Music in Nigeria has come a long way. Since the country gained her independence in 1960, there have been variety of music genres experienced at one point or the other.
Nigerians have since been experiencing music genres like Jùjú, Fùjì, àpàlà, Sákárà, amongst others. It is however noteworthy that these genres have defined the music landscape in the country, even till the present.
Jùjú
This genre of music can be dated back to the 1920s, when Yoruba music incorporated brass instruments, Islamic percussion, and Brazilian techniques.
Babatunde King pioneered the Jùjú music style in the 1930s.
In Yoruba, jùjú refers to something being thrown. Significantly, a member of his band would usually throw his tambourine in the air as part of the performance while on stage.
Post World War II, King incorporated westernised pop influences into Jùjú through his S’o wa mbe style. His style became popular among socialites as it included room for praising guests at social parties.
However, as technology advanced, Jùjú music, in the 1950s incorporated the electric guitar, accordion, and talking drum.
King Sunny Ade is recognised as the pioneer of the advanced style of Jùjú music. His band played with a phalanx of electric guitars, synthesisers, and vibraphones, which created his unique sound.
Due to the traction, the music genre gained from Sunny Ade, he became the first Nigerian to receive a Grammy Award nomination in 1983.
Sákárà
This is a genre that is popular in the traditions of Yoruba music. It is mostly in the form of praise songs, and it welcomes only traditional Yoruba instruments such as the solemn-sounding goje violin, and the small round sakara drum, which is similar to a tambourine and is beaten with a stick.
Sakara music overlays the nasalised, melismatic vocals of Eastern Africa and Arabic on the traditional percussion instruments.
One of the first performers of this type of music in Lagos was Abibu Oluwa, who started playing in the 1930s.
Fùjì Music
Formerly known as Ajisãrì, the integration of Quranic references and allusions in the lyrics, combined with the use of the Yoruba language and traditional musical instruments, has made this sound peculiar to Southwesterners.
According to the creator of Fùjì music, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, the name for the genre came from a poster he came across in an airport. At the time, he was a mentee of Jibowu Barrister, a well-known Ajisãrì musician.
Fùjì music was first dubbed by critics as “local music”. But giving meaning to his sound, Barrister explained that the genre is, in fact, a combination of Sákárà, Àpàlà, Jùjú, amongst others.
Over the years, Fùjì music has gained a reputable fan-base where it originated, as well as in other regions and countries across Africa, Europe, North America, and the Caribbean. Due to its prominence, today, it is common to find Fùjì artistes touring all over the world.
Wákà Music
Wákà Music is an Islamic genre of Yoruba music that was originally rooted in Hausa traditions and adopted by the Yorubas in the early 19th century.
Initially, waka songs were performed a capella by women during religious ceremonies, although sometimes accompanied by handclapping.
During the 20th century, Yoruba percussion was progressively added in the Ijebu region, and later talking drums.
The first recordings of the genre were made in Lagos in the late 1920s. By the mid-20th century, the genre had become increasingly popular in the Muslim Yoruba communities, despite the fact that lyrics had become secularized to a great extent.
Notable singers of the genre include –Batile Alake and Salawa Abeni, although the latter included elements of Fùjì in her music due to her relationship with Kollington Ayinla, a revered musician of the genre.
Afro-Jùjú
Sir Shina Peters is the inventor of this genre. Wonfering what it’s made up of? It’s a potent blend of Afrobeat, Jùjú, and it’s performed in an entertaining and striking Fuji-style.
Peters experienced his first taste of Jùjú music stardom playing with General Prince Adekunle and he later moved on to form his own band with Segun Adewale.
