‘Faith is light, and we turn that light into sound’: Afro-Adura, the music uplifting Nigeria amid financial crisis

Facing electricity blackouts and rampant inflation, Nigerians are turning to what is also called ‘trenches music’ to vent their frustrations and find joy and hope in life

The air conditioning sputters to a halt. The TV clicks off. The steady hum of electricity gives way to silence, swallowed by the creeping Lagos heat and the lingering scent of lavender from a diffuser. Everyone in the room sighs.

We’re in the flat of 23-year-old musician M3lon in the suburb of Lekki, talking about Nigeria’s Afro-Adura, also known as trenches music (trench being a slang term for a ghetto or impoverished area). This is raw songcraft drawing together gospel, trap and the energetic Nigerian pop style of fuji, leaning heavily on Yoruba proverbs, idioms and faith – adura translates to prayer.