journalist, Olele Salvador. Additionally, a video posted by Joynews on X,  shows a family of a detainee being denied access to give drinks and water to the detainee.

ICYMI: Ben (circled in this photo) is the same Benjamin mentioned in the tweet below who was arrested for delivering essentials to detained protesters. He wasn’t even at the protest. In fact, he was the one delivering the ‘Papaye’ meals to the protesters, which the police… https://t.co/QR8ECYJ4KZ pic.twitter.com/IJ7aMtL0Hs

— Ölele | DTS (@OleleSalvador) September 27, 2024

For many young adults, the current happenings are a show of dictatorship, disregard for human rights, and abuse of power by the government. They feel betrayed by a government that has heavily disappointed them with their lackadaisical running of the country’s affairs, which has brought many to a breaking point.  Seli, a friend of a detainee, shared how angry this whole process makes her feel. “It started off as a very scary thing, how ‘people in power’ decided to handle the protest. A group of old people somewhere suddenly feel threatened by a group of young, educated people. Protests happen every day in this country, but suddenly, it is this caliber of protests they choose to stifle and intimidate protestors. It is very upsetting seeing the way they [the leaders] have been moving, how they are blatantly disregarding human rights and disrespecting the law. Initially, it was scary, but now I am just angry at their audacity, feeling like they can get away with this. A friend of mine being a detainee was hard to come to terms with, but my friends have come together to create a community where we can cheer and console each other and be there for our friend.”

Mo asserts the need for trust between all parties and the system. “There is general distrust among citizens of the country and the hard lining in what happens to be partisanship treatment of the demonstration, where some people believe the protestors are agents of the opposition and the government does not believe there is genuine concern for the demonstration,” he explains.

“The protestors need to also express their frustration because the issue of galamsey is a national concern, and they feel they need to awaken the government. The effects of galamsey affect our lives as Ghanaians. I still believe protestors need to be treated fairly. The moment someone protests, it means there is a concern to be addressed. Any government should lend an ear to protestors and address them in due time but not immediately stampede with all the force of the state. We need a level of trust within the judiciary, the executive (police), and the citizenry.”

Seli also believes politicians need to understand their role in governance. “My perception of the government has not changed. I never thought they were good people. There is this misconception that ‘people in power’ are powerful, that they’re masters, but what they fail to remember is that they are servants, public servants. They are supposed to serve the people, and this has just reminded me of how much of a dissonance there is between what their actual job is and what they think their jobs are. This has proven to me that they are really committed to destroying and tearing this country apart just to fill their pocket.”

Across social media, people are calling out organizations, celebrities, and anyone of influence to draw attention to what is happening in Ghana. The push for the release of those arrested under the #FreeTheCitizens campaign on social media is quickly attracting attention, with another protest taking place from October 3rd to 5th to demand the release of the arrested protestors. With most of the detainees still awaiting their day in court, it’s left to be seen what the full ramifications of these arrests will be.

The issue of Galamsey should be treated as a national emergency and not peddled as political party disputes. The stance of the police and judiciary in handling this case sets a bad precedent that undermines the rights of the people and tenets of the constitution, which states the protocols that should be adhered to when it comes to issues like this. Sections of the youth, despite state pushback, remain committed to not only pushing for the freedom of the detained protestors but also a ban on Galamsey, among other pressing issues affecting the state of the country.