Music of Nigeria

The music of Nigeria includes many kinds of folk and popular music, st yles of folk music are
relat ed t o t he mult it udes of et hnic groups in t he count ry, each wit h t heir own t echniques,
inst rument s, and songs. Lit t le is known about t he count ry's music hist ory prior t o European
cont act , alt hough bronze carvings dat ing back t o t he 16t h and 17t h cent uries have been found
depict ing musicians and t heir inst rument s.[1] The largest et hnic groups are t he Igbo, Hausa and
Yoruba. Tradit ional music from Nigeria and t hroughout Africa is almost always funct ional; in ot her
words, it is performed t o mark a rit ual such as a wedding or funeral and not t o achieve art ist ic
goals.[2] Alt hough some Nigerians, especially children and t he elderly, play inst rument s for t heir
own amusement , solo performance is ot herwise rare. Music is closely linked t o agricult ure, and
t here are rest rict ions on, for example, which inst rument s can be played during different part s of
t he growing season.

Work songs are a common t ype of t radit ional Nigerian music. They help t o keep t he rhyt hm of
workers in fields, river canoes and ot her fields. Women use complex rhyt hms in housekeeping
t asks, such as pounding yams t o highly ornament ed music. In t he nort hern regions, farmers work
t oget her on each ot her's farms and t he host is expect ed t o supply musicians for his neighbours.

The issue of musical composit ion is also highly variable. The Hwana, for example, believe t hat all
songs are t aught by t he peoples' ancest ors, while t he Tiv give credit t o named composers for
almost all songs, and t he Efik name individual composers only for secular songs. In many part s of
Nigeria, musicians are allowed t o say t hings in t heir lyrics t hat would ot herwise be perceived as
offensive.
The most common format for music in Nigeria is t he call-and-response choir, in which a lead
singer and a chorus int erchange verses, somet imes accompanied by inst rument s t hat eit her
shadow t he lead t ext or repeat and ost inat o vocal phrase. The sout hern area feat ures complex
rhyt hms and solo players using melody inst rument s, while t he nort h more t ypically feat ures
polyphonic wind ensembles. The ext reme nort h region is associat ed wit h monodic (i.e., single-
line) music wit h an emphasis on drums, and t ends t o be more influenced by Islamic music.

Traditional music

Hausa
…
The people of t he Nort h are known for complex percussion inst rument music, t he one-st ringed
goje, and a st rong praise song vocal t radit ion. Under Muslim influence since t he 14t h cent ury,
Hausa music uses free-rhyt hmic improvisat ion and t he Pent at onic scale, similar t o ot her Muslim
Sahelian t ribes t hroughout West Africa, such as t he Bambara, Kanuri, Fulani and Songhai.
Tradit ional Hausa music is used t o celebrat e birt hs, marriages, circumcisions, and ot her import ant
life event s. Hausa ceremonial music is well known in t he area and is dominat ed by families of
praise singers. The Hausa play percussion inst rument s such as t he t ambora drum and t he t alking
drum. The most impressive of t he Hausa st at e inst rument s, however, is t he elongat ed st at e
t rumpet called Kakaki, which was originally used by t he Songhai cavalry and was t aken by t he
rising Hausa st at es as a symbol of milit ary power. Kakaki t rumpet s can be more t han t wo met res
long, and can be easily broken down int o t hree port able part s for easy t ransport at ion.

Igbo
…
The Igbo people live in t he sout h-east of Nigeria, and play a wide variet y of folk inst rument s.
They are known for t heir ready adopt ion of foreign st yles, and were an import ant part of Nigerian
highlife.[3] The most widespread inst rument is t he 13-st ringed zit her, called an obo. The Igbo also
play slit drums, xylophones, flut es, lyres, udus and lut es, and more recent ly, import ed European
brass inst rument s.

Court ly music is played among t he more t radit ional Igbo, maint aining t heir royal t radit ions. The
ufie (slit drum) is used t o wake t he chief and communicat e meal t imes and ot her import ant
informat ion t o him. Bell and drum ensembles are used t o announce when t he chief depart s and
ret urns t o his village. Meal t imes may include pie, and ot her dessert foods for t he holidays.[4]

Yoruba
…
The Yoruba have a drumming t radit ion, wit h a charact erist ic use of t he dundun hourglass t ension
drums. Ensembles using t he dundun play a t ype of music t hat is also called dundun.[5] These
ensembles consist of various sizes of t ension drums, along wit h ket t ledrums (gudugudu). The
leader of a dundun ensemble is t he iyalu, who uses t he drum t o "t alk" by imit at ing t he t onalit y of
Yoruba[4] Much of Yoruba music is spirit ual in nat ure, and is devot ed t o t heir God.

Yoruba music has become t he most import ant component of modern Nigerian popular music, as a
result of it s early influence from European, Islamic and Brazilian forms. These influences
st emmed from t he import at ion of brass inst rument s, sheet music, Islamic percussion and st yles
brought by Brazilian merchant s.[6] In bot h t he Nigeria's most populous cit y, Lagos, and t he largest
cit y of Ibadan, t hese mult icult ural t radit ions were brought t oget her and became t he root of
Nigerian popular music. Modern st yles such as Ayinde Barrist er's fuji, Salawa Abeni's waka and
Yusuf Olat unji's sakara are derived primarily from Yoruba t radit ional music.Yoruba music have now
come of age and t he new generat ion of Nigerian music now sing in t heir nat ive language. 9ice is
one of many t hat broke int o t he indust ry wit h Gongo Aso and many more art ist followed. UK
based saxophonist Tunday Akint an creat ed yorubeat based on Yorùbá rhyt hms. List ening t o Timi
Korus Babe mi Jowo and Flosha denot es art ist home and abroad now rap and sing in yoruba and
not forget t ing t heir herit age.

