For centuries, African women have been consistently misrepresented in Western media and academia as powerless, impoverished, and oppressed. However, this one-dimensional portrayal ignores their essential contributions to Africa’s cultural, economic, and political spheres.
In the last decade, African women have emerged as major players in the global popular music scene, breaking through barriers and making their voices heard. From South Africa’s Miriam Makeba, who won a Grammy in 1966 for Best Folk Recording, to modern icons like Angélique Kidjo (Benin), Nomcebo Zikode (South Africa), Oumou Sangaré (Mali), Cesária Évora (Cape Verde), Tems (Nigeria), and Tyla (South Africa), African women are shaping music history.
The global rise of genres like Afrobeats and Amapiano has further thrust African female artists into the spotlight. Performers such as Tems and Tyla are selling out venues worldwide, becoming brand ambassadors for high-end fashion houses, and building a devoted international fanbase. Despite their undeniable influence as singers, dancers, producers, and composers, the stories of their challenges and triumphs in a male-dominated, often sexist music industry remain largely untold. While media coverage of these artists is increasing, their status as feminist pioneers, shattering glass ceilings in the music industry, has yet to be fully explored.
This gap is starting to be addressed through the scholarship of Dr. Mopelolade Ogunbowale, an African popular music scholar at the University at Buffalo. With academic roots in Nigeria, Canada, and the U.S., Dr. Ogunbowale has focused her research on the untold stories of West African female reggae and dancehall artists. Her upcoming book, The Spirit is the Music: Power, Creativity, and Resistance in Nigerian Reggae and Dancehall Music, will be the first comprehensive account of women in these genres from Ajegunle, a Lagos slum known for producing some of Nigeria’s most talented musicians.
Dr. Ogunbowale’s work highlights how these women, through their music, dance, and entrepreneurship, navigate a male-dominated industry while also supporting their communities. They use what they call “stubbornness” to challenge gender discrimination and push back against societal expectations, transforming the perception of Ajegunle women from one of poverty and marginalization to that of feminist leaders and cultural innovators.
While her current research focuses on Nigerian women in reggae and dancehall, Dr. Ogunbowale’s work is expanding. She is set to explore the experiences of female reggae and dancehall artists across West Africa, including Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal. Though there is documented evidence of reggae and dancehall’s role in post-colonial youth resistance movements in these countries, the narratives have largely focused on men. Dr. Ogunbowale’s upcoming research aims to change that, showing how West African women have contributed to these music movements since the 1970s—not just as performers, but also as dancers, entrepreneurs, and activists.
Her research will also delve into how these women incorporate their identities as feminists and marginalized figures into their music and performances. With her innovative approach and dedication to centering the voices of African women, Dr. Ogunbowale is poised to bring their stories to a global stage, ensuring that the contributions of African women to popular music history are fully recognized.