Shiikane… A new dawn for Afrobeats’ girl groups

Though Nigerian female groups have largely faded from the music scene, London-bred trip Shiikane is celebrating their roots. The sisters aim to inspire future female groups while honouring their late mother’s legacy through music and philanthropy.

After the golden era of Nigerian female groups—from the reggae-pop Lijadu Sisters to the Naija-pop trio Desperate Chicks—phased out in the late 2010s, the Nigerian music scene saw a notable absence of new female singing groups. However, the sororal Afro-pop trio Shiikane has been exploring the Afro-pop scene for over a decade.

Formed by twin sisters Annamay, and HRH Shay, along with their sister Baby-Kay, the London-bred sisters began their musical pursuits in 2013 with their debut song, Afurum Gi N’anya, produced by veteran hitmaker Legendury Beatz. Hailing from Delta State, the group is known for their catchy indigenous lingo and dancefloor-leaning melodies, building a discography of singles and an extended play, leading up to their just-released debut album, Sixty Diamond Seconds.

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Navigating diverse love experiences, the sisters bare their hearts on Sixty Diamond Seconds, helming all sixteen tracks into a cohesive experience. With fusions of Amapiano, RnB, and pop, the album offers a bold introduction to their artistry, highlighting the beauty of girl groups in the African music scene.

Exposed to music at tender ages, they drew influences from artists like BoyzIImen, Tiwa, Queen, Prince, Usher, and the Jacksons. “Our mother was the fourth member of our group,” they said, revealing how her demise shaped their artistry and also birthed a memorial non-profit for women and children, The Anthonia’s Women and Children Foundation (AWACF).

Ahead of their global tour across Europe, the United States, and Africa, Shiikane sits with Guardian Music, reminiscing on their come-up journey, creating their debut album, their sisterly dynamic, humanitarian activities, and their mission to inspire other female groups.

Congratulations on the debut record. Tell us about how you all found your paths in music.

Shay: We had a very musical household. Our dad always played records from Michael Jackson, Fela Kuti, George Benson, Whitney Houston, and all sorts. Our late mother also loved music, and we would always listen to music on the weekend. Every Sunday, we would go to church, and we’d be singing in the choir—we were always surrounded by music. So, I feel like we kind of knew that music was in our family and in our blood and that we always wanted to perform in some way.

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What were your first experiences with making music?

Shay: Born and raised in London, we grew up in a musical family. Our dad played drums and guitar, so that helped as well. But our first experience, generally, was in the church. We were singing in the choir. It was even prophesied that we would do music professionally. We always knew we wanted to, but it was actually the prophetic word as well that sealed the decision for us.

Kay was more interested in the theatre and acting while we were at school, but when we got a little older, Annamay and I started singing together as a group in school. Gradually, our mum persuaded Kay to join, and that was how it began. So, our first official song was produced by Legendury Beatz.

How did you pick the name?

Shay: The name Shiikane came from combining our names—Sh for Shay, Kay for Baby-Kay, and Annamay. But there’s also a spiritual meaning behind the name. Our mum was also very spiritual. There’s a passage in the Bible that talks about Shekinah glory. So as soon as we told her about the name she relayed it back to the biblical word.

How have you managed to stick together?

Before our mom passed away, she was a very strong supporter of Shiikane. Anytime we did something, we would always pass it by her. She helped us financially. She helped us travel. She was the fourth member of Shiikane. She would call herself Mama A. So, knowing that our mom was 100 per cent behind what we were doing when she passed away, we were even more eager to continue the journey. And so I think even when we argue and we fall out there’s always a common understanding that separation isn’t an option. It is not just about music for us. We also do philanthropy. We do charity work. We have a foundation. We’re also entrepreneurs, and we have businesses together. So, we’re musicians but also bound together in other ways.

How do you agree on concepts for your music?

Kay: It depends. Sometimes we are going through something specific at the moment in time when we’re in the studio, and we decide to focus on that. Sometimes, somebody comes up with an idea for a song, and we go to the studio with the intention of writing that song. What is happening in our lives at that time dictates how we write.

Tell us about the creative process behind your new album, Sixty Diamond Seconds.

Shay: Some of the songs on the album were recorded a couple of years ago, actually, when we first met Blaise Beats. He was introduced to us a few years ago, just before the pandemic, on one of our many trips to Nigeria. We sat down with Ubi Franklin and told him that we wanted to work with some really good producers. He took us to Blaise Beatz.

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At this point, Blaise hadn’t started working with any of the big names that he’s working with now. So, we spent the whole time in the studio with Blaise and his friends, and we all became family. We recorded our first EP, at the time called NWA. But then there were some of the songs we didn’t use that actually made it to Sixty Diamond Seconds.

The writing process was fun. We like to have fun in the studio, but we like to draw on our own personal experiences as well, and it was difficult breaking down the tracks because we had so much stuff in between that time.

What do you guys people to take away from your artistry?

Shay: One of the things we want people to take away is that Nigerian music comes in different forms. There isn’t one sound that you can put under the umbrella of Nigerian music. I think our project Sixty Diamond Seconds shows that we have lots of different influences on the album. It’s a very eclectic piece of work. I also think our album is historic because it’s a reintroduction of an African group. I don’t know of any successful African female groups. So, as well as showing the versatility of Nigerian music, I think the album is also a historical piece of art that should be seen in that way.

Annamay: I would also say that the industry is interesting because there’s always a stigma when it comes to female artists, maybe with the claim that they’re difficult to work with. But I feel being sisters and a group, and we’ve been together singing for a few years, we’re shining a light on female artists and groups, for that matter. We want people to know that girls can do it just as well as the guys.

What’s next for Shiikane?

Kay: Our vision is to keep pushing African music forward for females and showing that women can collaborate. I think women can collaborate a lot more, and it would be helpful. Also, for us, philanthropy is really important. You know, all issues are important, but we have a focus on women and children: feminine hygiene and poverty alleviation. Our foundation, Antonia’s Women and Children’s Foundation, is in honour of our late mum. She was a very generous spirit—literally an angel on Earth—and we want to continue her legacy. This is our debut album, but we want to release a lot more music and also do live shows as well.