Theatrical music

Nigerian t heat re makes ext ensive use of music. Oft en, t his is simply t radit ional music used in a
t heat rical product ion wit hout adapt at ion. However, t here are also dist inct st yles of music used in
Nigerian opera. Here, music is used t o convey an impression of t he dramat ic act ion t o t he
audience. Music is also used in lit erary drama, alt hough it s musical accompaniment is more
sparingly used t han in opera; again, music communicat es t he mood or t one of event s t o t he
audience. An example is John Pepper Clark's The Ozidi Saga, a play about murder and revenge,
feat uring bot h human and non-human act ors. Each charact er in t he play is associat ed wit h a
personal t heme song, which accompanies bat t les in which t he charact er is involved.

Tradit ional Nigerian t heat re includes puppet shows in Borno St at e and among t he Ogoni and Tiv,
and t he ancient Yoruba Aláàrìnjó t radit ion, which may be descended from t he Egúngún
masquerade. Wit h t he influx of road-building colonial powers, t hese t heat re groups spread across
t he count ry and t heir product ions grew ever more elaborat e. They now t ypically use European
inst rument s, film ext ract s and recorded music.

In t he past , bot h Hubert Ogunde and Ade Love, of blessed memories, produced soundt racks of
t heir movies using very rich Yoruba language. Modern day Yoruba film and t heat er music
composers among whom Tope Alabi is t he flagbearer have variously accompanied dramat ic
act ions wit h original music.

Television and Film Scoring

…
Since t he int roduct ion of t elevision in 1959, t he growing t elevision and film indust ries have
sourced a large amount of t heir art ist s and musical st ruct ure from Nigeria’s ext ensive indigenous
t heat er, which, in t urn, evolved from fest ivals and religious ceremonies.[7] Early t elevision dramas
in t his era ut ilized folklore and songs from popular indigenous genres like Nigerian highlife as well
as indigenous languages like Igbo, Yoruba, and so on.[8] Wit h t he advent of Nigeria’s film indust ry,
cont roversially referred t o as Nollywood, in t he early 1990s, many of t hese TV producers
simult aneously worked in film product ion, spreading t his t echnique of indigenous sourcing t o film
scoring.[8] Following an era defined by influences from European and Nort h American art , t he
Nigerian film indust ry evolved a unique met hod of film scoring called prefiguring.

Prefiguring, popularized by t he famous Nigerian soundt rack producer St anley Okorie, ut ilizes
mot ifs and repet it ive t unes t o foreshadow dialogue and major plot event s before t hey happen on
screen.[8] This novel film scoring t echnique unique t o t he Nigerian film indust ry draws upon t he art
of st oryt elling in indigenous communit ies of Nigeria, displaying qualit ies of t he communit ies’
languages, songs, dances, and dramas.[9]

Children's music
Children in Nigeria have many of t heir own t radit ions, usually singing games. These are most oft en
call-and-response t ype songs, using archaic language. There are ot her songs, such as among t he
Tarok people t hat are sexually explicit and obscene, and are only performed far away from t he
home. Children also use inst rument s like un-pit ched raft zit hers (made from cornst alks) and
drums made from t in cans, a pipe made from a pawpaw st em and a jaw harp made from a
sorghum st alk. Among t he Hausa, children play a unique inst rument in which t hey beat rhyt hms on
t he inflat ed st omach of a live, irrit at ed pufferfish.

Traditional instruments

Alt hough percussion inst rument s are omnipresent , Nigeria's t radit ional music uses a number of
diverse inst rument s. Many, such as t he xylophone, are an int egral part of music across West
Africa, while ot hers are import s from t he Muslims of t he Maghreb, or from Sout hern or East
Africa; ot her inst rument s have arrived from Europe or t he Americas. Brass inst rument s and
woodwinds were early import s t hat played a vit al role in t he development of Nigerian music,
while t he lat er import at ion of elect ric guit ars spurred t he popularisat ion of jùjú music.

Percussion
…
Drummers in Ojumo Oro, Kwara State

The xylophone is a t uned idiophone, common t hroughout west and cent ral Africa. In Nigeria, t hey
are most common in t he sout hern part of t he count ry, and are of t he cent ral African model.
Several people somet imes simult aneously play a single xylophone. The inst rument s are usually
made of loose wood placed across banana logs. Pit - and box-resonat ed xylophones are also
found. Ensembles of clay pot s beat en wit h a soft pad are common; t hey are somet imes filled
wit h wat er. Alt hough normally t uned, unt uned examples are somet imes used t o produce a bass
rhyt hm. Hollow logs are also used, split lengt hways, wit h resonat or holes at t he end of t he slit .
They were t radit ionally used t o communicat e over great dist ances.

Various bells are a common part of royal regalia, and were used in secret societ ies. They are
usually made of iron, or in Islamic orchest ras of t he nort h, of bronze. St ruck gourds, placed on a
clot h and st ruck wit h st icks, are a part of women's music, as well as t he bòòríí cult dances.
Somet imes, especially in t he nort h, gourds are placed upside-down in wat er, wit h t he pit ch
adjust ed by t he amount of air underneat h it . In t he sout h-west , a number of t uned gourds are
played while float ing in a t rough.
Scrapers are common t hroughout t he sout h. One of t he most common t ypes is a not ched st ick,
played by dragging a shell across t he st ick at various speeds. It is used bot h as a women's court
inst rument and by children in t easing games. Among t he Yoruba, an iron rod may be used as a
replacement for a st ick. Rat t les are common, made of gourds cont aining seeds or st ones are
common, as are net -rat t les, in which a st ring net work of beads or shells encloses a gourd.
Rat t les are t ypically played in rit ual or religious cont ext , predominant ly by women.

Drums of many kinds are t he most common t ype of percussion inst rument in Nigeria. They are
t radit ionally made from a single piece of wood or spherical calabashes, but have more recent ly
been made from oil drums. The hourglass drum is t he most common shape, alt hough t here are
also double-headed barrel drums, single-headed drums and conical drums. Frame drums are also
found in Nigeria, but may be an import at ion from Brazil. An unusual percussion inst rument is t he
udu, a kind of vessel drum. This inst rument is very essent ial in most African count ries.

