COE in 3: Yetunde Alabede

October 24, 2022

Each week, we ask a member of the College of Education grad student community to share three picks related to one of their passions.

Yetunde Alabede, second-year student in the Curriculum, Instruction & Teacher Education program and Teacher Education department rep in the Council of Graduate Students:

I am not a fan of the music genre of popular culture, but with staying away from home and having no physical contact with who I call “true friends,” I have found solace in music, specifically Afropop. Fela Anikulapo’s classic songs have been some of my favorites, but recently, I have listened more to young Nigerian Afropop singers. I choose music based on lyrics, affect, and how danceable the songs are. Here are a few of the favorites that bring me joy and connect me to my root:

  1. Adekunle Gold – Ire: Ire captures the essence of what I call my “home” and that regardless of where I go, home is where we find solace and succor. Indeed, ire ń bẹ n’ílé! Listen via YouTube
  2. Duduke – Simi: Simi released this song as part of her maternity shoot/ baby announcement. She and her husband, Adekunle Gold, are very private but communicate a lot with their songs. Dùdùké reminds me of how my heart beats for my daughter (right from the womb) and my loved ones while away from them. Hence, I love the song because it is not only contemporary but also evergreen because of the language used. I learned how to say the sound of the heartbeat in Yorùbá (my native language) from the song. The song also has a French version. Listen via YouTube
  3. Adulthood Na Scam – Ladé: Ladé’s debut album talks about all the responsibilities we have to shoulder as adults in a language that feels fun and well understood. I love her choice of Nigerian pidgin in her song and, honestly, “adulthood na scam.” As children, we get everything for free, and we have no worries, and that is why I am in the same boat as Ladé, who is willing to trade anything to become a child again. I love this song because apart from the beats that my toddler and I dance to, the language of the music helps me introduce the Nigerian pidgin to my child while we practice some dance steps and sing along. Listen via YouTube

These songs and the artists’ craft appeal to me because of their choice of words in their different albums, especially as they translanguage. This helps me not only in my bilingual/multilingual research among African transnational families but also one of the ways of exposing my child to Nigerian culture. Indeed, my life is part of my research, which brings me joy always.

“COE in 3” spotlights the College of Education grad student community—students, faculty and staff. Read Interim Associate Dean for Research Emily Bouck’s picks from our last issue on the Grad Link website.