Nigerian Music Review

Analytical probing of ordered music for the promotion of global peace, security and ordered world

Olufemi A. Olaleye — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The search for global peace and security began with music. Music is a symbolic language; it speaks and communicates directly to the mind. Music evokes emotions and feelings in our central nervous systems, which, in turn, control the mind. The inter-connection between music and human mind by nature is not in doubt, and this makes music to either ennoble or corrupt the character. The paper therefore explores the connectivity between human mind, music and global peace and also provides an insight into how music relates to the experience of emotion. Everyone recognizes the ancient old idea that music affects man, but how? In general psychology, emotions are currently described as specific process – oriented response behaviors. An emotion is always directed at something, whether it is a particular circumstances or a person. Besides, to examine the mutual marriage of music, emotion and peace, focus in this review are the reflection on emotions and morality; significance and nature of value of ordered music; concept of the world order; and the four characteristics of sound which includes pitch, rhythm, intensity and timbre were molded as sound control mechanism of human mind for the achievement of peace and security. The questions now are: if music controls the mind/mood, the mind controls actions, and human actions determine what goes on in the society, what then determines global peace and security?

Keywords: global peace, emotions, mood, psychology, nervous system, security

Contemporary compositional procedures in Nigerian music practices: types and presentational styles

Dan C.C. Agu, Mabel U. Okpara — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This paper attempts an investigation of the creative processes of Nigerian music and the various genres created and developed over centuries right from our folk background to the contemporary era. In carrying out this exercise, the paper focuses attention on the composers of both the indigenous and contemporary music types, their personalities and compositional techniques, music types created and performed in Nigeria, their forms, rating relevance and continuity and change. The findings of this research shows that the Nigerian contemporary composers have made appreciable efforts in various areas to reach out and homogenize the Nigerian audiences with different genres of music that have capacity to penetrate musical minds and ideations. It concludes that Africans including Nigerians should disabuse their minds and musical sensibility from the Western classical idioms and terminologies and be proud of all African music which identify us as a people with rich music culture.

Keywords: compositional, techniques, performance, practices, styles, Nigerian music

Performance practice and functions of local wine and beer parlor songs in rural Yoruba Communities in Ogbomoso

Kayode O. Olusola — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Since the phenomenon of music is ubiquitous and indispensable among the Yoruba and Africans in general, beer and wine parlors/shops engages in one form of musical practice or the other. These could either be in form of purposely organized music as part of entertainment of the customers or an un-organized and spontaneous song performance by the customer(s) or minstrel/roaming singers.

This study attempted to examine the phenomenon of the spontaneous and un-organized song performances by customer(s) at various local wine and beer parlors in the rural Yoruba communities in Ogbomoso, in order to highlight their performance practice and functions. The paper rests on sociopsychological theory; and the participant observation, oral interview and bibliography method as the research method.

The findings from the data collected revealed that performance practice of songs by customers at various local wine and beer parlors/shops in the rural Yoruba communities in Ogbomoso metropolis are strictly un-organized and spontaneous in nature and it is structured in three sessions characterized and determined by the level and the effect of the alcohol in-take on the body of the performers. The performers of the songs require no special training, invitation or rules of performance. The text amplifies the state of minds of the performers and the song also plays social-psychological role of selfjustification and consolation, ego and pride display, abusive and satirical role; and self-encouragement. It was observed that alcohol in-take is capable of affecting the mood and instilling a temporary musical inspiration in the consumer.

This paper concludes that song performance by costumer(s) at various local wine and beer parlors/shops fills the vacuum created by the absence of sound system, or Television as obtained in the modern beer parlors, bars, Night clubs and Restaurants in urban areas in Yorubaland. The songs also plays some psychological roles and plays functional roles in celebrating drinking and relaxation session after a stressful day work.

Keywords: local wine, beer parlour, pepper soup

Psychosocial perspectives on music piracy in Nigeria

Olugbenga Loko — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The incursion of record piracy into the mainstream of Nigeria’s music recording industry in the early 1970s has been a bad omen for the recording industry because of its tremendous negative impact on the industry’s growth. Though it has remained an integral part of the recording industry globally, however, in Nigeria it has been aptly described as a significant ‘third’ force in the industry. Its introduction into music has not only brought cleavages but untold hardship to artists, record labels and the collecting societies. As a sociological discourse, the paper employs socio-psychological theory concerned with human needs and forces, which motivate human behaviour as its framework and relies on secondary data, content analysis of record/ CD sleeves as well as personal experiences as a music producer and studio engineer, this paper identifies two attitudinal/ behavioural patterns and the issue of integrity as causatives in the industry. Addressing piracy from behavioural nexus could consolidate and enhance other adopted measures in curtailing and managing activities of pirates in Nigeria’s creative sector. This paper should generate fresh sociological insights on how to tackle the record piracy and its attendant problems.

Keywords: music piracy, recording industry, Nigerian artistes, music business

Enhancing musical creativity through indigenous knowledge system: the case of the IGBO musicians

Eunice Ibekwe — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Creativity, which can be seen as the brainchild of imagination, draws a lot of inspirations from a number of factors. These factors may be visible or invisible; tangible or intangible; animate or inanimate, illusory or factual, mystical or mundane and so on and so forth. All these invariably constitute a very significant influence on human psyche, and which when properly harnessed produces a desired effect. Since creativity cannot operate in a vacuum, it requires human effort, time and space, which are located within a given environmental and socio-cultural milieu. Musical creativity through indigenous knowledge system does not stop at the ability to compose, sing, dance and play instruments skillfully in its natural way; it extends to the critical interpretation and application of aesthetic flairs inherent in such acts. Musicians do not lose sight of their localities in their musical creations as they consider it paramount for their music to be relevant. This paper takes a critical look on musical creativity as it concerns the Igbo Musicians, discusses some of the sources of inspiration that guide their musical creation. Also
discussed are the implications of indigenous knowledge application as it provides bases for musical appreciation. Through practical experiences and review of related literature, it was observed that musicians do not create outside their environmental stipulations lest their music becomes irrelevant. It is therefore recommended that musicians should always take cognizance of indigenous knowledge system in their creative output for their music to be effectively utilized and appreciated.