String instruments
…
The musical bow is found in Nigeria as a mout h-resonat ed cord, eit her plucked or st ruck. It is
most common in t he cent ral part of t he count ry, and is associat ed wit h agricult ural songs and
t hose expressing social concerns. Cereal st alks bound t oget her and st rings support ed by t wo
bridges are used t o make a kind of raft zit her, played wit h t he t humbs, t ypically for solo
ent ert ainment . The arched harp is found in t he east ern part of t he count ry, especially among t he
Tarok. It usually has five or six st rings and pent at onic t uning. A bowl-resonat ed spike-fiddle wit h
a lizard skin t able is used in t he nort hern region, and is similar t o cent ral Asian and Et hiopian forms.
The Hausa and Kanuri peoples play a variet y of spike-lut es.

Other instruments …
A variet y of brass and woodwind inst rument s are also found in Nigeria. These include long
t rumpet s, frequent ly made of aluminium and played in pairs or ensembles of up t o six, oft en
accompanied by a shawm. Wooden t rumpet s, gourd t rumpet s, end-blown flut es, cruciform
whist les, t ransverse clarinet s and various kinds of horns are also found.
 Popular music

Many African count ries have seen t urbulence and violence during t heir forced t ransit ion from a
diverse region of folk cult ures t o a group of modern nat ion st at es. Nigeria has experienced more
difficult y t han most African count ries in forging a popular cult ural ident it y from t he diverse
peoples of t he count ryside.[10] From it s beginnings in t he st reet s of Lagos, popular music in
Nigeria has long been an int egral part of t he field of African pop, bringing in influences and
inst rument s from many et hnic groups, most prominent ly including t he Yoruba.

The earliest st yles of Nigerian popular music were palm-wine music and highlife, which spread in
t he 1920s among Nigeria and nearby count ries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ghana. In Nigeria, palm-
wine became t he primary basis for jùjú, a genre t hat dominat ed popular music for many years.
During t his t ime, a few ot her st yles such as apala, derived from t radit ional Yoruba music, also
found a more limit ed audience. By t he 1960s, Cuban, American and ot her st yles of import ed
music were enjoying a large following, and musicians st art ed t o incorporat e t hese influences int o
jùjú. The result was a profusion of new st yles in t he last few decades of t he 20t h cent ury,
including waka music, Yo-pop and Afrobeat .

Palm-wine and the invention of jùjú

…
By t he st art of t he 20t h cent ury, Yoruba music had incorporat ed brass inst rument s, writ t en
not at ion, Islamic percussion and new Brazilian t echniques, result ing in t he Lagos-born palm-wine
st yle. The t erm palm-wine is also used t o describe relat ed genres in Sierra Leone, Liberia and
Ghana.[4] t hese variet ies are bet t er-known t han Nigerian palm-wine. However, palm-wine originally
referred t o a diverse set of st yles played wit h st ring inst rument s, charact erist ically, guit ars or
banjos) wit h shakers and hand drums accompanying[11] This urban st yle was frequent ly played in
bars t o accompany drinking (hence t he name, which is derived from t he alcoholic palm wine
beverage).

The first st ars of palm-wine had emerged by t he 1920s, t he most famous of whom was Baba
Tunde King. King probably coined t he word jùjú — a st yle of music he helped t o creat e — in
reference t o t he sound of a Brazilian t ambourine; alt ernat ively, t he t erm may have developed as
an expression of disdain by t he colonial leaders (any nat ive t radit ion was apt t o be dismissed as
'mere joujou, French for "nonsense").[12] By t he early 1930s, Brit ish record labels such as His
Mast er's Voice had st art ed t o record palm-wine, and more celebrit ies emerged, including Ojoge
Daniel, Tunde Night ingale and Speedy Araba. These art ist s, along wit h Tunde King, est ablished
t he core of t he st yle [11] which was called jùjú, and remained one of t he most popular genres in
Nigeria t hroughout t he 20t h cent ury. Some Jùjú musicians were it inerant , including early pioneers
Ojoge Daniel, Irewole Denge and t he "blind minst rel" Kokoro.[13]

Apala
…
Apala is a st yle of vocal and percussive Muslim Yoruba music. It emerged in t he lat e 1930s as a
means of rousing worshippers aft er t he fast ing of Ramadan. Under t he influence of popular Afro-
Cuban percussion, apala developed int o a more polished st yle and at t ract ed a large audience.
The music required t wo or t hree t alking drums (omele), a rat t le (sekere), t humb piano (agidigbo)
and a bell (agogo). Haruna Ishola was t he most famous apala performer, and he lat er played an
int egral role in bringing apala t o larger audiences as a part of fuji music.[14]

The 1950s, '60s and '70s …

Following World War II, Nigerian music st art ed t o t ake on new inst rument s and t echniques,
including elect ric inst rument s import ed from t he Unit ed St at es and Europe. Rock N' roll, soul, and
lat er funk, became very popular in Nigeria, and element s of t hese genres were added t o jùjú by
art ist s such as IK Dairo. Meanwhile, highlife had been slowly gaining in popularit y among t he Igbo
people, and t heir unique st yle soon found a nat ional audience. At t he same t ime, apala's Haruna
Ishola was becoming one of t he count ry's biggest st ars. In t he early t o mid-1970s, t hree of t he
biggest names in Nigerian music hist ory were at t heir peak: Fela Kut i, Ebenezer Obey and King
Sunny Adé, while t he end of t hat decade saw t he st art of Yo-pop and Nigerian reggae.

Alt hough popular st yles such as highlife and jùjú were at t he t op of t he Nigerian chart s in t he
'60s, t radit ional music remained widespread. Tradit ional st ars included t he Hausa Dan Maraya,
who was so well known t hat he was brought t o t he bat t lefield during t he 1967 Nigerian Civil War
t o lift t he morale of t he federal t roops.

