Solana EQUAL Africa pick: Spotify spotlights “Okunkun” ahead of her Johannesburg debut

Spotify has named the Nigerian singer Solana its EQUAL Africa artist for October. The Solana EQUAL Africa spotlight puts her Yoruba-language song “Okunkun” in front of listeners across the continent. It also sends her to Johannesburg on 14 October for her first performance in South Africa. It is the start of a busy few weeks, with a new single due on 16 October and a debut EP on 6 November. Here is what the programme is, who she is and the dates to note.

By Editorial Team

What we know

• The selection (FACT). Spotify named Solana its EQUAL Africa artist for October in an announcement published on 7 and 8 October, as reported by Citizen Digital, Business News Kenya and Afrobeats Wire.
• The featured song (FACT). The spotlight centres on “Okunkun”, a Yoruba-language song about resilience. The song is currently listed on Spotify’s EQUAL Africa playlist.
• The Johannesburg show (FACT). She will perform at Spotify’s EQUAL Artist Showcase in Johannesburg on 14 October. Spotify says it will be her first time on stage in South Africa.
• The release plan (FACT, as announced). A new single, “O Ri Mi”, is due on 16 October. It will be followed by her debut EP, Girl from the West, Act I, on 6 November.
• Spotify’s view (FACT). Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s head of music for sub-Saharan Africa, said Solana’s “sound is one that requires no passport”.

What Solana EQUAL Africa status means

EQUAL is Spotify’s worldwide programme for women in music. The Africa edition picks one artist each month and promotes her music on the platform. In practice, that usually means a place on the EQUAL Africa playlist and other editorial playlists, artwork in the app, interviews, and sometimes billboard advertising. Spotify says the programme is meant to “celebrate, support and amplify” women artists across the continent.

For an emerging artist, the main value is being discovered. Editorial playlists are one of the few ways a new act can reach listeners who do not already follow her. Our explainer on how Spotify royalties work explains why those extra streams matter, and why they rarely pay much on their own.

The live show may be just as useful. Performing in Johannesburg puts her in front of a South African audience at a time when Nigerian and South African music are mixing more than ever, as amapiano and Afrobeats borrow from each other. Our genre guide explains the differences.

Who is Solana?

Solana is a singer and songwriter whose music mixes alt-R&B, electronic music and pop with Yoruba influences. Spotify and Afrobeats Wire describe her as someone who builds a whole world around her music, from her signature hairstyle to her modern take on traditional clothing. Her fans call themselves Lanterns.

In a Q&A published with the announcement, she said she grew up with the music her mother played, especially King Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey, and later found Lagbaja through music videos on TV. “I’m a girl of few words,” she said. “Music has always been my safe space and escape.”

She explained that “Okunkun” means “darkness” and said the song is about not staying stuck in hard times. “Everyone goes through darkness from time to time,” she said. “Keep moving forward, don’t stay in that darkness.”

She also spoke about being a woman in the industry. “It’s a fact that as a woman, it’s harder for people to take you seriously, but I’ve just accepted that as a people problem, not mine,” she said.

Why a Yoruba-language song is the focus

Spotify chose a song sung in Yoruba rather than English, which is a notable choice. Songs in Yoruba, Igbo and Pidgin have long been part of Nigerian pop. A streaming service using one as the flagship for a pan-African campaign suggests it believes language is no longer a barrier for listeners. That is what Okumu meant when she said the sound “requires no passport”.

It is also a good time for new Nigerian music. Several major albums are due on 16 October, the same day as “O Ri Mi”, as we set out in our preview of the 16 October releases. A new artist releasing on that day will be competing for attention with big names, and a Spotify spotlight helps.

What we do not know yet

Spotify has not published streaming figures for “Okunkun”, and Solana’s label and team were not named in the material we reviewed. There is no tracklist for the EP yet, and no confirmed shows in Nigeria after Johannesburg. We have not been able to confirm her full name or age from a primary source, so we have not included them.

What happens next

• 14 October: Spotify’s EQUAL Artist Showcase in Johannesburg.
• 16 October: “O Ri Mi” is released.
• 6 November: the debut EP, Girl from the West, Act I, is released.
• We will review the EP when it comes out, and you can follow the Nigerian charts in our TurnTable Charts guide.

More Nigerian entertainment news: Nigerian Entertainment.

Photo credits: Featured image: Centertainment branded share card. In-article image: Johannesburg, where Solana makes her South African stage debut on 14 October (illustrative). Photo: Khaanya96, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source.

Sources

• Citizen Digital: Spotify names Nigerian singer Solana EQUAL Africa Artist for October (8 Oct 2026)
• Afrobeats Wire: Spotify names Solana as October’s EQUAL Africa Artist, with Q&A (7 Oct 2026)
• Business News Kenya: Spotify names Solana October EQUAL Africa Artist ahead of Johannesburg performance (8 Oct 2026)
• Spotify: EQUAL Africa playlist