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

2 months 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

1 month 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

1 month 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

3 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

4 months ago

Nigerian Lives: 6 Nigerians on Coming Out To Their Parents

Coming out can be a nerve-wracking and emotional experience, especially in a country like Nigeria where it’s against the law to just exist as a queer person. Instead of risking fourteen long years in prison, many queer people tell themselves that they will come out of the closet when they’re older and no longer under […]

2 years ago

The Timeless Resonance of Nigerian Music: How Nigeria’s Gen Z is Reviving Fuji, Apala, and Highlife

‘Apala Disco’ is a phrase that will evoke different memories for Nigerian music listeners strongly influenced by how old they are. Older Apala enthusiasts will recall Haruna Ishola and the golden age of Apala, thinking back to a time when the genre was an important pillar of Yoruba music culture. Younger listeners will think of […]

2 years ago

Victony Enters His Defiant Era With “Stubborn”

Stubborn isn’t exactly the first word that would come up in an attempt to describe Victony. Since ascending to mainstream Afropop consciousness, Victony—with his crystalline voice and stirring sepia ballads—has always cut the image of the reserved superstar. Unlike many of his peers who actively court the public’s attention through antics, he’s never in the […]

2 years ago

“Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti” Review: A Moving Depiction of A Legendary Feminine Force

Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti, mother to Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo, is remembered as one of the most important women in Nigeria’s socio political history. Known for her women rights activism, she championed the Abeokuta Women’s Union and led the protest of thousands of women against the authorities for unreasonable tax rates and poor local representation of women’s […]

2 years ago

Odafen’s “We Were Girls Once” is A Roadmap of Friendship

Aiwanose Odafen’s 2022 debut novel, Tomorrow I Become a Woman, ends with optimism. The protagonist, Obianuju, finally breaks free from the constraints of a toxic, patriarchal marriage. As the story draws to a close, there’s a glimmer of hope that she might reunite with her first love, Akin, and get her happy ending. However, readers […]

2 years ago

Nollywood Biopics You Should See

The biopic, a term created from the fusion of two words “biographical” and “picture”, is a film genre that is based on someone of historical, political or religious significance. Just as in the manner of a coming-of-age narrative, the biopic dramatizes the existence of a real person, usually a celebrity entertainer or political figure, spotlighting […]

2 years ago

A Network Of Community-led Initiatives Is Giving Answers To Lebanon’s Structural Issues

By Emmanuel Haddad George Tekle, once a taxi driver, turned to cultivating the land in his hometown, Majdel Meouch, located in the Chouf region, during the crisis. “We need to make ends meet,” he told L’Orient-Le Jour. The rising costs of imported fertilizer, however, strained his budget. Luckily, one day, he bumped into a […]

Culture Custodian Editorial Team

2 years ago

Nigerian Lives: 5 Women Talk About Their Nightlife Experiences

Work hard, play hard, is an adage as old as time. After the grind of daily responsibilities, unwinding becomes not just a luxury, but a necessity. For many, weekends transform into playgrounds of relaxation and revelry. Yet, beneath the pulsing lights and pounding beats, some revelers —particularly women— encounter moments that forever alter their perception […]

2 years ago