The Blossoming of the Nigerian Music Industry

Music has always been a part of our lives. After the Nation gained Independence on October 1st 1960, our Founding Fathers were busy charting courses that would lead to the advancement of the Nation in all sectors. Apart from movies which had been popular even from the Colonial era, music also brought succour to Nigerians. Popular artistes back in the days include but not limited to Late Bobby Benson, Osita Osadebe, Ebenezer Obey, Victor Olayia, I.k. Dairo, Sunny Okosun, Nico Mbanga, king Sunny Ade, Oliver de Coque, Victor Uwaifo, Onyeka Owenu, Christy Essien Igbokwe, Stella Monye, Chris Okotie.

The genre of music differed from one artiste to the other.Local hit songs recorded back in the days include but not limited to :
Nico Mbanga (Sweet Mother), Osita Osadebe (Osondi Owendi), Oliver de Coque (Boni boni identity), Mandy Brown (Taxi driver), Onyeka Owenu (One Love), Lorine Okotie (His love is that medicine), Charly boy (Before Before) Chris Okotie (ABC), Evy Edna Ogoli( Happy Birthday), Felyx and Mozes( Free), Felix Liberty (Ifeoma), Stella Monye (Nigeria go survive), Peterside Otong (where are the prophets), Ifeanyi Oyeabo (when the going is good and smooth), Mandators ( Rat race), Majek Fashek ( send down the rain), Esse Agesse (Fine pepper soup), Danny Wison (Mr Raggamofin) , Blacky( Rosy ), Raskimonu (Aromba stylee), Baba Fryo (dem go dey pose), Alex Zitto (Tickle me), Junior and Pretty(Monica).

Fuji, Afrojuju (with modified versions) were deployed by those who sang in their mother tongues such as Shina Peters, Adewale Ayuba, Pasuma wonder, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Kollington Ayinla.

Despite the array of artistes that have flooded the airwaves (TV and Radio) Nigerians back in the days were more inclined in to listening to foreign songs, especially those from the USA. The songs were played at the few concerts and enjoyed massive air play. The duo of Junior (late) and Pretty kicked the hit rap “Monica’ in vernacular which began to stir up rap in that direction. “The Remedies in the mid 90’s made a great impact, followed by the Plantation Boiz (Tu face, Faze, Blackface).

The solo career embarked upon by Tu Face Idibia with the hit song “African Queen” opened more International doors to Nigerian artistes. Prestigious Award platforms (local and International) such as MAMA, KORA, NMVA,SMVA, HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS, highly powered Corporate influence, Music events, Reality TV music shows (Idol West Africa, Nokia First Chance, Project Fame West Africa), massive radio airplay, great musical videos, music programmes on TV ( MTV Base, Sound City, Hip TV, Monster Muzik, Nigezie, Da New life beat, Prime Time Africa, Jimmy’s jump off, Video Wheels, Entertainment Plus, Music Africa) and of course fame and fortune have acted as catalysts in conferring the Music Industry with the foremost position in the Entertainment Industry.

New Generation artistes who have recorded hit songs include:
Tu Face Idibia (African queen), Style plus (Olufumi), D’Banj (koko),
P-Square (Busy body, do me), Paul Play ( Moserire, Angel of my life), 9ice(Kongoaso), Sasha( Adara), Naeto C (kini big deal), Asa( Jailer), T.Y. Bello (Green land), Infinity( Olorioko), Sammie Okposo(Oruko Jesu), Faze (kolomental), Roof Top Mcs (Lagimo), Olu maintain( Yahooze), Bracket (yori yori), Mid night crew(Igwe) and others.

The Nigerian Music Industry has come a long way and is poised to take the Global market by storm.

Source:www.articlesbase.com/music

THE decade of the '70s was characterised in Nigeria by Afro-fusion music, with the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti as the major inspirer. But alongside this revolution, juju music was also flourishing with Ebenezer Obey and Sunny Ade as major exponents who were perceived at the time by their numerous fans as archrivals.

An intriguing aspect of this development was that the two musicians had their different styles, backgrounds and approaches, a situation which made this perceived rivalry a healthy one that added value to the emerging juju music of that period. It was not the type of rivalry that engendered bad blood but that of competition, motivating each exponent into releasing records that were capable of out doing the other persons output. The situation forced both men to work harder on their lyrics and instrumentation, all of which in the end turned out great hits that have become evergreen.

The music which made it for Obey in the '70s was Board Members recorded in 1972 upon the band's return from Britain; and board members has been his best selling hit over the years. Other hits of the 70s include Iwa ika kope (1974), KeteKete, Epo ila (1973), Ota mi dehin lehin mi (1976), Eto Igbeyawo and Madele (1974) amongst several others.