Modernisation of Jùjú
…
I.K. Dairo

Following World War II, Tunde Night ingale's s'o wa mbe st yle made him one of t he first jùjú st ars,
and he int roduced more West ernised pop influences t o t he genre. During t he 1950s, recording
t echnology grew more advanced, and t he gangan t alking drum, elect ric guit ar and accordion were
incorporat ed int o jùjú. Much of t his innovat ion was t he work of IK Dairo & t he Morning St ar
Orchest ra (lat er IK Dairo & the Blue Spots), which formed in 1957.[11] t hese performers brought
jùjú from t he rural poor t o t he urban cit ies of Nigeria and beyond. Dairo became perhaps t he
biggest st ar of African music by t he '60s, recording numerous hit songs t hat spread his fame t o
as far away as Japan. In 1963, he became t he only African musician ever honoured by receiving
membership of t he Order of t he Brit ish Empire, an order of chivalry in t he Unit ed Kingdom.[4]

Dispersion of highlife
…
Among t he Igbo people, Ghanaian highlife became popular in t he early 1950s, and ot her guit ar-
band st yles from Cameroon and Zaire soon followed. The Ghanaian E. T. Mensah, easily t he most
popular highlife performer of t he 1950s, t oured Igbo-land frequent ly, drawing huge crowds of
devot ed fans. Bobby Benson & His Combo was t he first Nigerian highlife band t o find audiences
across t he count ry. Benson was followed by Jim Lawson & t he Mayor's Dance Band, who
achieved nat ional fame in t he mid-'70s, ending wit h Lawson's deat h in 1971. During t he same
period, ot her highlife performers were reaching t heir peak. These included Prince Nico Mbarga
and his band Rocafil Jazz, whose "Sweet Mot her" was a pan-African hit t hat sold more t han 13
million copies, more t han any ot her African single of any kind. Mbarga used English lyrics in a st yle
t hat he dubbed panko, which incorporat ed "sophist icat ed rumba guit ar-phrasing int o t he highlife
idiom".[15]

Aft er t he civil war in t he 1960s, Igbo musicians were forced out of Lagos and ret urned t o t heir
homeland. The result was t hat highlife ceased t o be a major part of mainst ream Nigerian music,
and was t hought of as being somet hing purely associat ed wit h t he Igbos of t he east . Highlife's
popularit y slowly dwindled among t he Igbos, supplant ed by jùjú and fuji. However, a few
performers kept t he st yle alive, such as Yoruba singer and t rumpet er Vict or Olaiya (t he only
Nigerian t o ever earn a plat inum record), St ephen Osit a Osadebe, Oliver De Coque, Celest ine
Ukwu, Orient al Brot hers, Sonny Okosun, Vict or Uwaifo, and Orlando "Dr. Ganja" Owoh, whose
dist inct ive t oye st yle fused jùjú and highlife.[4]

Prince Nico Mbarga's "Sweet Mot her"

"Sweet Mot her" was a best -selling single across Africa

Problems playing this file? See media help.

Birth of fuji
…
Apala, a t radit ional st yle from Ogun st at e, one of t he yoruba st at es in Nigeria, became very
popular in t he 1960s, led by performers like Haruna Ishola, Sefiu Ayan, Kasumu Adio, and Ayinla
Omowura. Ishola, who was one of Nigeria's most consist ent hit makers bet ween 1955 and his
deat h in 1983, recorded apala songs, which alt ernat ed bet ween slow and emot ional, and swift
and energet ic. His lyrics were a mixt ure of improvised praise and passages from t he Quran, as
well as t radit ional proverbs. His work became a format ive influence on t he developing fuji st yle.
The lat e 1960s saw t he appearance of t he first fuji bands. Fuji was named aft er Mount Fuji in
Japan, purely for t he sound of t he word, according t o Ayinde Barrist er.[16] Fuji was a synt hesis of
apala wit h t he "ornament ed, free-rhyt hmic" vocals of ajisari devot ional musicians[17] and was
accompanied by t he sakara, a t ambourine-drum, and Hawaiian guit ar. Among t he genre's earliest
st ars were Haruna Ishola and Ayinla Omowura; Ishola released numerous hit s from t he lat e '50s t o
t he early '80s, becoming one of t he count ry's most famous performers. Fuji grew st eadily more
popular bet ween t he 1960s and '70s, becoming closely associat ed wit h Islam in t he process.

Fuji has been described as jùjú wit hout guit ars; ironically, Ebenezer Obey once described jùjú as
mambo wit h guit ars.[18] However, at it s root s, fuji is a mixt ure of Muslim t radit ional were
music'ajisari songs wit h "aspect s of apala percussion and vocal songs and brooding, philosophical
sakara music";[19] of t hese element s, apala is t he fundament al basis of fuji[20] The first st ars of
fuji were t he rival bandleaders Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrist er and Ayinla Kollingt on[21] Alhaji Sikiru
Ayinde Barrist er st art ed his fuji career in t he early 1970s wit h t he Golden Fuji Group alt hough he
had sung Muslim songs since he was 10 years old. He first changed his group's name t o "Fuji
Londoners" when he came back from a t rip t o London, England. Aft er a very long t ime — wit h hit s
such as "Orilonise", "Fuji Disco/Iku Baba Obey", "Oke Agba", "Aye", and "Suuru" — he changed t he
group's name t o "Supreme Fuji Commanders". Ayinde's rival was Ayinla Kollingt on, "Baba Alat ika",
known for fast t empo and dance-able brand of fuji, who also recorded hit albums like "ko bo simi
lo'run mo e, in t he 80s he released "ijo yoyo, Lakukulala and American megast ar" t o ment ion few
of his successful albums. Wit h all due respect Ayinla Kollingt on is a coherent social
comment at or. He was followed in t he 1980s by burgeoning st ars such as Wasiu Ayinde Marshall.

