“Decolonizing music isn’t just a trend; it’s about survival and dignity for creators globally.”
Angelique Kidjo
It’s Saturday morning, and I’m on a train headed to Köln, Germany. The destination isn’t what makes this trip exciting. It’s the person waiting for me there. The ride from Bonn is short, just 40 minutes. I’m about to meet Naiyango, an African artist based in Köln. In her house, I see several artistic elements, from guitars, to posters of her live shows as well as multiple forms of African art. She mentions she’s been listening to some music. As a Kenyan myself, I am reminded of home.
Before we start the interview, I ask her: What’s a day in your life like? She doesn’t just tell me. She offers to show me. She puts on some music and begins to stretch. She warms up her vocals as her voice fills the room with a richness that commands attention. She tells me she does this every morning as its part of an artists’ routine. Finally, we sit down to talk. Naiyango shares that her inspiration comes from those who paved the way before her.
Pursuing music abroad
As an African woman pursuing a music career abroad, Naiyango says it has not been easy as she shows me posters of live shows in regions she performed in Germany. For Naiyango, the variety of African music has helped her not forget where she is from.
On this topic, she said that “Decolonizing the industry means that I tell my story and be able to take a global space. There’s a certain stigma attached to black people, that they don’t belong in the global space. I grew up listening to Kanda Bongoman, Fela Kuti and Koffi Olomide. There’s just something about the way they told their music. However, we don’t recognize genres like these as global.”
Decolonizing music genres
It is when she tells me this that I realize that from an international perspective many may neither have heard of these genres nor these musicians. And this is where it becomes problematic.
For a long time, record labels or streaming companies focused mostly on music from certain places, like the US or Europe. Ignoring or taking ideas from other cultures, like Africa, Asia, or Latin America, without giving credit or fair pay.
For example, jazz was born in the early 20th century in African American communities in the US, particularly in New Orleans. It blended African rhythms reflecting the struggles and resilience of Black people during segregation.
However, as jazz gained popularity, white musicians and promoters often benefited more financially than its Black creators. For instance, early jazz legends like Louis Armstrong paved the way, but mainstream audiences gravitated toward white bands, like those of Benny Goodman, who were marketed as ‘safer’ for white audiences.

Is ‘World music’ a problematic term?
When people think about pop, jazz and RnB, the genres are more often seen as global. But not when it comes to Rhumba, Lingala, Bongo. And that’s where the term ‘World music’ became problematic.
Still, social media in its own way has helped counter this challenge. This is because the algorithm pushes what people search for, and streaming platforms put what has been in the top 10 in terms of streaming per country. We are seeing music like Afrobeats and Amapiano become by far one of the most streamed.
However, African artists abroad seem to face more challenges in terms of tapping into the music scene. Whereas many would recognize their music from their home countries, it may be quite daunting abroad.
Naiyango’s aim and vision
As we wrap up the interview session, we take the train and head to the studio where she records her music. As I step into the space the walls are graced with historic photographs of Black artists. Icons from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s—some instantly recognizable, others unfamiliar but no less powerful
It is then that I meet Baba Omar, Naiyango’s producer. He is from Nigeria. His main aim is to focus on African talents abroad with an aim to inspire them to tell their stories globally:
“There seems to be less creative freedom for the black community abroad, but Naiyango is trying to show other people that it’s possible to get support.”
For Naiyango, the future for African music looks brighter than ever, “I want to tell my story through music. To tap into my Africanness and tell my story the way I see fit. The goal is to live our Africanness boldly and proudly and not have to tone it down.”