NANFeatures/Vol.10/No.260/2016 (Nov. 21)
Is Nigerian music industry falling below standards?
A News Analysis by Victor Adeoti, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Stakeholders in the Nigerian music industry argue that the industry has been gaining international recognition and acceptance, projecting the image of the country positively.
But skeptics disagree, insisting that the standard of the industry is falling due to lack of professional advisers, good song writers and discipline.
They recall that Nigeria’s furrow into the music industry dates back to the 1920s, noting that the country attained limelight in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
They also note that Nigeria was the largest music market in black Africa then, supporting a record market of 10 million albums by 1974 with three major record companies, 12 recording studios and two major indigenous labels.
According to them, the phenomenon of piracy leads to the withdrawal of multinational recording companies which had work assiduously with Nigerians and music technologists to set a standard for music production.
Prof. Tunji Vidal of the Mountain Top University, Lagos said this development, among others, has contributed to the falling standard in the music industry.
At the recent public lecture organised to mark King Sunny Ade’s 70th birthday at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, he said the present crop of musicians lacked the vital preparation to take up a career in music.
In his speech entitled: “Nigeria music industry; the falling standard,’’ Vidal noted that the old generation of musicians attended mission schools for training before they ventured into music as a profession, observing that said such training was lacking in today’s music.
He said lack of adequate experience, training and skills on the part of many of the contemporary musicians had created a vacuum in the Nigerian music industry.
According to him, many of the musicians do not spend time in carrying out research on their music composition and lyrics before producing it.
The professor of music noted that “olden day’s songs were more meaningful and able to withstand the test of time than what we have today.
“Musicians of today’s generation lack the vital preparation for a musical career; unknown to many people, every profession requires talent, training, skill and mentorship.
“How many of the young people taking up music as profession have talent for music, how many have developed skills for music making?
“Who trained them, who mentored them, who coached them, who were their song writers?
“For Nigeria music to move forward and maintain aesthetic standards competitive in today’s global market, these questions must receive adequate attention by all those involved in the Nigerian music industry.’’
In the same vein, Prof. Christopher Ogbogbo, the Head of History Department, University of Ibadan, said the standard of Nigerian music and dance steps had fallen.
Ogbogbo, who was the first discussant at the lecture, said the contemporary musicians would not spend time in doing research on the lyrics and composition of their music.
He, nevertheless, said there was still room for improvement in spite of the falling standard in the quality of Nigerian music.
He said Nigeria music industry had placed the country in the world map more than any industry, observing further that Nigerian music industry had projected the image of the country positively.
Supporting this view, Chief Ebenezer Obey, a renowned practitioner and composer of juju music, agreed that previous music had more meaning than the contemporary music.
Mr Mike Aremo, a music analyst, also opined that music of yesteryears had been able to stand the test of time such that they were evergreen.
“The music that was released last year is no longer relevant but the music of yesteryears is coming to play again, making more meanings to the public.
Cletus Nwachukwu, a music expert, also said that “music of today is computer and studio based; artistes are bereft of musical skills and can hardly read musical notes or understand the marking of cords.
“Apart from the promoters and corporate sponsors who encourage mediocrity through allowing miming of songs from compact discs to the detriment of musical brands, the other prominent culprit is the press.
“Accolades, media hypes and undeserving awards are bestowed upon some artistes for profanities, fraud and high level immorality. Where lies the legacies of the older generation of musicians,’’ Nwachukwu said.
In the light of these views, experts insist that ethic of music critique should be resuscitated as a means of arresting the falling standard of the country’s music industry.
According to them, the aim is to uphold standards artistically and aesthetically in a particular music as well as in the world of music.
“A critique starts with a description of music, the musical event, the place, time, contents, rhythm, melody and the person involved, among others.
“Through critique, the artistes would be informed of their responsibility to the audience and the community which provided the wherewithal and the course of music,’’ he said.
Nevertheless, analysts note that some Nigerian musicians such as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Segun Akinlolu — Beautiful Nubia, Ben Okafor and Shade Adu, among others, have contributed to the development of Nigerian music in Europe and America by displaying originality.
Observers note that although some other local musicians have paid their dues at the altar of creativity and originality, there is need for a concerted effort to redeem Nigerian music from undue western influence.(NANFeatures)
**If used, please credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