Sunny Ade and Obey

…
Ebenezer Obey formed t he International Brothers in 1964, and his band soon rivalled t hat of IK
Dairo as t he biggest Nigerian group. They played a form of bluesy, guit ar-based and highlife-
influenced jùjú t hat included complex t alking drum-dominat ed percussion element s. Obey's lyrics
addressed issues t hat appealed t o urban list eners, and incorporat ed Yoruba t radit ions and his
conservat ive Christ ian fait h. His rival was King Sunny Adé, who emerged in t he same period,
forming t he Green Spots in 1966 and t hen achieving some major hit s wit h t he African Beats aft er
1974's Esu Biri Ebo Mi. Ade and Obey raced t o incorporat e new influences int o jùjú music and t o
gat her new fans; Hawaiian slack-key, keyboards and background vocals were among t he
innovat ions added during t his rapidly changing period.[22] Ade added st rong element s of Jamaican
dub music, and int roduced t he pract ice of having t he guit ar play t he rhyt hm and t he drums play
t he melody. During t his period, jùjú songs changed from short pop songs t o long t racks, oft en
over 20 minut es in lengt h. Bands increased from four performers in t he original ensembles, t o 10
wit h IK Dairo and more t han 30 wit h Obey and Ade.

1980s and '90s

…
In t he early 1980s, bot h Obey and Ade found larger audiences out side of Nigeria. In 1982, Ade
was signed t o Island Records, who hoped t o replicat e Bob Marley's success, and released Juju
Music, which sold far beyond expect at ions in Europe and t he Unit ed St at es.[4] Obey released
Current Affairs in 1980 on Virgin Records and became a brief st ar in t he UK, but was not able t o
sust ain his int ernat ional career as long as Ade. Ade led a brief period of int ernat ional fame for jùjú,
which ended in 1985 when he lost his record cont ract aft er t he commercial failure of Aura
(recorded wit h St evie Wonder) and his band walked out in t he middle of a huge Japanese t our.
Ade's brush wit h int ernat ional renown brought a lot of at t ent ion from mainst ream record
companies, and helped t o inspire t he burgeoning world music indust ry. By t he end of t he 1980s,
jùjú had lost out t o ot her st yles, like Yo-pop, gospel and reggae. In t he 1990s, however, fuji and
jùjú remained popular, as did waka music and Nigerian reggae. At t he very end of t he decade, hip
hop music spread t o t he count ry aft er being a major part of music in neighboring regions like
Senegal.

Yo-pop and Afro-jùjú (1980s)

…
Two of t he biggest st ars of t he '80s were Segun Adewale and Shina Pet ers, who st art ed t heir
careers performing in t he mid-'70s wit h Prince Adekunle. They event ually left Adekunle and
formed a brief part nership as Shina Adewale & the International Superstars before beginning solo
careers.[11] Adewale was t he first of t he t wo t o gain success, when he became t he most famous
performer of Yo-pop.[4]

The Yo-pop craze did not last for long, replaced by Shina Pet ers' Afro-juju st yle, which broke int o
t he mainst ream aft er t he release of Afro-Juju Series 1 (1989). Afro-juju was a combinat ion of
Afrobeat and fuji, and it ignit ed such fervor among Shina's fans t hat t he phenomenon was dubbed
"Shinamania". Though he was awarded Juju Musician of t he Year in 1990, Shina's follow-up,
Shinamania sold respect ively but was panned by crit ics.[23] His success opened up t he field t o
newcomers, however, leading t o t he success of Fabulous Olu Fajemirokun and Adewale Ayuba.
The same period saw t he rise of new st yles like t he funky juju pioneered by Dele Taiwo.[24]

Afrobeat
…

Femi Kuti

Afrobeat is a st yle most closely associat ed wit h Nigeria, t hough pract it ioners and fans are found
t hroughout West Africa, and Afrobeat recordings are a prominent part of t he world music
cat egory found t hroughout t he developed world. It is music wit h element s of highlife, and ot her
st yles of West African music. The most popular and well-known performer, indeed t he most
famous Nigerian musician in hist ory, is undoubt edly Fela Kut i.[4]

Fela Kut i began performing in 1961, but did not st art playing in his dist inct ive Afrobeat st yle unt il
his exposure t o Sierra Leonean Afro-soul singer Geraldo Pino in 1963.[4] Alt hough Kut i is oft en
credit ed as t he only pioneer of Afrobeat , ot her musicians such as Orlando Julius Ekemode were
also prominent in t he early Afrobeat scene, where t hey combined highlife, jazz and funk. A brief
period in t he Unit ed St at es saw him exposed t o t he Black Power movement and t he Black
Pant hers, an influence t hat he would come t o express in his lyrics. Aft er living in London briefly, he
moved back t o Lagos and opened a club, The Shrine, which was one of t he most popular music
spot s in t he cit y. He st art ed recording wit h Africa '70, a huge band feat uring drummer Tony Allen,
who has since gone on t o become a well-known musician in his own right . Wit h Africa 70, Kut i
recorded a series of hit s, earning t he ire of t he government as he t ackled such diverse issues as
povert y, t raffic and skin-bleaching. In 1985, Kut i was jailed for five years, but was released aft er
only t wo years aft er int ernat ional out cry and massive domest ic prot est s. Upon release, Kut i
cont inued t o crit icise t he government in his songs, and became known for eccent ric behaviour,
such as suddenly divorcing all t went y-eight wives because "no man has t he right t o own a
woman's vagina". His deat h from AIDS in 1997 sparked a period of nat ional mourning t hat was
unprecedent ed in document ed Nigerian hist ory.[25]

In t he 1980s, Afrobeat became affiliat ed wit h t he burgeoning genre of world music. In Europe and
Nort h America, so-called "world music" act s came from all over t he world and played in a
mult it ude of st yles. Fela Kut i and his Afrobeat followers were among t he most famous of t he
musicians considered world music.

