Comparative analysis of contemporary Yoruba and Igbo gospel music styles

Abstract

Nigerian Gospel music, in recent times, has featured more creative dynamics in its pathos and ethos. A case study is the interaction between Yoruba and Igbo gospel music styles, even while they retain their distinct characteristic-features. The objective of this effort which situates in comparative musicology, is to attempt a comparative analysis of the two styles with the purpose of delineating the interactive points and the resultant style in terms of performance practices. While Fiadgbezi’s grammatical theory of descriptive approach forms the bedrock for this paper, we collected and analysed its primary data through discography, bibliography and comparative musicological methods. It was discovered that while both Yoruba and Igbo gospel music styles possess peculiar stylistic elements, there have been cross-cultural borrowings that have resulted in a bicultural (Yoruba-Igbo style). The paper concluded that socio-cultural interaction in musical pathos and ethos is aesthetically and socially rewarding.