Negotiating Patriarchy in Juju Music: The Experiences of Female Performers in Ibadan

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the issues of female juju musicians' visibility and professional sustainability in Ibadan. Although the evolution and popularity of juju music have been significantly associated with male artists and bands, research into the experience of women, specifically in relation to the informal sector of performance within Ibadan, is scarce. This paper, thus, focuses on two women who play an essential role in the development of juju music in Ibadan: Temilade Adeyemi, better known as Oyinomo, the founder of Oyinomo and Her Dignities Crew, and Busayo Adebanjo, popularly called Loye Gold, the founder of Loye Gold Band. A qualitative methodology was used to collect data, which involved carrying out in-depth interviews and participant observation. As it turns out, female juju musicians have to deal with quite a lot of barriers to success, which include, but are not limited to, lack of access to performances, gender stereotypes, insufficient patronage, and marginalisation by professional circles. These barriers can be attributed to the specific image of women, as well as the idea of femininity and respectability. Despite all the obstacles, female juju musicians develop numerous mechanisms to achieve visibility and success, such as forging alliances, negotiating identities, media representation, and independence. This study demonstrates that the female musicians of Ibadan do not simply submit to male dominance, but they challenge the status quo by redefining the conditions of their visibility and sustainability in the field of juju music