**Advocates Equal Opportunities for Male, Female Artists
By Dipo Olowookere
Popular female musician, Yemi Alade, has called for equal opportunities for male and female artists in Africa, noting that “there is no gender” in the universe of music.
The Nigeria music star made this submission while commenting on her inclusion into the Spotify EQUAL Africa programme, a platform designed to celebrate female acts.
She is the first artist to be profiled on the platform in 2023. The 2009 winner of the Peak Talent Show was chosen for the Spotify EQUAL Africa initiative because of her success in the showbiz industry.
The leading female Afro Pop artist in Africa and multi-talented Nigerian singer has joined the list of accomplished acts featured on the EQUAL Africa playlist.
The Spotify EQUAL Africa programme seeks to provide female artists with the support and resources to grow their craft and reach worldwide audiences through multiple playlists. The beneficiaries also receive off-platform guidance and tools to help take their music careers to even greater heights.
Yemi Alade is no stranger to the spotlight. With four albums, an EP and hit singles such as Johnny, Shekere, Africa, oh my gosh, and Bum Bum under her belt, she is part of the Afro Pop elite.
Her performances have lit up stages across Africa, Europe and the USA, performing for, among others, the British Royal Family, but this singer-songwriter is also a hit on the small screen.
She is the first African female Afro Pop star to hit over 100 million views on YouTube, and VEVO with her smash hit single Johnny, which is now the most viewed video from an African female pop star ever.
Yemi Alade is also a multi-award winner, taking home the 2015 and 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards for a best female artist and has been nominated for multiple BET and MOBO Awards.
She is a featured artist on the track Don’t Jealous Me, which appears on Beyoncé’s compilation album The Lion King: The Gift, alongside Mr Eazi and Tekno, and guests on the lead single on Angelique Kidjo’s Grammy-winning album, Mother Nature.
Outside of her music, Yemi Alade is an actress and a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador who operates her own charity, the James and Helen Pathway Foundation.
Speaking on her addition to the scheme, she said, “It’s a great time to be alive; female artists have quadrupled in number compared to a decade ago.”
“The only thing we ask now, in this male-dominated industry, is for equal opportunities. Equal opportunities to be seen, for our talents to be showcased, because, in the universe of music, there is no gender, only potential, creativity, and pure magic,” she added.
Also commenting, the Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa at Spotify, Ms Phiona Okumu, described Yemi Alade as “a talented artist who has already carved out a solid place in the music industry.”
“Spotify is looking forward to showcasing her talent to an even wider audience and working with her to further map out her success,” she added.
