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

1 day 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

“Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre” Bites Off More Than it can Chew

She steals from the gods the power of resurrection, and then raises her beloved from the dead. Then she bequeaths the loot to him, with which he builds a reputation as a resurrector. But when he cheats on her, she ups and leaves, taking along his talisman, a last-gasp act of revenge which precipitates both […]

Michael Aromolaran

2 years ago

Asake And The Age-Long Strategy Of Outrage Marketing

Asake, who is famed for his taciturn nature as much as his artistic genius, has taken to his social media platforms to make some controversial posts in a rare burst of extroversion. On Twitter, he put out a series of odd tweets, but while it was a first for the star, whose Twitter account ordinarily […]

2 years ago

The Worst IWD Campaigns We’ve Seen In Recent Years

In an era where the pursuit of gender inclusivity has become widespread, however performative, Nigerian brands are not exempt from the global movement. With the advent of each International Women’s Day, companies across the country go out of their way to create something to portray them as inclusive, empathetic, or supportive of women’s empowerment. Despite […]

2 years ago

Afro-Adura: A Passing Fad Or A Tune That Perseveres Through Time

“Any weapon against me no fit prosper / Back to sender / make my money pass Bullion Van,” Seyi Vibez sings in Buillion Van (2022), his baritone full of girth and confidence with his prayer-inspired music lyrics. Similarly, Asake sings with the same level of pizzaz in Nzaza (2022), “See am for my dream as I […]

2 years ago

Asa: Music, Femininity, and Defying Expectations

by Shalom Tewobola and Patrick Ezema “Half the time, they said my music was horrible. I should sing what people understood. But in my heart, I knew where I wanted to go,” Asa says in an episode of Flow with Korty. From an early age, Asa knew where she wanted to go with her […]

Culture Custodian Editorial Team

2 years ago

7 Contemporary Nollywood Queer Films Changing Narratives

In the few instances where queer people were the subject of Nigerian films in the ‘90s and early 2000s, they were invariably depicted unflatteringly. Lancelot Imasuen’s Emotional Crack (2003), Amaka Igwe’s Rattle Snake (1995) and even Moses Ebere’s Men in Love (2010), for example, portrayed homosexuals as satanically possessed. In some other films from that […]

2 years ago

Five Rising Female Artists To Watch Out For In 2024

2023 was a year that inarguably delivered on the music front; stars like Rema and Asake returned in the form they closed 2022 in, while new artists like Odumodublvck and Shallipopi made their own breakthroughs. As icing on the cake, each member of the big 3, Nigeria’s trio of its putative biggest artists, new projects […]

2 years ago

“On The Edge” Review: A Satirical Stake on Ambition and Power

Power, when poorly managed, becomes intoxicating and leads to the downfall of great men. Historical and religious drama and events—such as Hitler’s leadership in Nazi regime in Germany, Macbeth’s ruthless rise in the Shakespearean world and Solomon’s regal reign in Christian epistemology—account for people of noble status whose abuse of power in different ways contributes […]

2 years ago