Evolution of Music

Most or maybe everyone in the world loves music and enjoys it in one form or another. It is a universal language that goes beyond borders and cultures, and it has been in existence since the time of the cavemen. Everyone has different tastes in music and some people have a narrow taste, probably preferring one or two genres of music while others like me have a very broad taste in music and language isn't a barrier for us. I listen to different types of music even the ones that are in foreign languages like Korean, Spanish, Jamaican and indigenous Nigerian languages like Yoruba and Igbo.

Apart from genres, people's tastes in music are also influenced by the era or century the music was made. Most Gen-Zs prefer modern songs from the last decade but for me, time isn't necessarily a factor as I enjoy classical music from the 18th century (1701 - 1800). I'm talking about music from the likes of Mozart, Back, Giovanni and Beethoven, I have a dedicated playlist on Spotify filled with their songs. Then I also enjoy symphonies and concertos from the likes of Chopin and Tchaikovsky. If you watched Barbie, you must have heard some of Tchaikovsky's songs like Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.

Music evolution in Nigeria

Music is a big part of the culture in Nigeria and I have witnessed how it has grown over the years. In the 1950s, traditional music was deeply rooted in the country with juju music being popular in the West amongst the Yorubas and Highlife music being popular in the East among the Igbos. When it comes to juju music, the most popular musician at that time was King Sunny Ade while for Igbo highlife, Chief Osita Osadebe was in the frontline. I still listen to their songs even today, and my favourite Osita Osadebe song is Ka-Anyi Jikota (even though Osondi Owendi is more popular) while for Sunny Ade, it is Esubiribiri Ebomi

I also listen to Ebenezer Obey who is also another popular juju musician, and one of his songs I love the most is titled The Horse, the Man and the Son (crazy name for a song). The funny thing is that these songs I mentioned are in Yoruba and I don't even understand what they are saying (I am Igbo) but I still enjoy them because as I said earlier, language isn't a barrier for me when it comes to good music. I also play songs from other minority tribes like the Binis, the Urhobos and other tribes from the Niger Delta regions but it's not as big as the ones I listen to from the Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups.

Over the years, music in Nigeria has become more modernized and the most popular genre in the Nigerian music industry right now is Afropop which is just a combination of African music with Western pop. Right now, the Nigerian music industry is one of the largest in the world and the biggest in Africa, and we have 3 people representing us as the biggest in the industry; Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy, they are known as the Big Three but personally I think Rema should be included, making it the Big Four.

But this Big Four weren't always in the game from the beginning and back in the days, we had the likes of 2face, Psquare, and Dbanj dominating the music industry. One of the songs that gained significant international recognition back then was African Queen by 2face and it set the stage for future Afropop stars. I listened to a lot of music from these legends back in the day and today I still have a playlist full of songs from that era with my favourite being Igwe by Dbanj. That song is still very interesting to listen to today, it has stood the test of time.

Other African countries

The African countries in which I listen to their songs the most are South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon and Congo. Listening to Ghana songs started recently from the last decade with the likes of Sarkodie (my favourite), Shatta Wale, Efya, Gyakie and Black Sheriff. As for Congo and Cameroon, I started listening to their songs because of just one person: Awilo Longomba and the Makossa genre. Those of you in Nigeria know how Awilo and Makossa songs were very popular back in the early 2000s and I still listen to them today.

South African songs are my favourite amongst the other African countries. I have been listening to them right from childhood and the likes of Brenda Fassie and Yvonne Chaka Chaka were my favorite. These ladies were popular in the '90s and the early 2000s, with the most popular song of Brenda being Vuli Ndlela (1997) while for Yvonne it is Umqombothi (1988). Some of you in Nigeria might be familiar with this song as it was very popular in the 90s, some music channels still played it in the early 2000s. The video is still very interesting to watch despite it being very old.

Then of recent, the South African song I listen to the most is the amapiano subgenre which has become very popular during the COVID-19 period, thanks to numerous challenges on TikTok and Instagram. It started in South Africa but has spread all over the continent especially in Nigeria as the artists here have fused it with Afropop. In my opinion, amapiano is the best subgenre in this decade and I really enjoy songs from it, and those of you familiar with it will know that the best thing about amapiano is the beats.

In conclusion, music has grown tremendously in Nigeria and Africa as a whole from traditional music (highlife and juju) to more modern songs (Afropop). The evolution of music in Nigeria is a testament to her creativity, resilience and cultural richness. Afropop future shines brighter than ever, promising more hits, more innovations, and an even greater global impact. As we look to the future, music will undoubtedly continue to innovate, inspire, and bring people together across the world

Thanks for reading

This is my entry for May Inleo Prompt, day 17. Come be a part of this awesome daily prompt by clicking on this link.

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