The act of “flipping” a track is one of the oldest ways producers have kept music alive, paying homage to history while simultaneously charting the future. Nigerian Funk is an NGO that is focused on the preservation and documentation of Nigeria’s musical legacy. Today, Nigerian Funk official have released ‘Golden Lady’, a compilation of seven producer remixes of songs by Nigerian female musicians.

 

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Producers like Johnson IP, Sir Bastien and Suté Iwar reimagine songs from inspirational women who’ve created timeless music over the years, from the iconic 70s twin duo The Lijadu Sisters to Sade Adu, Tiwa Savage and Lindsey Abudei. In their hands a record such as Lady Donli’s “Cash” becomes a stirring Amapiano affair, retaining the aspirational hue of her notes but exploring sounds distinct from the neo-Highlife sound of its original. It also sees Tems’ introspective “Free Mind” transformed into the hardest drill instrumental, well capable of shutting down party venues from Abuja to Brooklyn.

The focus on women, says the Nigerian Funk NGO, “is an intentional choice made to place a focus on Nigeria’s trailblazing female musical talents on the final day of Women’s History Month.” The compilation is also part of The Nigerian Music Preservation Project, an initiative meant to collect and contextualise expansive periods in popular Nigerian music, specifically between the 1950s and 2000s. “This,” they say, “is a long term project motivated by the current gap in the active preservation of Nigeria’s music history and the need for access to this history for posterity.”

Surely, Afropop, and Nigerian music particularly, is on the cusp of becoming a global behemoth and it’s crucial to appreciate our history even as we surge forwards. It’s been a long run and the pioneers and change makers of the scene deserve the acknowledgement, just as every lover of the music requires the granular education of its evolution. Initiatives such as ‘Nigerian Funk’ are no doubt the way to go, and ‘Golden Lady’ is reassurance enough that the past and present of Afropop’s music history will be preserved.

Stream ‘Golden Lady’ below.

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