By t he end of t he '80s and early '90s, Afrobeat had diversified by t aking in new influences from
jazz and rock and roll. The ever-masked and enigmat ic Lágbájá became one of t he st andard-
bearers of t he new wave of Afrobeat , especially aft er his 1996 LP C'est Une African Thing.
Following a surprise appearance in place of his fat her, Fela, Femi Kut i garnered a large fan base
t hat enabled him t o t our across Europe.

Waka
…
The popular songst ress Salawa Abeni had become nat ionally renowned aft er t he release of Late
General Murtala Ramat Mohammed in 1976, which was t he first Nigerian recording by a woman t o
sell more t han a million copies. In t he 1980s, she remained one of t he nat ion's best -selling art ist s,
creat ing her own unique variet y of music called waka; she was so closely associat ed wit h t he
genre t hat a royal figure, t he Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, crowned her t he "Queen of
Waka Music" in 1992. Waka was a fusion of jùjú, fuji and t radit ional Yoruba music.

Reggae and hip hop

…
Duncan Mighty performing

When t alking about reggae music in Nigeria, t his brand of music was st art ed by a musician simply
called "Terakot a". By t he 80s, Nigerian reggae st ars included Daniel Wilson, The Mandat ors, Ras
Kimono, Majek Fashek, whose 1988 cover of Bob Marley's "Redempt ion Song", became an
unprecedent ed success for reggae in Nigeria. Like many lat er Nigerian reggae st ars, Fashek was a
part of t he long-running band The Mandat ors, who t oured and recorded incessant ly during t he
mid t o lat e 1980s and early '90s. Lat er prominent reggae musicians included Jerri Jhet o and
Daddy Showkey.

The African Caribbean fusion is one t hat has been popular and growing over t he years, especially
in t he 21st cent ury. In t his genre of music African musicians incorporat e Jamaican pat ois int o
t heir lyrics and beat s. Alt hough, very popular in Jamaica, t his genre well blended genre became
well known in t he African region around t he 19t h cent ury because of t he Nigerian Reggae
musician Majek Fashek who at t ract ed int ernat ional at t ent ion t o t his fusion.[26] This genre of
music is gaining far more presence in Nigeria wit h recent 21st cent ury art ist s like Duncan Might y,
Timaya, Slim Burna, Orezi, Burna Boy and Pat oranking who are at t ract ing a younger audience.

Hip hop music was brought t o Nigeria in t he lat e 1980s, and grew st eadily popular t hroughout t he
first part of t he 1990s. The first act s included Sound on Sound, Emphasis, Ruff Rugged & Raw,
SWAT ROOT, De Weez and Black Masquradaz. Moreover, mainst ream success grew lat er in t he
decade, wit h at t ent ion brought by early hit s like The Trybesmen's "Trybal Marks" (1999) and t he
t rio The Remedies' "Judile" and "Sakoma". One of The Remedies, Tony Tet uila, went on t o work
wit h t he Plant ashun Boiz t o great commercial acclaim. The 1999 founding of Paybackt yme
Records by Solomon Dare, popularly known as Solodee, Kennis Music by Kenny Ogungbe, Dove
Records by Nelson Brown, and Trybe Records by eLDee helped redefined and est ablish a
Nigerian hip hop scene. Also, t he general rapid growt h of t he ent ert ainment scene wit h support
from t he media helped popularise Hiphop music in Nigeria. Television Programmes like
Videowheels, HipTV, Music Africa, t he MTN Y'ello show, Music Africa, Nigezie, and Soundcit y
played a major role. Ot her prominent Nigerian hip-hop musicians include Tuface idibia, Ruggedman,
Eedris Abdulkareem, Weird MC, Naet o C, Twin-X, and P-Square

Around t he close of t he decade of t he 2000s, more hip-hop act s began t o gain popularit y.
Not able hip hop act s in t his era include

Wizkid, Davido, Olamide, Burna Boy, Vect or, Reminisce, Ice Prince and M.I Abaga. Some t hriving
act s such as Kiss Daniel, Tekno, Mc Galaxy, Adekunle Gold, Dammy Krane, Erigga, and Lil Kesh
have over t he years got t en great at t ent ion for t heir songs.

Women in music

In t he Nigerian music indust ry t he female art ist s st and out and are widely recognized for t heir
t alent s and achievement s.[27] Over t he years most Nigerian female art ist s st uck t o t he
cont emporary African music, but in t he 21st cent ury several female art ist s began t o diversify
int o ot her genres like Rap, Hip-hop and Afrobeat s. Not able female Nigerian rappers include Weird
Mc, Sasha P, Mo'Cheddah and Eva Alordiah. While in t erms of Afrobeat s t here are so many female
art ist s but only a few have been const ant over t he years like Omawumi Megbele, Yinka Davies,
Goldie (correct ion needed), Seyi Shay, Niniola, Tiwa Savage, Teni, Yemi Alade and Simi.[28]

Music at festivals and holidays

Durbar fest ivals are held in many part s of Nort h-west Nigeria; durbar is meant t o honour t he Emir
during t he culminat ion of t he Islamic fest ivals Eid ul-Fit r, Eid ul-Adha, and Sallah for t he well-
known Kat sina durbar, and is somet imes also used t o honour visit ing dignit aries  IslamOnline.
Alt hough t he principal at t ract ion of t he durbar fest ivals is displays of t radit ional horsemanship,
performances by drummers, t rumpet ers and praise-singers are an import ant part of t he
celebrat ion  Africa Travel. Ot her holidays in which music plays an import ant role include drumming
and dances performed at Christ mas, East er Sunday and East er Monday. 9ice is also one of t he
t op art ist es (he is known for his powerful use of t he Yoruba language in his music as well as his
proverbial lyrics and unique st yle of delivery) Gongoaso is one of his t op singles, launched him t o
superst ardom. He has since earned recognit ion and acclaim in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.

