Nigerian Music
Uploaded by hecma on May 06, 2007
MUSIC OF NIGERIA
Music is a transcendent experience, a ceremonial act that cleanses off the impurities of the soul and narrates, in its own idiom, a drama representing historical events as relating to a particular people. If intently listened to, music can tell more than historical facts ever could. It expresses the feelings of the people and it is an everlasting voice to past struggles against society, government and even racism. Known as the heartland of African music, Nigeria developed several popular styles like apala, fuji, jùjú, and Yo-pop. Little is known about the country’s music history prior to European contact, but bronze carvings dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries have been found depicting musicians and their instruments. The music of Nigeria includes many kinds of folk and popular music. Styles of folk music are related to the multitudes of ethnic groups in the country, each with their own techniques, instruments, songs—history and meaning (Nigeria-planet.com). Aaron Copland, a US composer once stated “…they asked, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be, 'No.'” (1900 - 1990).
Introduction to the music of Nigeria, Africa
Nigeria is called the heart of African music because of its contribution to the development of West African highlife, which is characterized by jazzy horns and multiple guitars which lead the band, and palm-wine music—the combination of local melodies and rhythms with Trinidadian calypso by using guitars brought by Portuguese sailors. Nigerian music is known for its highly complex musical compositions that employ simultaneous and contrasting rhythms. Musicologist considered it to be the most rhythmically complex music in the World (Music, Wikipedia.com).
Several popular styles which fuse native rhythms with techniques imported from the Congo were apala, fuji, jùjú, and Yo-pop. These are unique to Nigeria and later evolved into different styles such as United States hip-hop and Jamaican reggae (Nigeria-planet.com).
Folk music, dependant of the ethnic group
Folk music is an integral part of the Nigerian community. It has deep roots in its own culture, since it is created by and for the common people. Traditional music from Nigeria is not for pure entertaiment but rather performed to mark...