In 1984, the entertainment industry in Nigeria witnessed an unusual marriage when Salawa Abeni and Ayinla Kollington, two singers who play Waka and Fuji, respectively, married after three years of fight over the paternity of their child and creative agency. Kollington was more than Salawa's husband and a fellow artist—he was also the owner of the record label that produced Salawa's albums from 1984 to 1990.
Before their marriage ended in late 1990, the two artists depended on the same network within the entertainment industry. They shared resources, including managers, publicists, and even percussionists. Both performed at the same gigs and exploited the public attention and affirmation that came through their unusual marriage, which allowed their fans to enjoy the best of the worlds of the two genres.
This lecture is about marriage, romantic passion, and domesticity in African popular music using the case of these artists. It places marriage at the center of the creative lives of artists, underscoring the intersections of private and public lives.
Saheed Aderinto is a filmmaker and Professor of History and African and African Diaspora Studies at Florida International University. He is the author of many works, including a recently completed monograph, Fuji: The History of an African Popular Culture. "The Women of Fuji," the second episode of his documentary film on Fuji, will premiere in Lagos on March 8 as part of the International Women's Day celebration.
Hosts:
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Department of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Literatures and Languages
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Center for African Studies
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Rutgers Global
Co-conveners:
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Ousseina Alidou
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Thato Magano