Some of the hits with which Sunny Ade competed with Obey include Esu biri biri, Ekilo fomo ode, Nitori awa, and Synchro system, a performer that was inspired by the emerging Afro beat influence of that period, among others.

Even though they were not enemies, each made statements and claims that tended to portray the one as superior to the other. For example, they both re-introduced multiple guitars which were used as far back as the 1940s by the Jolly Boys Orchestra into their instrumentation, but Obey claimed responsibility for introducing these guitars Western drum kits, and the transition of the music from a neo-traditional form to an urban social type. Said Obey who made his first record in 1963, "I noticed that people like to stick to their own ways, especially old people. They don't want to compromise. But the younger ones always want freedom from the old system.

"They want new things; and knowing that, I modernized the music, and created my own fashion in music, the miliki system.

And I happened to be the one who started the modernisaiton of juju music. The fathers of juju music only played one guitar. I introduced three guitars and arranged it in such a way that would catch the attention of the youth and cross to the older folk, so as to have both ears of listeners, and it worked. The three guitars are tenor, rhythm and lead."

In order to keep the competition aflame, Sunny himself would not only lay claim to the introduction of these multiple guitars, he emphasized the innovation of the tenor guitar which Bob Ohiri, who was exposed to it in Fela's Africa 70 later played in Sunny's African Beats aggregation.As a way of massaging his superiority, he began to pontificate and pronounce on the origin and actual essence of juju music, saying:
"The name, juju music, was given to the particular music by the colonial people." Continuing, the king of juju music said, "In the olden days, any black African medicine was called juju, any music played around there they called it juju music. But now it is a different type of music entirely and we still want the name to remain."

Even though this explanation is not in consonance with the more credible story of the' origin of juju music, Sunny Ade was granted audience by a foreign interviewer who reckoned with his views because they were coming from one of the major exponents of juju music.The more credible story is the one told by Ambrose Campbell and Fatai Rolling 'Dollar who spoke from empirical evidence because they participated in the ebb and flow of the music - from the 30s. Their version of the story 'links the origin of the name, "juju" to the 'tambourine', an instrument which was thrown at will by its exponent whenever excitement and inspiration took over.

The perceived rivalry between Obey and Sunny in the 70s inspired a lot of followers in a trend which enthroned juju music as mainstay in Lagos and the Yoruba speaking States of the West at the end of the civil war in 1970. The music flourished because of the absence of highlife, which had declined and gone with the war.

The two have become legends. In a sense they can be referred to as innovators because they had the greater number of followers- musicians whose music became steeped in the system of Obey and Sunny, artistes they saw as their mentors. This was despite the fact that there were such individual styles by I.K. Dairo and Orlando Owoh, which could broaden the scope of juju music.

As it turned out, the rivalry that took place between Obey and Sunny was the making of their different fans, some of whom were so fanatical and loyal, they were prepared to antatogise anyone who did not worship their idols or records because they preferred one to the other.

The musicians themselves were friends but they fuelled and manipulated the situation to their own advantage. It helped to boost the sales of their records which they released one after the other, in quick succession.However, as a show of solidarity and friendship, the two made an effort to dispel the rumour and perceived feeling that they were antagonists.

The venue was "Obey Miliki Spot" at Olonode, Yaba,Lagos, a night club which was previously patronized by Fela Ransome Kuti's Koola Lobitos when the place was called "Crystal Garden". The date was August 16, 1973 when Sunny Ade went to join Ebenezer Obey on the stage to play guitar solos and accompaniment to Obey's music. The audience screamed with excitement.

In order to convince their different fans that as musicians, they were friends in the same profession, Sunny released an album which had in it Oro tonlo, meaning "what people are saying", where he further asked their fans to stop insinuating that the two of them were enemies, warning them to stop fanning the embers of hatred and antagonism where they did not exist.The perceived rivalry, which existed only in the imagination of the artistes' fans, was obviously a gimmick of circumstance made out to drive the talents of the two great musicians. And it worked perfectly.

Sunny Ade's image and popularity since the 70s have reached tremendous dimensions. He has become one of the biggest stars not only in Nigeria and Africa, but also across Europe and America. In 1981, for instance, Sunny Ade blazed into global prominence when Island Records signed him on.

On the other hand, his rival, Ebenezer Obey has since become an institution and big influence across West Africa. Even though now an evangelist, he is a successful entrepreneur and still comes out of semi retirement to perform ground- breaking gospel music.

Culled:The Guardian