It is International Women’s day and we have decided to take a look at a possible collaboration from Tems x Ayra Starr x Lady Donli to transform the conservative female music culture.
While celebrating women’s day, we are looking at a Tems x Ayra Starr x Lady Donli song to transform the conservative female music culture in Nigeria.
One beautiful thing about the music industry is its uniqueness in accepting every genre, likewise every gender.
In a male-dominated industry, women are flying in the face of industry norms, societal expectations, and Western preconceptions to expand the ever-changing landscape of contemporary African music.
For the Nigerian women in the music industry, collaboration hasn’t really been a thing, thus many haven’t realized the beauty of female collaborations.
On the other hand, the male counterparts have proved enough of this.
Examples are the likes of Wizkid, Davido, Olamide, Burna Boy, and many more.
While there are many opinions towards why female artistes in Nigeria don’t really do collaborations with their female counterparts, we look at a very bright future for the fast-rising ones!
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For the record, these young female artistes have just entered fame barely three years ago.
And they have a very high opportunity of exercising the transformation we need for the females in the industry.
Let’s take a look at them individually!
Tems
The alternative-born singer emerged to the surface with her “Try Me” single in 2019.
Likewise in 2020, her single Damages from her For Broken Ears EP became another follow-up hit to Try Me peaking at number 6 on “TurnTable Top 50”.
Without wasting time she secured her spot in Wizkid‘s MIL album, being the feature on the hit track “Essence“.
Though, Tems isn’t a featuring person, as she prefers to make a song using her unique R&B style.
However, since her inception to the spotlight, she is yet to feature a female artiste in a song.
Why is that? The answer is best known to her!
Ayra Starr
Here’s Mavin Record’s latest princess Ayra Starr.
The 18-year-old Afropop Nigerian singer has been on the watchlist since 2019, and her sound allows her versatility and distinctive styles to take center stage.
On 21 January 2021, she released her first 5-track EP titled after her name which includes Away, Ija, DITR, Sare, and Memories.
Without hesitation, she received a warm welcome from fans, and her career evolved.
Like Tems, Ayra has not featured any female artiste, though she has not released any new song, lately.
However, as the common practice of most Nigerian female artistes, we are not surprised.
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Lady Donli
Lastly, we have Lady Donli, one of the fast-rising acts in the alternative jazz scene.
Quite different from the previous two, Donli has been in the industry for a while now.
Also, she has worked with a couple of female artistes to make good music.
However, her presence wasn’t felt until about three years back.
Having had a brief review of the trio let’s now take a look at what their possible collaboration will look like.
Recall, they all sing alternative, but each has a unique vocality that gives room for each to shine.
Their Possible collaboration
Nigeria’s pioneering alternative music scene, one of its latest and greatest cultural exports. What started off as a non-conformist subculture, a rebellion in a conservative country, has become a fully-fledged iconoclastic movement capturing the sounds and styles of a young generation!
Cementing their positions in a suite of trailblazers, visionaries, and innovators, Tems, Lady Donli, and Ayra Starr are at the forefront of a movement that’s breaking the mould.
While the three have yet to meet for music, the advantage of having a song by the three in it will be a show that there’s more to the female African music industry.
With Tems taking the first verse, her display will be a connection of a female Wizkid version.
It won’t be a surprise if she brings in a blend of that Afrobeat to solidify that African tune.
Ayra on the other hand, will take the second verse and evolve the tempo in a more artistic way.
With her evident soprano voice, her verse will be an exceptional art that will certainly put listeners in a calm mood.
Lastly, we have the Brenda Fassie of our time Lady Donli to give a final strike to the hit collabo.
It will be a transition from the regular alte scene to a mama Africa style of delivery.
The powerful and energetic African vocal is sure to reveal itself in a grand finish.
Subsequently, this kind of collaboration will be an eye-opener for both the old generations and the coming ones.
It will create a unified bond for Nigerian female artistes and Africa at large.
Further, what we have hoped for in the industry, will finally start becoming a reality.