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She noted that her dedication to her craft had positively impacted the entertainment industry and continued to earn her admiration and respect globally, especially, among her fans in the diaspora.
She began performing very young and broke through in 1976 with her debut album, Late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed. That record became a landmark release: it is described as the first recording by a female Yoruba artist to sell over one million copies in Nigeria. Her importance is not just commercial; AllMusic describes her as a Nigerian singer known for modernizing and propagating waka music since the late 1970s, while African Music Library calls her a pioneer of waka music.
Her recording career spans decades. She recorded first with Leader Records, later worked with Kollington’s label, and then with Alagbada, building a catalog of more than 40 albums/projects. Notable titles associated with her include Gentle Lady, Experience, Waka Carnival, Congratulations, and Good Morning in America.
Why she matters
Salawa Abeni’s significance rests on three things. First, she helped move waka from a more localized traditional form into mainstream recorded music. Second, she became a rare female star in a heavily male-dominated era of Yoruba popular music. Third, her commercial success gave later women artists a proof point that indigenous-language music led by women could win large audiences.
In 1992, she was formally crowned “Queen of Waka Music” by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
Early life and personal story
Part of Abeni’s enduring appeal is the story behind her rise. In recent interviews, she said she started music as a child, worked as a housemaid in her early years, and gradually found encouragement from people around her, including a teacher and the family she lived with. She has described dreaming of hearing her own name announced on radio programs long before fame arrived. That background helps explain the resilience often attached to her public image.
