Nigeria, just like any other country, is home to different music genres to suit everyone’s taste. Not everyone will certainly like Burna Boy or Wizkid‘s genre of music, some would prefer Asa or even Naira Marley. Before we go into the types of genres of music in Nigeria, let’s know what the music genre is.
Table of Content hide 1What is the music genre? 2Top 10 Nigerian music genres 2.1Afrobeat 2.2Juju music 2.3Highlife 2.4Apala 2.5Fuji 2.6Reggae 2.7Afrobeats/Hip hop 2.8Alternative (Altè) 2.9Classic 2.10GospelWhat is the music genre?
A music genre is a system of categorisation that groups musical compositions into a style based on their most distinguishing characteristics. All songs belonging to a genre have comparable forms, styles, and/or antecedents. For more precise classification, genres are also separated into subgenres.
The time and purpose for which the work was produced, the instruments employed, the style and form, and the nation of origin are just a few of the numerous factors that go into defining a music genre. Some musical genres overlap because there are so many distinct classification methods. As a result, some music might fit into multiple genres.
Top 10 Nigerian music genres
With the thriving pop culture and the force that has emerged from the genre, Afrobeats, music in Nigeria has advanced significantly in the last decade.
Since the country’s independence, a variety of genres have dominated for many years. Numerous sounds, including Disco, Juju, Rock, Fuji, Highlife, and others have occasionally been recognised as the dominant sound in the musical landscape.
Here is a look at the top ten Nigerian music genres.
Afrobeat
The late Fela Anikulapo Kuti is the most well-known proponent of the afrobeat genre in Nigeria. Some music experts will even argue that he is the progenitor of the afrobeat genre in Nigeria and Africa. Afrobeat is the unmistakable style that he created in 1963 by blending a variety of musical instruments into this kind of music, including dance performances, slang, jazz beat, and a large number of percussion instruments.
Other styles such afrobeats, afro-soul and afro-jazz have emerged within the Afrobeat genre.
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Juju music
Musicians like Tunde Nightingale, C.A. Balogun, and J.O. Araba became well-known in the 1950s thanks to the Juju genre. I.K. Dairo became the first international musical star to come out of Nigeria during that same decade. His prominence paved the way for further juju ensembles.
Juju music, also known as dance music, is dominated by guitar and percussion.
Performers like Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, Shina Peters, and others became well-known, thanks to the juju music genre.
Highlife
Highlife is a Nigerian music genre influenced by both Ghanaian and American jazz music. It is equally as enjoyable as other genres of music.
Highlife was inspired by singers such as the late Victor Olaiya, Bobby Benson, and Cardinal Rex Lawson as they all rose to fame and were sought after as performers.
As of today, Osita Osadebe, who rose to prominence in the 1970s and comes from the eastern region of Nigeria, is still regarded as one of the finest music recorders of Highlife music. Onyeka Onwenu, Sunny Neji and Flavour are other well-known musicians in this genre.
Apala
Apala is a unique genre which is deemed to be more related to the pop music style. Although the Yorubas are known to be the experts in the genre, the tune gets both the old and young irrespective of their tribes’ dancing and singing.
This dramatic and traditional music style has seen artistes from Nigeria become national and global superstars. Some of them are the late Ayinla Omowura, the late Haruna Ishola, and Musleiu Ishola, the late Haruna Ishola’s son.
Fuji
Sikiru Ayinde Barrister is attributed to have given the Fuji genre its name. The Yorubas in Nigeria adore this style of music. This musical genre has, however, seen tons of controversy as fans have divided in support of their preferred musicians.
Fuji started to gain ground when it began overtaking Juju as the most popular genre of Nigerian music in the late 1990s. Fuji performers such as King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, Kollington Ayinla, Pasuma and others must be included when discussing this genre.
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Reggae
Many people became interested in this particular form of music after the globe witnessed an iconic singer in the figure of Bob Marley.
Among the Nigerian musicians who became inspired by Marley’s prowess and began flowing with this genre is the late Majek Fashek. He released the albums Prisoner of Conscience in 1990 and Spirit of Love in 1991, both of which earned rave reviews both domestically and internationally.
Afrobeats/Hip hop
Afrobeats is a term used to characterise popular music which emerged from Nigeria and Ghana in the 2000s. It emerged out of the afrobeat genre. This new genre is a diverse fusion of various genres such as house music, hiplife, hip hop, dancehall, soca, Jùjú music, highlife and R&B.
The genre is unique and is identified by its signature driving drum beat rhythms, which are similar to the stylings of a variety of traditional African drum beats across West Africa, as well as the precursory genre Afrobeat
Afrobeats is relatedly linked to hip-hop in Nigeria. Although hip-hop started gaining ground in 1997 following the emergence of groups such as the remedies, it was not until the explosion of afrobeats in the 2000s that indigenous hip-hop artistes began being recognised in the country.
The reason this kind of music has stood out among the others listed above is that it incorporates group instruments in the form of instrumentals, which creates distinctive and lovable sounds you simply cannot help but dance to. The biggest players of the newly-emerged afrobeats and hip-hop genre currently are artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido, among others. Indigenous rappers such as Phyno, Olamide and Ill Bliss are also classified under hip-hop.
Alternative (Altè)
This is another genre that the artists in Nigeria have skillfully adapted from their Ghanaian counterparts. The alternative genre has woven itself into the fabric of other sounds and began dominating the music landscape in Nigeria around 2017.
Leading Nigerian supporters of the sound include musicians like Black Magic, Mr Eazi, Tems and Adekunle Gold.
Classic
Several classical composers emerged from Nigeria in the 20th century, including Lazarus Ekwueme, Fela Sowande, Joshua Uzoigwe, Ayo Bankole, and Akin Euba. Sowande was one of the first and most well-known African composers in the Western classical style.
In addition, poet and pianist Echezonachukwu Nduka specialises in piano compositions by composers of African and African ancestry.
Gospel
Gospel is one of the genres of music that is popular in Nigeria. There are many gospel artistes in the country, including the likes of Mercy Chinwo, Nathaniel Bassey and Tope Alabi.
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