Keywords: musical creativity, indigenous knowledge, Igbo musicians, Nigeria music

The amphibology of musical arts in Nigerian contemporary music scholarship

Femi Adedeji — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The term ‘musical arts’ is valid in African indigenous system but could be so ambiguous in application. In a sense, music as an art involves the arts of writing, reading, composing arranging and performing. This is already taught in the music curricula of higher institutions of learning. On the other hand, the term is used to describe the agglomeration of music and related arts such as drama, dance, fine and plastic arts; each of which stands out as an independent but musically related art. The objective of this paper is to take a critical look at the controversial nature of the current adoption of musical arts in place of music in Nigerian music scholarship parlance, with a view to clarifying inherent ambiguities. The paper which relied on historical and observation methods, discovered among other things that music studies already subsumed the related arts, thus accommodating them in the curricula of various higher institutions offering music. The term as being used currently exists only as a concept in the traditional milieu and not as an academic discipline. In addition, over emphasis on musical arts promotes the ‘undesired’ superimposition of ‘creative arts’ over ‘music’ as a core subject in both Primary and Secondary schools’ music curricula. The paper concluded on the need to exercise caution on excesses and strengthen music as a core disciplinary subject in order to sustain the existing departments of music in higher institutions of learning. Otherwise, we might be on our way to losing them to Creative Arts’ or Performing Arts’ Departments in the nearest future.

Keywords: Musical arts, contemporary music, music schorlarship, music education, creative arts

Recording technology in contemporary Nigeria: connecting the Nigerian youth and the drive for development and sustainability

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Diverse studies and scholarly discourse on the influence of modern technology on Africa’s youth are abound. An important concern, here, is on the innovative and differing ways Africa’s youth, particularly Nigeria’s teeming youth population adopts new cutting edge technologies in their quest to cut a niche for themselves in the nation’s music recording industry and its performance arena. Using the theory of culture change proposed by Nelson (2005) as a premise, and drawing on ethnographic data collected from field work through interview, this paper is an attempt at appraising the new cutting edge technologies for music recording in connection with the Nigerian Youths’ drive for development and sustainability. There are indications that Nigerian youths find the new technologies to be innovative, more flexible and a subtle pedestal for discovering their innate creative potentials, and easily adoptive for meaningful economic and social empowerment. Addressed in this paper is Nigerian youths’ attempt at traversing the new technological milieu.

Keywords: Recording, Youth, Empowerment, Technologies, Innovation

Poly-eclecticism in the Juju music of Abiodun Awesola (awesome tones’ band)

Vincent Bamidele Omolaye — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

One of the most successful dance music of the Yoruba people of the Southwest Nigeria is Jùjú music. This genre has continued to enjoy patronage among the lower and middle classes, as well as the elites. The trend in which Jùjú is performed specifically among young musicians of today, premised on the practice which this study refers to as eclecticism. The paper therefore, examines this practice in Abiodun Awesola (Awesome tones’ band)’s live performance and its synchronization within the performance practice in which Jùjú music is known. This is with a view to establishing this practice as a recurrent medium of combining diverse genres in a live performance within the ambience of Jùjú music. The study employs oral interview and participant observation method, while relevant books, journal article and the Internet were also consulted. Data collected were analysed through descriptive method. Findings show that people (both young and old) tend to enjoy this practice especially during ceremonies, as it serves as a reminder of historical events which took place when such music played was released. The study also shows this practice, as a means for satisfying the audiences with varieties of genres in a live performance within the purview of Jùjú being a panegyric and commemorative music. The study concludes that in spite of the fusion of these diverse genres for the enjoyment of its enthusiasts, the traits with which Jùjú music is known remain a dominant factor in its performance delivery.

Keywords: Jùjú, ‘Gbogbo eléré’ ‘DJ (Disc Jockey)’, Eclecticism, Polystylicism

A socio-musical analysis of Ayo Bankole’s choral music: Fun Mi N’ibeji

Mary Taiwo Omotosho — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The documentation of folk music in Nigeria has been an on-going process by Art music composers and has received quite an impressive attention although mostly in a uni-directional aspect; through their musical analysis. The socio-musical analysis, which captures what African music means to its people is however rarely delved into. This paper hopes to fill this gap through the analysis of Fun Mi N’Ibeji (Give Me Twins), a vocal music composition by Ayo Bankole (1935-1976). The study employed the use of score reading and bibliography as its methodology. Data collected were transcribed and analysed within the ethnomusicological framework. The results showed that although Ayo Bankole employed the Western four voice parts (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), diverse African elements and major features of African music are present in the melody, rhythm and harmony of the vocal work. The paper concluded that Fun Mi N’Ibeji contained both elements of traditional Nigerian music and Western classical music which are employed in expressing the traditional beliefs of the Yoruba ethnic group.

Keywords: folk music, art music, vocal music, Ayo Bankole, ethnomusicology