Fortune in the midst of doom: A musicological discourse of ebenezer obey and Abideen Olatunji’s music videos on COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Coronavirus, codenamed – Covid-19 pandemic, has dominated conversations in academic and media circles since its incursion in Nigeria in the early 2020. Many fora have emphasized the pandemic as disastrous in neglect of some forms of fortunes therein. The present study participates in the coronavirus narratives by engaging the expressions of some selected Yorùbá popular musicians as a rhetorical mode of analyzing social condition and experience set by the pandemic especially as regards music making and associated socio-economic activities. Furthermore, music video clips on coronavirus made by two notable Yorùbá popular musicians, namely: ‘Corona, Àìsàn Búburú’ (Corona, a deadly disease) by Ebenezer Obey and ‘We Reject Coronavirus’ (A’ò fẹ́ Coronavirus) by Abideen Olatunji, were engaged, based on the theory of ‘anabolic’ role of music, as samples of contributions and participations of (Yorùbá) popular musicians in corona conversations and its associated social issues. This gave the musicians some forms of fortunes in proceeds making during the lockdown through on-line subscriptions and boosting of their popularities in social and internet spaces. The article argues that the music video clips are of different musical forms and styles (jùjú and sákárà) though they both serve the same purpose as an effective medium of conveying, publicizing, articulating and sensitizing the populace on the deadly character of the virus. The paper maintains that music offers preventive measures in curbing the tidal wave and spread of the pandemic as well as encouraging people in adhering to the precautionary measures for the betterment of individual and public health. The paper submits that the pandemic is, thus, a ‘blessing in disguise’ for some (Yorùbá) popular musicians, who creatively engaged the pandemic and associated social issues as resource for music making and productions.