African sounds from alté to amapiano are running the game in 2022 – and NATIVE, fresh from minting the new Black Panther movie soundtrack, is the Lagos-based label and publishing powerhouse at the heart of the action
We have a saying in Nigeria: Naija no dey carry last. For those born in the motherland and the diaspora, to our parents’ generation and beyond, that phrase is ingrained in our brains, symbolic of the stubborn, salient pride in our identity. It carries many meanings; we don't falter in any aspect of life, we refuse to settle for less, our ingenuity is undeniable. The saying never diminishes. Instead, it adapts, waiting for new blood to craft its own definition.
carries that zeal into music and culture, bringing new concepts, vigour and enterprise to the African continent. In its six-years as a magazine – and now a festival and record label – the Lagos and London-based creative hub has placed a magnifying glass on its surroundings, zooming in on the hubris of modern Africa's creative scene and highlighting sounds – Afrobeats, alté, amapiano that are now being exported to the western world at breathtaking pace. Think of any new-age African icon to achieve international success in the last half-decade – Burna Boy, Wizkid. Tems – has had a hand in their rise. Whether by booking them for their annual festival, NATIVELAND, or having them grace the cover of the magazine, keeping their fingers on the pulse is second nature to co-founders Seni ‘Chubbz’ Saraki, Shola ‘Sholz’ Fagbemi and Teni ‘TeeZee’ Zaccheaus.
