The global music industry unfortunately remains a largely male-dominated one. Although female singers often front top bands or provide backing vocals to stars, the fairer sex has traditionally been poorly represented when it comes to playing instruments and largely excluded from senior positions in the industry (such as record label executives, producers, engineers, managers and promoters).
In Africa, women are slowly starting to take on a more prominent role in previously male-dominated fields within the industry, overcoming numerous obstacles on their way. For this reason we have chosen to focus on women as our theme for the month of May 2016. Music In Africa has compiled a selection of relevant reading: including overview texts on women in the music industries of Eritrea, Senegal and Nigeria, interesting features celebrating women making a difference in the African music sector, as well as news of initiatives aimed at promoting the role of women in music.
- Women in Senegalese music
- Nigeria's women bandleaders
- Women in Eritrean music
- Nigeria's Temi Dollface releases video in honour of women
- New concert series gives Kenyan female artists time to shine
- DJ Rachael: Queen of the turntables
- Kasiva Mutua: Drumming to Kenya’s rhythms
- African divas unite for ‘Strong Girl’
- All-female line-up for Uganda’s Qwela Junction November concert
- New concert celebrates South Africa’s female icons
- Festival profits enrich the lives of rural women
- Anyango, the first female nyatiti player in the world
- Playlist 6: Five new African music videos to check out
- Diaspora artists Cold Specks and Estère to tour Africa for first time
- Interview with Muthoni DQ, the founder of Blankets & Wine festival: Part 1 & Part 2
- Kidjo dedicates third Grammy to African musicians
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