Nigeria is a vast country, bigger than the state of Texas, and contains 36 states of its own. It has the second biggest city in Africa and the most populous .
At the time of writing, nearly 213 million people called Nigeria their home. Yet despite this vast population, an outsider might struggle to name many musicians from this beautiful country.
When it comes to the world stage, people are familiar with its football team, The Green Eagles. The national team has graced the World Cup finals six times and memorably beat Spain 3-2 in 1998.
However, that isn’t to say that there are no other names worthy of international acclaim, as anyone who enjoyed the music of Sir Victor Uwaifo will testify.
For anyone who is unacquainted with Nigerian musicians, here are some of the best from the past, and for today.
What music is popular in Nigeria?
In the past, music in Nigeria was largely used for functions and events, such as weddings or funerals. Now, however, music is enjoyed, performed, and danced to, as in many other countries.
The types of music enjoyed in the mainstream now, include jazz, afrobeat, Jùjú, reggae, and highlife. One of the main proponents of afrobeat and an early adopter of jazz was the late Fela Kuti.
Fela Kuti used his music to express the criticism at the government of the time, and of the blind obedience that the army showed by never questioning orders. This political activism resulted in Kuti being arrested and beaten numerous times.
As much as Kuti was heavily involved in activism through his music, he was also rather busy in his private life. Kuti once married 27 women in a rather unique ceremony. Without Fela Kuti, Afrobeat as it is understood, wouldn’t exist.
There is another term for music enjoyed in Nigeria and West Africa; Afrobeats, or Afropop. This shouldn’t be confused with afrobeat which is a genre in its own right.
Who are some of the best Nigerian musicians from before now?
Although Fela Kuti goes down in history for his huge body of work, his creation of afrobeat, and his political activism, he isn’t the only Nigerian artist worth talking about.
Sir Victor Uwaifo
2021 saw the loss of one of the country’s most famous performers. Sir Victor Uwaifo passed away in August of this year. The musician known as the Guitar Boy died at the age of 80, after a lifetime of making fabulous music.
Uwaifo shaped the popular highlife music that so many enjoy, and was also known for some crazy moments when playing live. One rumour is that he once played the guitar with his tongue. Even Jimi Hendrix would have been impressed.
Dr. Sir Warrior
Another musician lost to Nigeria, and the world is Dr. Sir Warrior. He led the Oriental Brothers International Band for many decades, helping to develop the sound of highlife.
King Sunny Adé
Fortunately, this internationally acclaimed musician is still enjoying life. Sunny Adé has been described as one of the most influential musicians and was a leading proponent of Jùjú.
If you want to replicate some of the music of these artists, you don’t need to worry about playing the guitar with your tongue. Upload a track by Sir Victor Uwaifo and you can learn guitar chords by having them displayed instantly on screen through a music app.
Who are the best Nigerian musicians today?
Many young Nigerian musicians are carrying the torch forward and continuing to make music as their predecessors did.
Davido
This young man is a record producer and a singer/songwriter. He has been named as one of the most influential Africans, not just musicians. He has also won the MTV Europe Music Award for the Best African Act.
2Baba
This musician does far more than just making hit records. He was the first recipient of the MTV Best African Act ever and has won numerous other awards for his music. However, despite creating popular music he also finds time to help others and has established his own NGO.
Wizkid and Burna Boy
This year two Nigerian musicians won at the prestigious Grammy Awards. The BBC reported that both Burna Boy and Wizkid won Grammys for their work. Best Global Music Album went to Burna Boy, while Best Music Video went to Wizkid.
Wizkid is thought of by many as Nigeria’s greatest current music star. Burna Boy is one of Africa’s most flourishing artists.
Who is the most skilled guitarist in Nigeria now?
It may not be fair to name anyone as the best guitarist when there are so many talented ones to select from. But one very skilled guitarist, who is extremely busy, stands out.
Fiokee is possibly the most prolific musician in the world it would seem. He has colluded with the likes of Davido, Wizkid, Flavour, Tekno, Yemi Alade, Don Jazzy, and more. So many more in fact, that if you had heard any record in the last decade from the Nigerian record industry, you probably heard Fiokee.
Born Ifiok Effanga, but working professionally as Fiokee, this musician has appeared on something like 75% of the musical output from Nigeria between 2010 and 2020. Fiokee appeared on about 500 different songs during that time. If John Lennon ever thought he had blisters on his fingers, it is nothing compared to Fiokee.
Learning chords guitar beginners when taking up the instrument for the first time needn’t require as much skill or work as Fiokee. Practising guitar chords as a beginner takes some practice, but with some online resources, you can get there quickly.
What Nigerian musicians have hit fame around the world?
From the names above and their achievements, it is clear that a number of Nigerian musicians have been heard around the world.
It has been said that Nigerian artists don’t receive enough support. However, the country has produced some sparkling talent that has been recognised internationally by other artists and the public.
Wizkid has collaborated with Beyonce on Brown Skin Girl. Burna Boy has worked with big names such as Justin Bieber.
Blow My Mind by Davido and Chris Brown has been viewed on YouTube nearly 70 million times. With these few facts, it is clear that Nigerian musicians are making their mark on the world.
Wizkid, though, has just made one big breakthrough for Afrobeats. In September of this year, Wizkid’s track, Essence, hit the number one spot on Shazam in the USA.
Shazam is the music portal owned by Apple, and puts him firmly above Lil Nas X, The Weeknd, and Ed Sheeran, to name just a few of the artists languishing below him.
Summary
Nigerian music has been spreading across the world for decades. Sir Victor Uwaifo and Sunny Ade travelled and played in many countries around the world including the USA and the UK.
Afrobeats and famous Nigerian artists are available on YouTube to be discovered and enjoyed, and their music can be downloaded from iTunes.
While Nigeria has lost a great musician this year in Uwaifo, the country is still blessed with many other talents. From Wizkid to Davido, to Burna Boy, and the omnipresent Fiokee. Nigerian music in its many forms is alive and well and being carried to the west by these stars.