Feature Archives

Feature

Explainers, analyses, and essays on government policies, and political trends and movements around the continent

Faridah Folawiyo’s Year of Yes

A recurring theme in Folawiyo’s discussion of her work is accessibility, not as a marketing term but as something closer to a personal correction.

Anjola Akinmade

3 weeks ago

Taiwo “Ogogo” Hassan, The Custodian of Action and Nollywood’s Voice of Reason

Nollywood actor Taiwo “Ogogo” Hassan, who has died aged 66 of an unnamed cancer, inspired Nigerian film audiences and industry practitioners with his commanding performances and recorded goodwill. The actor who has stayed away from mainstream attention and conversation was the face of recent conversation after one of his daughters posted a video detailing the […]

Seyi Lasisi

11 hours ago

“Starrgirl”: Ayra Starr Trades Becoming for Being

In Starrgirl, Ayra Starr does not ask you to reconsider Ayra Starr. She assumes you already know who she is and expects you to keep up. The title alone sends listeners a message before they press play. Her first two records were titled around age — 19 & Dangerous introduced a fearless, fast-talking teenager; The […]

Anjola Akinmade

4 days ago

Mid-Year Review: The 10 Best Nigerian Songs of 2026

In the spirit of culture curation, Culture Custodian has put together a list of the best songs of 2026, so far.

John Eriomala

2 months ago

What Exactly Is All This Sex Doing in Blood Sisters?

Blood Sisters Understands That Sex Can Tell a Story. It Just Doesn’t Always Know What Story It’s Telling.

Naomi Ezenwa

3 months ago

Jingle Bells and Nollywood’s Year-End Showdown

In the center of a metaphorical boxing ring, three Nollywood filmmakers step into the spotlight: Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham, and Jade Osiberu. Akindele steps forward with her tried-and-true champion, Everybody Loves Jenifa, a franchise that has consistently won the hearts of Nigerian cinema enthusiasts. Toyin Abraham counters with Alakada: Bad and Boujiee. And completing the […]

Shalom Tewobola

2 years ago

Top 10 Fashion Moments in 2024

In the world of global fashion, 2024 emerged as a watershed moment for African creativity. This was the year when the continent’s fashion ecosystem transcended mere trends and became a powerful narrative of cultural renaissance, global recognition, and unbridled self-expression. From Lagos’s pulsating runways to Paris’s haute couture stages, African artists, designers, and influencers didn’t […]

Shalom Tewobola

2 years ago

In-House: Top Ten Songs of 2024

From the multitude of new music releases this year, here is Culture Custodian’s definitive ranking of the best ten songs of 2024, as chosen by our editorial team.

Patrick Ezema

2 years ago

How Rema Reimagined Afropop To Find His Sound on “HEIS”

Rema’s HEIS could be the soundtrack to an antihero film. Big drums underscore his many pompous self-proclamations in capital letters, while the sinister keys that intersperse them provide them a scary, evil temperament. It’s exactly the project he needed to fulfill his career’s direction and tie up many of his creative choices over the years: […]

Patrick Ezema

2 years ago

In-House: Best Albums of 2024

By Patrick Ezema, Chibuzo Emmanuel, Damilola Oyeleke, Shalom Tewobola and Alex Omenye Another year has come and, save for a few days, gone, and we’ve been introduced to another glut of albums released from the stables of Nigerian artists. A year that started out slow for Nigerian music—prompting discussions from fans and thinkpieces from critics […]

Patrick Ezema

2 years ago

A Night to Remember: No Love in Lagos Concert Brings Live Music Magic to London

They no dey love for Lagos, felenfe, felenfe, everybody, felenfe, ihe neme, felenfe. They no dey love for Lagos.These are the words that open up the listening experience, after the dreamy intro, on the No Love In Lagos album and the latest body of work from Show Dem Camp where they collaborate with The Cavemen. […]

Adedamola Adedayo

2 years ago

Osaru Obaseki: Bridging Past and Present Through Sculpture and Painting

by Michael Kolawole Osaru Obaseki’s studio is a reflection of her artistic process: textured materials scattered across tables by the window; a plastic trolley filled with painting tubes and containers of different sizes, shapes, and colors stands by an alluring portrait of a man at the center; half-formed sculptures are sitting by fully formed ones […]

Culture Custodian Editorial Team

2 years ago

In “Fine Girl” An Unsettling Meetcute Takes A Strange Turn

From Lagos to Cairo, women of all ages and walks of life can relate to the inescapable experience of unwanted male attention. The image that usually comes to mind when we think of harassment is that of the unfamiliar, unpolished man on the street. But even charismatic men are equal transgressors. These men weaponize a […]

Culture Custodian Editorial Team

2 years ago