CITIZENS COMPASS—In the latest episode of African Voices Changemakers, CNN’s Larry Madowo meets Grammy-winning artist Tems, who talks about her rise from Lagos to global stages and how she’s using her platform to empower women.
Born Temilade Openiyi in Lagos, Tems rose from self-taught producer to global star, making history as the first Nigerian to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. She talks about her music, “I think for me personally, authenticity is everything to me. I feel like that’s the one thing I cannot compromise on because that’s all I have, who I really am, and I started doing music to share my story and to share my emotions and how I feel.”
From the studio to stadiums, Tems’ rise hasn’t been without challenges. She says she’s navigated the pressures of the industry while holding onto the creative freedom that makes her music distinct, “Music is like my playground. I just like to experiment. I’m listening to so many different sounds and I just notice things that call out to me, and I save them. Most of the time I just make sure that I’m discovering new things all the time, even when I’m not in the studio.”
Some artists have been outspoken against the term Afrobeats and grouping all African music under the genre. Tems tells Madowo she sees the positives of the definition , “Right now, Afrobeats is not about a genre, it’s about the movement. And it’s the movement of Africa. I think along the way, the definition of Afrobeats changed.”
As her profile grows, Tems is investing in ventures outside of music, including sports ownership. She recently joined the ownership team of San Diego FC, becoming the first African woman in that kind of role, “I think it’s really important to expand or diversify yourself and your business. And I think that that was like the first time I was really interested in something else that wasn’t music.”
Tems is using her platform to open the door for other women in the entertainment industry and beyond, “Maybe it’s because I’m a woman and I remember my journey and I remember all the things that I had to go through, but I really want to help women to create a tangible space in all industries, especially music. But not just in music, in entrepreneurship, in tech, in business. I think it’s important and I want to give women the opportunity to redefine what people know.”
In August, the two-time Grammy Award-winner launched the Leading Vibe initiative, a groundbreaking platform to support, connect, and amplify young women in music across Africa, with plans to expand globally. She describes the project, “It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. Being in the music industry myself, I know firsthand how difficult it is for women and how people view women, and how hard it is to not even just get a foot in the door, but to be respected as someone that is a leader. And I feel like there definitely should be more women in leadership roles, not just in music.”
Tems concludes on the initiative’s expansion plans, “This is definitely going beyond Nigeria. I want to support women in all fields (…)We’re going to Kenya next, because this is not just, you know, we started in Lagos because this is my home and obviously, I want my people to win. But there’s women everywhere in Africa that need visibility and just need to feel seen and really all they need is that platform, all they need is that chance.”
