The Global Reach Of Nigerian Music: A Phenomenon In The Making

Femi Kuti, a proponent of afrobeats music.

Over the past two decades, Nigerian music has grown tremendously, gaining a large following within and beyond Africa. Its broad appeal has led to its increasing popularity, with Nigerian performers now featuring in major entertainment and sports events across the world. This trend is excellent for the Nigerian music industry, which is seeking to expand and become a dominant player on the global music stage.

NBA All - Star Game logo

The National Basketball Association (NBA), the governing body for basketball in the United States, recently organised its All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah. A significant side attraction of the event was the halftime show, which featured three Nigerian musicians. The NBA described the show as an "Afrobeats themed show," and Burna Boy, Rema, and Tems headlined it.

Burna boy, one of the Nigerian performers at the NBA halftime show

Pascal Siakiam hosted the NBA halftime show

Grammy Award-winning contemporary afrobeats musician Burna Boy was the first performer at the NBA All-Star Game halftime show. He made a grand entrance onto the stage, accompanied by a procession of drummers. Toronto Raptors All-Star player, Pascal Siakiam, who hails from Cameroon, introduced him to the audience. Burna Boy opened his performance with his hit song, "Anybody," and the crowd went wild, singing along to the lyrics. Next, he performed "It's Plenty," a song rich in African melody and rhythm. The audience cheered him on as he performed, despite his shortened medley of songs.

Rema also performed at the halftime show

Next up was the energetic Rema, who took to the stage with a group of dancers in white dresses who performed a choreographed routine to his smash hit, "Calm Down." The audience was ecstatic and shouted at the top of their voices during his performance. Rema also performed his new song, "Holiday," for the first time ever, and the audience was delighted, singing along with him and sustaining the tempo that he had built with his first performance.

Tems was the third Nigerian musician to perform at the halftime show

The Oscar-nominated musician and 2023 Grammy Award winner, Tems, was the final performer on the show. She started her performance with "Crazy Things," a song that highlights society's ills. She followed it up with "Higher," a soulful song with a beautiful melody, and the audience's feedback was phenomenal. They waved their hands in the air and sang along with her as she entertained them. "Essence," a popular song that Tems collaborated on with renowned Nigerian musician Wizkid, was her next performance, and the audience enthusiastically received the beats before she began singing. Tems saved her best for last, performing "Wait for You," a Grammy Award-winning song that she and popular Canadian rapper Drake were featured on by renowned American rapper Future.

Burna Boy returned to the stage to close the show with one of his hit songs, "Ye," which increased the audience's excitement level. He ended the event with his mega-hit song, "Last Last," which was among former US President Barack Obama's favourite songs of 2022. The audience was ecstatic, screaming and cheering Burna Boy on, bringing the brilliant entertainment to an end.

The performance of the three Nigerian musicians at the NBA All-Star Game halftime show is proof of the acceptance and reach of Nigerian music on a global level. What was once confined to the shores of Africa has become a sensation worldwide, and Nigerian music is becoming a phenomenon in the music world. Nigerian music has the potential to become a dominant force in the music industry globally, and stakeholders in the Nigerian music industry should recognise the opportunity and take advantage of it. There is a lot of potential for revenue generation through trade, investments, and partnerships with foreign associates in the global music industry. Nigerian music has the potential to be a force to reckon with in the world of music! It is possible!

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See you on the next one guys.

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