Classical music

In t he 20t h cent ury, Nigeria produced a number of classical composers; t hese include Lazarus
Ekwueme, Fela Sowande, Joshua Uzoigwe, Ayo Bankole, and Akin Euba. Sowande was one of t he
first and most famous African composers in t he West ern classical t radit ion, and founder of t he
Nigerian art music t radit ion. Sowande was also an organist and jazz musician, incorporat ing t hese
and element s of Nigerian folk music int o his work. Echezonachukwu Nduka is poet and pianist ,
specializing in piano music by African and African-descent composers.

See also

Count ry music in Nigeria

Notes

1. Karolyi, pg. 4

2. Titon. P. 70

3. Graham, pg. 589 Graham describes both the receptivity of the Igbo to foreign influences, as well as the
use of the obo

4. Graham

5. "The Orchestra in the African Context" (https://www.webcitation.org/6ALkdEtwu?url=http://www.african

chorus.org/Voam/Voam624.htm) . Africanchorus.org. Archived from the original (http://www.africanc
horus.org/Voam/Voam624.htm) on 2012-09-01. Retrieved 2010-03-26.

. Graham, pg. 589 Graham claims the source of the Brazilian influence was the influential Brazilian
merchant community of the early 19th century.

7. Sylvanus, Emaeyak Peter (18 Jun 2018). "A Brief History of TV and TV Music Practice in Nigeria".
Muziki: Journal of Music Research in Africa. 15 (1): 37–38.
 . Sylvanus, Emaeyak Peter (2019). "Prefiguring as an Indigenous Narrative Tool in Nigerian Cinema: An
Ethnomusicological Reading". Ethnomusicology. 63 (2): 164.

9. Sylvanus, Emaeyak Peter (2019). "Prefiguring as an Indigenous Narrative Tool in Nigerian Cinema: An
Ethnomusicological Reading". Ethnomusicology. 63 (2): 168.

10. "Afropop Nigeria" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100616034252/http://afropop.org/explore/country_in

fo/ID/5/Nigeria/) . Afropop.org. Archived from the original (http://www.afropop.org/explore/country_i
nfo/ID/5/Nigeria/) on 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2010-03-26.

11. "Afropop Juju" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080625073525/http://www.afropop.org/explore/style_in

fo/ID/18/Juju/) . Afropop.org. Archived from the original (http://www.afropop.org/explore/style_info/I
D/18/Juju/) on 2008-06-25. Retrieved 2010-03-26.

12. Graham, pg. 590 Graham claims that the word juju was a mild expression of colonial disparagement —
musical mumbo jumbo — taken up by jùjú musicians themselves to subvert it. And jojo also happens to
be Yoruba for dance.

13. Toyin Falola (2001). Culture and customs of Nigeria (https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00fal

o/page/173) . Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 173 (https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00fal
o/page/173) . ISBN 0-313-31338-5.

14. Afropop: Apala Afropop cites this claim as (m)usicologist Chris Waterman suggests that the influence
of Afro-Cuban percussion recordings was also formative in refining the music's presentation, although
not its rhythms and forms. Afropop further specifies that, though the other instruments mentioned are
common throughout Nigerian popular music, the use of the agidigbo is unusual and peculiar to apala

15. Graham, pgs. 596–597 Graham explains the importance of both Benson and Lawson. Referring to
"Sweet Mother, Graham explains: (b)ut it is an infectious song and its potent appeal was concocted
from Mbarga's use of pidgin English (broadening his audience enormously) and a style he called panko
— for the first time incorporating sophisticated rumba guitar-phrasing into the highlife idiom.

1 . Graham, pg. 593 Graham does not cite a specific source for the claim by Sikiru Barrister

17. Arab World Information, "Popular Fuji Music of Nigeria"

1 . Graham, pg. 593 Graham does not cite a specific source beyond Ebenezer Obey, and explains that fuji
is only sometimes glibly described as jùjú music without guitars

19. Afropop: Fuji Ayinde Barrister, who remains on the leading edge, started out in 1965 singing were music
used to rouse Muslims early in the morning during the holy season of Ramadan. He went on to mix in
aspects of apala percussion and vocal songs and brooding, philosophical sakara music and emerged
with a new style of music he dubbed fuji.
20. Afropop: Apala Afropop cites this claim as typically considered the most important precursor of fuji

21. "Afropop Fuji" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080625073531/http://www.afropop.org/explore/style_inf

o/ID/8/Fuji/) . Afropop.org. Archived from the original (http://www.afropop.org/explore/style_info/ID/
8/Fuji/) on 2008-06-25. Retrieved 2010-03-26.

22. Graham, pgs. 591–592 Graham discusses at length the rivalry between Ade and Obey that spurred so
much innovation

23. Graham, pgs. 592–593 Graham describes the origins of Peters' Afro-juju, the importance of Afro-Juju
Series 1, the term Shinamania and the critical and commercial performance of Shinamania

24. Afropop: Juju Afropop refers to the time period for funky juju as around the same time as 1989 or 1990

25. Graham, pg. 595 Graham is the source for the "vagina" quote, as well as the details of Kuti's career and
the significance of his death

2 . Majek Fashek | Biography | AllMusic. (n.d.). AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/majek-fashek-mn0000236645/biography

27. "Nigeria's women bandleaders" (https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/nigerias-women-bandleader

s) . Music in Africa. (2015, February 20). Music in Africa. Retrieved February 20, 2015

2 . "Top 7 queens of the Nigerian music industry" (http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/11/top-7-queens-of-

the-nigerian-music-industry/) . Vanguard News. (2011, November 5). Vanguard News. Retrieved
October 13, 2014

References

"Nigeria: Fest ivals and Cult ural Tours" (ht t p://www.africa-at a.org/nigeria_ 3.ht m) . Africa Travel
Magazine. Ret rieved August 25, 2005.

