Spotify has named multi-faceted singer-songwriter Solana its EQUAL Africa Artist for October.
The selection spotlights a rising, boundary-pushing artist known for her world-building, intentional visual identity, and evolving sound, spanning alt-R&B, electronic, and pop while drawing on her Nigerian roots and Yoruba cultural influences.
The EQUAL Africa program celebrates, supports, and amplifies women artists across the continent, connecting their music with global audiences. Solana’s recognition comes during a milestone month in her career, anchored by her featured single, Okunkun, a Yoruba-language track that explores resilience through life’s darker moments. The spotlight also coincides with her first performance in South Africa at Spotify’s EQUAL Artist Showcase in Johannesburg on 14 October, marking her first opportunity to bring her live world to audiences across the country.
Solana’s artistry is defined by intentional visual and sonic storytelling. From her signature hairstyle to her urbanized use of traditional/native attire and fashion-forward, experimental aesthetic, she is building a visual identity that is her own. Her world-building also extends to her fan community, known as Lanterns, whom she continues to bring closer to her creative journey through exclusive first-listens, intimate meet-ups, newsletters, and other experiences.
Growing up listening to Nigerian music icons like King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, and Lagbaja, Solana channels her roots into authentic and emotionally driven self-expression. As her artistry evolves, she plans to introduce audiences to the different dimensions of her sound, gradually exploring electronic, alt-R&B, and pop.
Her October EQUAL Africa feature sets the stage for a busy rollout season, beginning with her upcoming single O Ri Mi, dropping on 16 October, followed by her anticipated EP, Girl from the West Act I, on 6 November.
Phiona Okumu, Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa at Spotify, says: “Solana has built a world that’s so entirely her own, and yet somehow anyone who grew up African will recognise at least one corner of it. Her sound is one that requires no passport. EQUAL exists to champion this refreshing balance, and we’re thrilled to bring her to a South African stage for the first time this October.”
Speaking on her selection and navigating the music industry, Solana shared: “Light will always shine because that’s what it is created to do.’ As a woman, it’s a fact that it can be harder for people to take you seriously, but I’ve accepted that as a people problem, not mine. Consciously, I just show up as Solana, incredibly talented. Being part of the EQUAL programme makes me feel seen, and that no matter the obstacles, I still come out shining. I’m super grateful for this opportunity.”
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