Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the work of Accra-based all-female Lipstick Band. We argue that even though the narrative of novelty around them can create ambiguities regarding the appraisal of their musicianship, it can also aid their career aspirations, especially in the era of the internet and social media.

Paper long abstract:

Throughout history and across cultures, women have consistently engaged in music production and performance in a range of configurations and expressions. However, their participation has historically been circumscribed by culture-specific gender-norms and stereotypes. Such gendered cultural footprints have adversely affected women’s musical forays within the popular culture space, in terms of training in instrumentation, performance opportunities, visibility, record deals among other opportunities. Even though all-female instrumental ensembles have been performing since the 19th century, only in the reclamation literature of the 1980s and 1990s did they begin to receive due recognition in musical scholarship. In spite of their long struggle to obtain legitimacy in the male-dominated field of instrumental music, all-female bands continue to be perceived with the stereotypical lens of novelty even in the 21st century. In this paper, we examine the work of Accra-based all-female Lipstick Band as creative workers within the larger creative arts scene in Ghana. To that end, we move beyond the narrative of marginalisation to explore the working relationship, motivations and aspirations. We argue that even though the narrative of novelty can create ambiguities around professional appraisal of their musicianship–possibly hampering their ability to assess the quality of their music-making, it can also aid their career aspirations, especially in the era of the internet and social media.