Fusion of African music and the future of performing arts in Nigeria

The Performing Arts in Nigeria are at a crossroads. With a rich cultural heritage and a thriving music scene, the country is poised to take its rightful place on the global stage. The future of performing arts in Nigeria depends on the ability of artistes to innovate and evolve.

One way to achieve this is through the fusion of African music with other genres. This fusion has already started to happen, with many Nigerian artistes incorporating elements of traditional music into their sound. However, there is still much work to be done to fully realise the potential of this fusion.

In exploring the current state of performing arts in Nigeria, the 11th edition of Africa Sings organised by the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos (Unilag) beamed its search light on the benefits of fusing African music with other genres, especially the blend of different tunes of music and the future of performing arts in Nigeria.

The fusion of African music with other genres is crucial to the future of performing arts in Nigeria. By innovating and evolving, Nigerian artists can create a unique sound that appeals to a wider audience and helps to preserve the country’s cultural heritage.

Read also: Performing arts soars with ballet’s expressive power in Lagos

In line with creating and preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage, the 11th edition of the Africa Sings presented a breathtaking performance of art, music and dance at the annual concert held at the University’s main auditorium with the theme, ‘Old & New Heritage Concert.’

“Interestingly, I did not even influence their choice of songs; I just gave them the theme, and the area that they should really look out for. The arrangement of the song was by them alone,” Albert Oikelome, professor and music director, Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos, said.

The night started with the performance of agelong ‘Zombie’ by Fela (Group3), then ‘Rule Us Well’ by African China followed by ‘Which way Nigeria’ that was fused and delivered in R&B Rap tune bridged with ‘Water Commot My Eye’ that later introduced African Giant Burna Boy.

Group2 started their performance with ‘Joromi’ by Victor Uwaifo (with a bend-down select choreography) followed by ‘Love One TinTin.’ Then the highlife performance moved to Flavour’s ‘Walka Walka Baby’ followed by ‘Fall in Love,’ then solo delivery of Davido’s ‘Aye’ which was a blend of highlife into Afrobeats. What followed was a transition from Afrobeats into Afro Pop with D-Bang’s ‘Oliver Twist.’

In-between the performances of the students was an interlude by Wale Thompson with one of his hit songs released in the 90s in line with the theme of the concert ‘Old & New.’ He also delivered ‘Wale ma ma de’ with another blend of ‘alujo.’

CMS Grammar School’s choir performed golden oldies of some evergreen tunes by Ebenezer Obe, Sunny Ade, among others; that got the audience in the mood for the final performance of the last group which also did not fail to meet the expectation of the crowd.

Hence, Group1 started their performance with a Radio Lagos anthem that was followed by Yoruba news cast. Then came the Juju performance of King Sunny Ade’s ‘Appreciation’ followed by Ebenezer Obe’s ‘Ese pele pele’ and a dance choreography, which was followed by ‘Why Me’ and Lagbaja’s ‘Wherever I go’ then the introduction of a folk song ‘Ojumo ti mo, mo ri re’. The folk song was followed by a blend of Asake’s ‘Lonely at the top’; the Group’s performance was rounded off with ‘Chance.’

To crown the night and draw the performances to a close was a Spoken Word performance by Preacher’z Kid, an alumni of Creative Arts Department of Unilag, who chronicled Nigerian reigning arts from the likes of Daddy Soki; D’Bang; TuFace; MI, to Burna Boy, Shallipopi; Rema and Tems to reflect the theme of the concert ‘Old & New.’

“With the right support and investment, the Performing Arts in Nigeria can thrive and take their rightful place on the global stage.” Professor Oikelome said.

“We believe that we have the old songs which have been in vogue and are still relevant till now. We also found out that young children don’t know the old songs, that is the reason we are trying to encourage them to listen; but not only listen to the old songs, and to also see how they can imbibe the old songs as a GenZ songs of the old ones,” he said.

Speaking further on the nexus between the University community and other organisations in deepening the learning outcome of the students, which influenced the invitation extended to Wale Thompson, Oikelome said: “It is an opportunity to tell them that before they were, some had really performed in the past. It’s a town and gown thing.

“I feel it is high time we started bringing those who have the expertise from the town to help explain to those who are within. Because, after all said and done, these ones will go back to meet them and chances are they will be the ones that will give them the jobs that they need; and if they do not put them through all the nitty-gritty of it, it will be very difficult for them to flow,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria has a thriving performing arts scene, with a variety of traditional and contemporary music, dance, and theatre. However, the industry faces many challenges, including a lack of infrastructure, funding, and exposure.

Despite these challenges, Nigerian artists have made significant contributions to the global music scene. Afrobeats, a genre that originated in Nigeria, has become a global phenomenon, with artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid and Davido achieving international success.

Benefits of fusing African music with other genres

Fusing African music with other genres can bring numerous benefits to Nigerian artists, especially students of Creative and Performing Arts, which can help them reach a wider audience. Also, by incorporating elements of other genres, Nigerian artists can appeal to a broader audience and gain more exposure.

Similarly, it will help to create a unique sound because fusing African music with other genres can result in a unique and innovative sound that sets Nigerian artists apart from others. It will also help in preserving the cultural heritage of the country of its music: By incorporating traditional music into their sound, Nigerian artists can help to preserve the country’s cultural heritage and promote its rich musical history.

Future of Performing Arts in Nigeria

The future of performing arts in Nigeria is bright, with many young and talented artists emerging. However, to fully realise the potential of the industry, Nigerian artists must be willing to innovate and evolve.

By innovating their craft to experiment with new sounds, Nigerian artists will be able to incorporate elements of traditional music into their sound, which will in the long run open their type of music to newer audiences.

Similarly, collaborating with international artists can help Nigerian artists to gain more exposure and appeal to a wider audience, which will also make their type of sound appealing to newer audiences.

Closely related to international collaboration is investment in infrastructure. Hence, the need for the Nigerian government and the private sector to lay out a deliberate plan of action to invest in infrastructure, such as studios, venues, and equipment, to support the growth of the industry.