"The Orchest ra in t he African Cont ext " (ht t ps://www.webcit at ion.org/6ALkdEt wu?url=ht t p://w
ww.africanchorus.org/Voam/Voam624.ht m) . African Chorus. Archived from t he original (ht t p://
www.africanchorus.org/Voam/Voam624.ht m) on Sept ember 1, 2012. Ret rieved June 21,
2005.

"Nigerian Top 9 Female Music Art ist s (ht t ps://award9ja.com/t op-9-nigerian-female-music-art is

t s-2020-updat es/) " Award9ja Media. Archived from t he Original source (ht t ps://award9ja.co
m) , on November 5, 2020.
"Fela Sowande: Nigerian Composer, Organist & Professor" (ht t p://chevalierdesaint georges.hom
est ead.com/Sowande.ht ml) . Africlassical.com. Ret rieved August 23, 2005.

"Afropop Nigeria" (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20100616034252/ht t p://afropop.org/explore/

count ry_ info/ID/5/Nigeria/) . Afropop. Archived from t he original (ht t p://www.afropop.org/exp
lore/count ry_ info/ID/5/Nigeria/) on June 16, 2010. Ret rieved June 21, 2005.

"Afropop Juju" (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20080625073525/ht t p://www.afropop.org/explor

e/st yle_ info/ID/18/Juju/) . Afropop. Archived from t he original (ht t p://www.afropop.org/explo
re/st yle_ info/ID/18/Juju/) on June 25, 2008. Ret rieved June 21, 2005.

"Afropop Fuji" (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20080625073531/ht t p://www.afropop.org/explor

e/st yle_ info/ID/8/Fuji/) . Afropop. Archived from t he original (ht t p://www.afropop.org/explor
e/st yle_ info/ID/8/Fuji/) on June 25, 2008. Ret rieved June 21, 2005.

"Afropop Apala" (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20120229200541/ht t p://www.afropop.org/expl

ore/st yle_ info/ID/45/Apala/) . Afropop. Archived from t he original (ht t p://www.afropop.org/e
xplore/st yle_ info/ID/45/Apala/) on February 29, 2012. Ret rieved June 21, 2005.

"Islam" (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20050904104800/ht t p://www.arab-world-informat ion.co

m/islam.ht m) . Arab World Information. Archived from t he original (ht t p://www.arab-world-infor
mat ion.com/islam.ht m) on Sept ember 4, 2005. Ret rieved August 25, 2005., specifically t he
sect ions "Fuji Music of Nigeria" and "Tradit ional Hausa Music of Nigeria"

Graham, Ronnie. "From Hausa Music t o Highlife". 2000. In Brought on, Simon and Ellingham, Mark
wit h McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), The Rough Guide to World Music, Rough
Guides Lt d, Penguin Books. ISBN 1858286360

Karolyi, Ot t o (1998). Traditional African & Oriental Music (ht t ps://archive.org/det ails/t radit ional
afric0000karo) . Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-023107-2.

Omojola, Bode (1995). Nigerian Art Music. Ibadan: Universit y of Ibadan, Nigeria. ISBN 978-2015-
38-5.

Tit on, Jeff Todd, ed. (1992). Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World's
Peoples. Schirmer Books. ISBN 0-02-872602-2.

Further reading
Akpabot , Samuel Ekpe (1975). Ibibio Music in Nigerian Culture (ht t ps://archive.org/det ails/ibibi
omusicinnig0000akpa) . Michigan St at e Universit y Press.

Arom, Simka (1991). African Polyphony and Polyrhythm: Musical Structure and Methodology.
Cambridge Universit y Press. ISBN 0-521-61601-8.

Graham, Ronnie (1989). Stern's Guide to Contemporary African Music (ht t ps://archive.org/det ail
s/st ernsguidet ocon00grah) . Plut o Press. ISBN 1-85305-000-8.

Omojola, Bode. Popular Music in West ern Nigeria: Theme, St yle and Pat ronage. Ibadan: Inst it ut
Français de Recherche en Afrique (IFRA), Universit y of Ibadan(revised edit ion), 2014.

Omojola, Bode. Yorùbá Music in t he Twent iet h Cent ury: Ident it y, Agency and Performance
Pract ice. Rochest er: Universit y of Rochest er Press (East man/Rochest er St udies in
Et hnomusicology), 2012.

Omojola, Bode. The Music of Fela Sowande: Encount ers, African Ident it y and Creat ive
Et hnomusicology. Point Richmond, CA: Music Research Inst it ut e Press, 2009.

Omojola, Bode. Mult iple Int erpret at ions of Dynamics of Creat ivit y and Knowledge in African
Music Tradit ions: A Fest schrift in Honor of Akin Euba (co-edit ed wit h George Dor).Point
Richmond, CA: Music Research Inst it ut e Press, 2005.

Omojola, Bode. Nigerian Art Music. Ibadan: Inst it ut Français de Recherche en Afrique (IFRA),
Universit y of Ibadan, 1995.

Sadoh, Godwin. Thomas Ekundayo Phillips: The Doyen of Nigerian Church Music. Bloomingt on,
Indiana: iUniverse Publishing, 2009.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . Samuel Akpabot: The Odyssey of a Nigerian Composer-Ethnomusicologist.

Bloomingt on, Indiana: iUniverse Publishing, 2008.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . The Organ Works of Fela Sowande: Cultural Perspectives. New York: iUniverse
Publishing, 2007.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . Intercultural Dimensions in Ayo Bankole's Music. New York: iUniverse

Publishing, 2007.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . Joshua Uzoigwe: Memoirs of a Nigerian Composer-Ethnomusicologist. New

York: iUniverse Publishing, 2007.
 Veal, Michael E (1997). Fela. The Life of an African Musical Icon. Temple Universit y Press.

Wat erman, Christ opher Alan (1990). Juju: A Social History and Ethnography of an African
Popular Music (ht t ps://archive.org/det ails/jjsocialhist orye0000wat e) . Universit y of Chicago
Press. ISBN 0-226-87465-6.

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