Music: Nigerian’s Export

Nigeria is a country blessed with the abundance of resources, it is easily one of Africa’s most endowed nations in terms of natural resources but today let us talk about one of its export that has taken Africa by storm and has no plans of letting go or st

Nigeria is not the only country making music but yet it has Africa in its grips and is constantly pushing to take over on a global scale, why is it so? These points have been highlighted as the most possible means why Nigeria is excelling when it comes to music.

 

Population

This is one of the critical element to Nigeria’s music, Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa, the seventh most populated country in the world. So basically it has numbers ahead of most nations, the ability to produce more talented individuals on a regular and quite easily too. There is a lot of people saying that the depth of talent in the Nigerian underground is enough to keep Nigeria at the top of the music industry for at least another twenty years without trying hard.

 

Evolution

There was a time when Nigeria music was simply not gaining as much play as it is now, when it was not regarded as it is now, but rather than complain, they went back to base and evolved with the current musical climate, with a fusion of what they know and what they have learned they were able to come out tops.

 

Money

It can be said that the nation is in recession but it does not seem to have affected the music industry because it said to be a multi-million dollar industry that is still on the rise, it very obvious when you check the quality of the music Nigerians produce that no expense has been spared. Majority of the videos are being shot outside the country and even the ones shot in Nigeria look very luxurious, there is money in the Nigeria music market and so it attracts a lot of investors.

 

The people

First of all, anybody would realize that Nigeria is serial hustlers and have the conviction that they can always make it. The sure tenacity of Nigerians is transferred into the music that is produced, every Nigeria when born soon realizes they are part of a people that simply refuse to take no for an answer and soon inculcate that personality. Who would not want to be associated with such people?

 

Experience/Mentorship

Every upcoming artist in Nigeria usually has a wealth of experience to draw for as to how to make, often at times it often to see as a right to passage to be brought up by a mentor who has already been in the music business.

It is almost imposed by the people to Nigeria’s leading artists to have someone they are mentoring to take their place when they are done with music or someone that they are going to bring to a spotlight.

There are various examples of this. Davido has brought up notable names Mayorkun, Dremo, and Peruzzi, Olamide, on the other hand, has brought the likes of Lil kesh and Adekunle gold. Not failing to mention Don jazzy who has brought up Korede Bello, Di’ja, and Reekado Banks through Mavin records.

 

Culture

While most nations can be said to have few languages and tribes, Nigeria can boast of having one of the largest numbers in the world in terms of languages and tribes, as of the last count it was said that they were over 520 languages in Nigeria and 250 tribes. So it is quite easy to see that there is a wealth of culture to draw from for inspiration.

And it comes as no surprise to see musicians from other tribes sampling or creating a fusion between two different cultures, there are often collaborations between two diverse parts of Nigeria to create the perfect hybrid of songs. Each tribe in Nigeria has its own unique way of rendition when it comes to music, to make it special and give it that intimate and appealing vibe.

Each culture has it owns the type of music from Fuji, juju and apala music in the west to the high life in the east and the use of the various indigenous instrument to give it that organic feel.

 

Exposure

If you study the news very well, you would see that there is hardly a place Nigerian artist go on a tour that they are not received by fellow Nigerians, in fact, a lot of foreign countries have recognize Nigerian communities. It simply means Nigeria my nature are explorers and like to go beyond the boundaries of their country and this often leads to the adaptation of the musical style of their host nation combined with that of their home nation to produce melodious sounds.

Nigerians are simply exposed to other cultures of the world beyond theirs and it shows in their songs, this exposure usually makes it easy for other artists from other nations to be able to link up easily with their music, hence the never-ending list of collaborations.

Nigerians collaborate with everybody either their close neighbors Ghanaians or in Europe or far away in America and Jamaica. Examples of this collaboration include Mr Eazi’s London town with United Kingdom artist Giggs, Wizkid’s one dance in which he featured Drake also a song mamacita with Tinie Tempah.

Not to say many of these points mentioned above are strictly reserved for Nigeria, it is just to show why Nigeria music as gown so much in the last 10 years and of course there are other factors that might have played it parts like maybe sheer luck, it is actually hard to say but when carefully analysed there is no doubt that these reasons are valid.

And to also point out that it still has a long way to go to reach the pinnacle of being the undisputed leader in terms of music in the world, but at this rate surely Nigeria’s export music will attain that in due time.

 

 

Popnable /Popnable Media