3 Female Nigerian DJs Open Up About Sexism in the Lagos Music Scene
“They can never be better than male DJs” – Unknown male.
Sexism in the workplace has always been up for debate. Be it in the male-dominated or female-dominated industry, the question of ‘who should do what’ is under more scrutiny, now more than ever.
In an interesting half-hour documentary titled “Assurance”, London-based female DJ, Juba, has released a tell-all account unearthing sexism in the DJ industry. She talks with 3 female Nigerian DJs – Sensei Lo, DJ Yin & DJ Ayizan on their take on sexism in the workplace based on their real-life experiences. With raw footage, each DJ opens up about their experiences with societal expectations and gender-related biases in the Lagos music scene.
Speaking to OkayAfrica, Juba stated;
Assurance was conceived out of my desire to find new perspectives in the music industry’s gender imbalance debate. Since I started DJing in 2016, I’ve only been able to look at the topic through the European lens and the discourse, in general, is overwhelmingly dominated by voices from the Global North.
Going to Lagos and immersing myself in conversation with the three DJs exposed me to a different set of narratives in a totally new, often ignored context. Stories like theirs are necessary for enriching and broadening the conversation around women in music and prove the importance of wider representation when discussing issues that are relevant to people all over the world.
DJ Juba, OkayAfrica Interview
Watch the documentary below;
