MUSIC is a sacrosanct means of communicating with the soul. It is no wonder then that Friedrich Nietzsche once quipped that ‘without music, life would be a mistake.’ Music can be traced to the Neanderthal period in human evolutionary chart. It is part of human culture. Therefore, it is part of man and the society. Researchers have of course been unable to give a particular date for the inception of the music. Historically, the inception of music is said to have begun with the “Divje Babe Flute,” a cave femur bear which had lived in the early start of men on earth, hence this instrument has been dated back to about 43,000 years ago. It has been recognised as the first musical instrument. Over the years, music has changed form, making use of more complex instruments such as the piano, saxophone, flute, etc. Alongside the evolution of music and musical instruments, different musicians have compiled songs that have given more than leisure to the soul. They have used music as a veritable instrument in fighting for the freedom of the masses and treating the ills of the society and other functions they have featured.
In relation to our society, music has evolved over time. In spite of this, no one can pinpoint the first man to sing. Yet, historically, it has been asserted that the first album of music was produced by Canon Josiah Jesse Ransome Kuti (Fela Anikulapo’s grandfather and Professor Wole Soyinka’s great-grandfather) who had been composing songs since 1878. His last work was released on 4th August 1921. This can be found in the British Museum. It was recorded that he composed gospel songs in form of Church hymns used in the early Anglican Church at St Peter Cathedral Church, Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. With the different years that have gone by, music and musicians have taken different forms, styles and genres, for example, juju, apala, highlife, hip-hop, blues et cetera.
The twentieth century witnessed the ascendance of a number of notable musicians in Nigeria. These musicians were Bobby Benson, Fela Anikulapo, Sunny Ade, Haruna Ishola, Ayinla Omowura, Ebenezer Obey, Rex Lawson and Herbert Ogunde. In latter years, there have been, among others, Salawa Abeni, Bisade Ologunde and others. All these musicians birthed different genres and styles in the musical industry and their legacy can never be forgotten. One of these musicians who revolutionised music in Nigeria was Fela Anikulapo, a saxophonist known for his freedom fighting songs that hits the leaders of the society. Despite his frequent arrest and incarceration by the military government, he continued to fight for the masses. He also projected the African identity without apology. His various albums like Army arrangement, Zombie, shuffering and shmiling however, deplored the detrimental state of the society. Nowadays, however, a different form of music has emerged which glorifies leisure and razzmatazz and addresses nothing in particular.
How have the current musicians contributed to the exposure and growth of the Nigerian society? Different musicians have flooded the scene, the likes of Wizkid, Olamide, Falz, Buran Boy, Davido, Kizz Daniel and many others. These musicians have not taken after the pioneers and the question of how well they have contributed positively to the Nigerian society is still being debated. Most of the songs being produced these days dwell more on lust and aggravate the quest for quick money, in opposition to the practice of the predecessors. Music videos feature obscene and voluptuous images which have worsened the rate of indecency in the society. People want to be like these celebrities. They want to live a life of affluence, the kind displayed by these contemporary musicians on television. The musicians have jettisoned moral instructions and the ills meant to be treated in the society.
- Awosusi writes in via awosusib@gmail.com
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