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

17 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

The 10 Best Nigerian Pop Songs of 2024

For all its moments of transcendence and apparent victory laps, 2024 has been a rollercoaster for Nigerian pop. Early into the year, conversations about the state of pop music in the country were steeped in trepidation about the future of the genre. Today, the rhetoric has taken on a new shape. Powered by brilliant albums […]

2 years ago

Simi Reclaims Self in “Lost and Found”

Few joys can match that of motherhood, and such was Simi’s joy that in 2020, in the final lap of a pregnancy that had been shielded from public view for the most part, she paid homage to her unborn child with Duduke, a stirring profession of maternal affection, and one of the year’s defining songs. […]

2 years ago

6 Nollywood Screenwriters You Should Know

Without screenwriters, there will be no stories made into film. The growth of Nollywood over the years is largely due to improvements in storytelling and other technical aspects of production. From developing an idea to creating plausible scenarios and building characters, Nollywood screenwriters lay the foundation for our stories in film and television, positioning the […]

2 years ago

Obasanjo’s Internet – Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe

Did you know that there are approximately 4.66 billion active Internet users worldwide? Can you imagine all the different ways in which we all use the internet? Obasanjo’s Internet is our interview series where we speak to some of our Internet favorites on how they relate to the Internet and what it means to them […]

Damilola Oyeleke

2 years ago

From Law Student to Meta Ambassador, Tobeszn Is Redefining Influencing In Africa

Gen Zs want to stand with a cultural shift, by championing authenticity and the freedom to be one’s true self and this one individual is capturing the heart of many Nigerians one video at a time. Tobe Ugeh popularly known as tobeszn is slowly becoming Nigeria’s sweetheart. Tobe, a content creator based in Lagos, Nigeria […]

2 years ago

Meet Yosa, the DJ Breathing New Life Into Lagos’ Night Scene

Yosa has become one of the most exciting and in-demand fixtures in the Lagos night scene. In January, the BBC tapped him for his Africollective mix. In April, he played a Boiler Room set, alongside a pantheon of preternatural talents, including Bloody Civilian, Odunsi, and Odumodublvck. Earlier this month, he played at Rema’s Lagos listening […]

2 years ago

South Africa Fights Back Against Food Poverty And Climate Change Through Indigenous Farming Methods

By Lucas Ledwaba It’s early December, yet the farms’ landscape in Onverwacht, near Polokwane in Limpopo, northeast South Africa, is a dull brown and dry. Red dust rises into the sky as a hot wind sweeps in the late morning. Usually, the land looks green at this time of the year, but the rains […]

Culture Custodian Editorial Team

2 years ago

With “Heis” Rema Taps the Past to Create the Future

Rema has long been a master at subversion; his work delights in a fusion of, sometimes disparate, sounds. He pulls from a sweep of existing influences, subjects them to his unique spin and conjures music that feels beamed in from an alternate universe. On his eponymous debut EP, he riffs on traditional Afropop, flirting with […]

2 years ago