The role of women in African music cannot be defined in one word; they are driving forces that permeate through every sector; from being the artists, songwriters and producers to the engineers, managers, publicists, stage managers and the myriad of other roles that make up key members in the music industry.

Here at SOA, we aim to be a global museum, archiving the very best of African music. And as a celebration of the amazing work that women do, Micheal Tubes of SOA curated a 3D virtual exhibition with images that bring to life the joy, passion, beauty and realities of being a woman in African music.

It’s now week five of the exhibition (first things first, if you haven’t viewed it yet, you should stop reading this and do that first, it’s completely free.)

It’s a known fact that the music industry is male-dominated; across the three creative roles highlighted, women make up a small percentage; not only are women vastly outnumbered, they often experience colleagues dismissing or discounting their work or skills, but many have also experienced stereotyping, isolation and sexualization.

Despite being often ignored and invisible for their work or put under the microscope for acts their male counterparts would be praised for; their impact is so much bigger, from winning Grammys (Angelique Kidjo) to breaking glass ceilings and borders (Fatoumata Diawara) to their humanitarian work (Yvonne Chaka Chaka). Yet, they are disproportionately affected by inequality, from the lack of recognition to the pay gap in the industry.

It’s no secret that women often have to work twice as hard as less competent men to get even half the recognition that men do. The media as a whole reports far less content featuring or celebrating their expertise and wins; “women are vastly underrepresented in the media”, and this why the women in Africa Music exhibition has been created, not just to highlight and celebrate them, but to create archives, so these moments don’t fade into history with the turn of time.

I’ve viewed the exhibition a couple of times, alone when it first launched and weeks later with some friends, and the second time I had more clarity and felt even more pride when viewing and discussing it with a group of women, it was a very different, but welcome experience.

I have to applaud the creativity and innovation of this exhibition; the pandemic has birthed new ways for creatives to share their work, and by making this virtual, Micheal Tubes has created something that anyone in any part of the world can be a part of. It’s been no small feat to document these moments; some of the images go as far back as ten years ago.

The exhibition, which can be viewed as a guided tour, is grouped into three different rooms: tan/red, blue and grey. The images are framed in virtual canvases in rows of varying sizes; the images tell a story of craftsmanship, sisterhood and culture.

They range from portraits to stage performances, costumes, and even tributes to the fallen behind the scenes. They collect important moments frozen in time and allow the viewer to explore and become familiar with the industry, memorializing each woman at important moments in time.

This was something that the African community needed (even if we don’t know it yet); a lot of our artefacts and history have been pillaged, co-opted and re-written by others. We must begin to tell our own stories, and if a picture paints a thousand words, Micheal Tubes would own a library.

The exhibition is running till the 30th of June 2021, and you can view the exhibition HERE.

Disclaimer:- This author is featured in the exhibition (In the blue room)

Lastly, stay up to date with all you need to know about African music at SOA, right here.

 

WOMEN IN AFRICAN MUSIC EXHIBITION (Article)