Beyoncé frequently used her music to celebrate African-American experience and history, but also made multiple nods to Nigerian culture that made us wonder if she was actually born there.
Beyoncé is not Nigerian, but she has strong ties to this African country. She paid homage to Nigerian culture through her music and performances and worked closely with several artists of Nigerian descent throughout her career.
Stick around to learn more about Beyoncé’s connection to Nigerian culture and how she tried to honor it through her art.
Beyoncé’s Ancestry
Beyoncé’s father Mathew Knowles is African-American, while her mother Tina Knowles happens to be of the Louisiana Creole descent. It’s been indicated that she had African, Native American, French, Jewish American, Spanish, Chinese and Indonesian ancestors.
This makes Beyoncé’s ancestry very difficult to pin down, but she told Vogue that she’s trying to learn more about the generations that came before her and come to terms with the realization that she descended “from a slave owner who fell in love with and married a slave.”
“I come from a lineage of broken male-female relationships, abuse of power, and mistrust. Only when I saw that clearly was I able to resolve those conflicts in my own relationship. Connecting to the past and knowing our history makes us both bruised and beautiful,” the singer explained.
Honoring Nigerian Culture
Beyoncé’s genealogical picture doesn’t fully confirm she has Nigerian roots, and simply mentions African heritage on both her mother’s and father’s side. Queen Bey still seems to be deeply interested in the culture and art of this African country, and she celebrated it more than once.
During a performance in Nigeria in 2009, Beyoncé surprised her fans with a soulful rendition of Nigerian national anthem. Four years later, she dropped a new song “Flawless”, which featured a part of TEDx Talk titled “We Should All Be Feminists” by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, where she discussed the ways that society teaches girls “to shrink themselves”.
Beyoncé’s Lemonade film from 2016 featured countless nods to Nigerian art and culture. Nigerian visual artist Laolu Senbanjo worked closely with Beyoncé on the music video for “Sorry”, which saw several dancers wearing face art that he describes as “sacred art of the Ori”.
It’s also believed that Beyoncé tried to pay homage to the Yoruba goddess Oshun with her iconic yellow dress from the “Hold Up” video. She’s the goddess of divinity, femininity, fertility, beauty and love, and serves as the patron saint of the Osun River in Nigeria.
Beyoncé celebrated this deity with her Grammy performance in 2017, a few days after announcing her pregnancy on Instagram. Her act was described as “an ode to motherhood”, and she channeled her inner Oshun in golden dress and a matching head ornament.
“The Lion King” Soundtrack
Beyoncé kept on reconnecting with her African roots while working on the 2019 remake of The Lion King. She even agreed to curate its soundtrack titled The Lion King: The Gift, and recorded several tracks for this album, including lead single “Spirit” and viral hit “Brown Skin Girl”, which featured an appearance from her daughter Blue Ivy Carter.
In addition to featuring songs recorded by Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Pharrell Williams, and Kendrick Lamar, this soundtrack also included appearances from several African artists, including Nigerian singers Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, and Tekno. Beyoncé explained that this album was influenced by R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat, and that she tried to make it more authentic by giving artists from the African continent a chance to shine.
“I wanted to put everyone on their own journey to link the storyline… It was important that the music was not only performed by the most interesting and talented artists but also produced by the best African producers. Authenticity and heart were important to me.”