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Musical Artists

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Nigeria / United Kingdom / United States · Hollywood

Chiwetel Ejiofor’s move behind the camera widens the meaning of a Hollywood career

His 12 Years a Slave performance earned an Academy nomination, but acting is only part of the story. Writing and directing create another route for diaspora artists to shape whose point of view governs a film.

13 Sept 2026, 12:00 WAT

AI-created symbolic image of a young Kenyan music producer working at a studio console with Nairobi's skyline beyond the window

Kenya · Culture

Kenya's bid for a Recording Academy Africa music hub advances—but no winner yet

Academy officials say key milestones are complete and Kenyan artists will visit the United States in October. Kenya is still competing with Nigeria and South Africa, and no headquarters decision or opening date has been announced.

12 Sept 2026, 04:48 WAT

AI-created editorial image

Morocco · Life Style

Inside Gnawa culture, the instrument is only the beginning of the music

Marrakech’s Dar Gnawa Museum offers a route into the objects, performance and spiritual context behind an influential Afro-Moroccan tradition.

8 Sept 2026, 04:05 WAT

Editorial illustration for “Nigeria’s creative exports need contracts as ambitious as the talent”

Nigeria · Business

Nigeria’s creative exports need contracts as ambitious as the talent

Music, film, fashion and design travel globally, but creators often negotiate from weak positions.

5 September 2026

Editorial illustration for “Raï style made youth, music and public identity inseparable”

Algeria · Life Style

Raï style made youth, music and public identity inseparable

The genre’s clothing, performance and language carry histories of urban change.

5 September 2026

Editorial illustration for “The paperwork behind a film can decide how far it travels”

Nigeria · Nollywood

The paperwork behind a film can decide how far it travels

Music, locations, appearances and archive material require clear rights.

5 September 2026

Editorial illustration for “Dakar’s creative economy is a business ecosystem, not a side show”

Senegal · Business

Dakar’s creative economy is a business ecosystem, not a side show

Fashion, music, film and design connect identity with jobs and exports.

4 September 2026

Editorial illustration for “Behind Calabar Carnival’s colour is a year of disciplined craft”

Nigeria · Life Style

Behind Calabar Carnival’s colour is a year of disciplined craft

Costume, choreography, music and community organisation turn spectacle into an economy.

4 September 2026

Editorial illustration for “Griots keep history in voice, memory and performance”

West Africa · Life Style

Griots keep history in voice, memory and performance

Oral specialists preserve genealogy, music and public memory.

4 September 2026

Editorial illustration for “Lagos after dark dresses for movement”

Lagos, Nigeria · Life Style

Lagos after dark dresses for movement

Music, street food and fashion meet in a city that continually reinvents its nights.

4 September 2026

Editorial illustration for “Nigeria’s animation studios are building worlds beyond live action”

Nigeria · Nollywood

Nigeria’s animation studios are building worlds beyond live action

Artists are combining local stories with globally competitive digital craft.

4 September 2026

Editorial illustration for “Kannywood’s scale makes it essential to any account of Nigerian cinema”

Northern Nigeria · Nollywood

Kannywood’s scale makes it essential to any account of Nigerian cinema

Hausa-language production connects film, music, television and regional audiences.

4 September 2026

Editorial illustration for “Nollywood composers write emotion between the lines”

Nigeria · Nollywood

Nollywood composers write emotion between the lines

Original music can locate period, tension and identity without overwhelming performance.

4 September 2026

Editorial illustration for “Makeup artists turn history, age and injury into believable detail”

Nigeria · Nollywood

Makeup artists turn history, age and injury into believable detail

Screen makeup must work under close cameras, heat and continuity demands.

4 September 2026

A trumpeter on horseback during a Sallah Durbar in Kano

Africa · Life Style · Culture

Durbar: horsemanship, authority and public spectacle

Northern Nigeria’s emirate processions bring cavalry, music and embroidered regalia into the city.

Culture desk