The rise of the African diva

By Emmanuel Mwendwa

Women have traditionally played an essential role in the preservation of African culture. From humming lullabies to cooing the little ones to sleep and composing dirges, women are the custodians of tradition. Whereas the bulk of traditional musical instruments are played predominantly by men, women often provide a distinctive voice for Africa’s music. Since the late 1980s, the continent’s songbirds have emerged from the fringes to edge into the mainstream of afro-pop music.

Globally revered divas such as Cape Verde’s Cesaria Evora, Miriam Makeba, Rebecca Malope, Yvonne Chaka Chaka (all from South Africa); singers Sade Adu of Nigeria; Ethiopian Aster Aweke; Ivory Coast’s Nayanka Bell; Aicha Kone; and Congolese Tshala Mwana and Mbilia Bel have been topping the US and European music charts since early 1980s.

New Stars

Princess Jullie

Collectively, these singers now represent some of most popular musical voices in the contemporary entertainment scene. From the onset, the songbirds spread their wings beyond their respective borders and managed to eclipse male musicians.

Many in their ranks overcame odds like ingrained gender disparities and set up their own bands, to eventually soar into the limelight as acclaimed performers.

Bold lyrics

Singer Maryan Mursal, for instance, spent months trekking across the desert with her five children tagging along, initially pitching tent in a Kenyan camp as a refugee, after escaping political turmoil in Somalia. "All the while, she was turning her experiences into lyrical lines for her compositions," reads excerpts on her debut CD, The Journey released in the US in 1998. Most songs therein were inspired by the exodus.

Besides dealing with timeless and universal themes of joy, pain, love, sadness and hope, the divas have also taken to boldly confronting women’s issues from a musical perspective.

Unique blend

Between them, the African divas have fashioned a unique blend of contemporary afro-pop songs. Undoubtedly, their quest for self-assertion is driven by the power of their mellow voices.

in demand

This has resulted in unprecedented commercial success and full diaries for performances in the European and US live concerts circuit.

Most of them command full-house audiences. Reportedly, tickets to their shows sell out long before they climb to the podium. But while these artistes were establishing themselves as giants, only a handful of female musicians were making attempts locally to put their act together.

Names of artistes who were active in the local 1980s showbiz circuit are few and far between. The group Musikly Speaking, comprising Suzanne Gachukia, Susan Matiba and Joy Mboya comes to mind locally.

They stormed the scene with the hit single Jamriambo, which for several months dominated the airwaves on the national broadcaster.

But things literally fell apart when Susan and Joy quit the group to pursue individual interests.