Zainab Elizabeth Donli, known as Lady Donli, is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

musician. She is an

alternative R&B Alternative R&B (also referred to as alt-R&B, indie R&B, and originally known as PBR&B, hipster R&B, emo R&B, or R-Neg-B) is a term used by music journalists to describe a stylistic alternative to contemporary R&B that began in the mid 2000s and ...

, hip hop, alternative jazz and

Afrobeat Afrobeat (also known as Afrofunk) is a West African music genre, fusing influences from Nigerian (such as Yoruba) and Ghanaian (such as highlife) music, with American funk, jazz, and soul influences. With a focus on chanted vocals, complex i ...

singer and songwriter.

Biography

Lady Donli was born in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

and is the youngest of six children. She spent her early years in

Abuja Abuja (; , ) is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of the Federal G ...

and

Kaduna Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade center and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern state ...

, where her dad is from. After her secondary school education, she moved to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

where she obtained a degree in law, from the

University of Surrey The University of Surrey is a public research university in Guildford, Surrey, England. The university received its Royal Charter, royal charter in 1966, along with a Plate glass university, number of other institutions following recommendations ...

. Donli's earliest musical influence was the

Evangelical Church of West Africa The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), previously known as the Evangelical Church of West Africa(ECWA), is one of the Christian denominations in Nigeria, with about 8 million members and more than six thousand local churches in nineteen count ...

, where a particular style of synchronous praise-chanting had become established. She was also influenced by the music of

Brenda Fassie Brenda Nokuzola Fassie (3 November 1964 – 9 May 2004) was a South African singer, songwriter, dancer and activist. Affectionately called MaBrrr by her fans, she is also known as the "Queen of African Pop" or the "Madonna of The Townships." Fas ...

Angelique Kidjo Angelique or Angélique may refer to: * Angélique (given name), a French feminine name Arts and entertainment Music * Angélique (instrument), a string instrument of the lute family * ''Angélique'', a 1927 opéra bouffe by Jacques Ibert * A ...

Aṣa Bukola Elemide (born 17 September 1982),"There's 'Fi ...

and

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...

, as well as Nigeria's pop pioneers. Donli is part of Nigeria's

Alté Alté (locally pronounced as "ahl-teh") is a fusion genre of music that combines elements of afrobeats, dancehall, reggae, hip hop, and alternative R&B. The term was coined in the 2010s by Nigerian music group DRB LasGidi, meaning alternative ...

music scene, which is known for blending sounds from multiple genres of music, including

, R&B, and

Soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

. She released her first project, the 12-song mixtape ''Love or War'', in 2014. Donli has worked with new afrobeat music acts like

Adekunle Gold Adekunle Almoruf Kosoko (born 28 January 1987), known professionally as Adekunle Gold and AG Baby, is a Nigerian Afrobeats singer and songwriter currently signed to Def Jam Recordings. He gained widespread attention after releasing the 2015 hit ...

Nonso Amadi Chinonso Obinna Amadi (born September 1, 1995) is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and music producer. He is a self-taught songwriter and music producer who embarked on his music career in 2012, while at Covenant University, where he studied chemical ...

, Tomi Thomas, M.I Abaga,

Mr Eazi Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade (born 19 July 1991), better known by his stage name Mr Eazi, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is the pioneer of Banku music, a fusion of sound he describes as a mixture of Ghanaian highlife a ...

, SDC,

Davido David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), known professionally as Davido, is a Nigerian American, Nigerian-American singer, songwriter and record producer. Davido was born in Atlanta, U.S, and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He made his mus ...

, Ayüü,

Odunsi (The Engine) Odunsi is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Akin Babalola Kamar Odunsi, Nigerian businessman and politician * Anthony Odunsi (born 1992), American-born Nigerian basketball player *Bowofoluwa Olufisayo Odunsi (born 1996), Nigerian ...

, and

Tay Iwar Austin Iornongu Iwar Jnr (born 9 June 1997), known professionally as Tay Iwar, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, composer, sound engineer and record producer known for his vibrant blend of R&B and Afro-fusion, drawing upon classic Afrobeat, hip- ...

amongst others. In 2018, Donli lent her vocals to a number of projects. She teamed up with Nigerian rapper, Boogey on 'Motion' and veteran MC Terry Tha Rapman on 'Open Letter'. She also worked with

on his sophomore album, 'Life is Eazi Vol.2', including a featured track off M.I Abaga's A Study on Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl album. In 2019, Donli released her debut album, '' Enjoy Your Life.''

Discography

Lady Donli at Enjoy Your Life Concert in 2020

Studio albums and EPs

* ''Love or War EP'' (2014) * ''Wallflower EP'' (2016) * ''Letters to Her EP'' (2018) * '' Enjoy Your Life'' (2019) * ''WILD'' (2021) * ''Pan African Rockstar (2023)

Selected singles

Major features

Awards and nominations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donli, Lady Alumni of the University of Surrey Nigerian singer-songwriters 21st-century Nigerian singers Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Nigerian alté singers Singers from Cleveland