Grammy-winning Nigerian artist Tems has shed light on the gender-based obstacles faced by women in the country’s music scene, reflecting on her own struggles to gain respect and recognition.
Speaking with the BBC, Tems revealed that female artists often experience a lack of respect in the industry, a reality that makes building a career even more challenging.
In response, she founded The Leading Vibe Initiative, a project aimed at helping women access better opportunities, reach wider audiences, and achieve greater success in the business. The initiative also works to encourage self-confidence and empower women to define themselves on their own terms.
Tems urged upcoming female musicians to set clear boundaries and determine what they are — and are not — willing to do in their pursuit of fame, stressing that personal values should never be compromised for success.
“I just found out that people don’t really respect women a lot in the [music] industry. It was difficult to find people to take me seriously, but it didn’t mean I stopped; I just kept on going. I wanted to redefine the perspective that women have of themselves. As a woman myself, I’m the best person to start something like this, so that’s really the aim,” she explained.
“It is to change the way women see themselves in music. For me, it is not just artists; it is also producers, audio engineers, instrumentalists, and managers interested in managing other women. When people tell you to change your style and sound, you look at them and say so.
“If it means me not being signed, I’m okay with that. I went to a couple of places that didn’t sign me, and I was okay with that. Like any other football fan, I never imagined myself being in ownership of any football team, but I think it is also a space where women are underrepresented.
“I was fortunate enough to get that opportunity brought to me, and I jumped on it because I feel like women don’t see themselves in that space, and I needed it to be known that women can be in any space that they want.”
