*"all of afrobeats' major musical influences (reggae, hiphop, disco, house (not to mention afrobeat itself) )have had..." Sorry, typing on my phone here.
― longneck, Tuesday, 8 July 2014 23:31 (nine years ago) link
Well, slight correction they're not millionaires, their parents are and while no matter where you are in the world, that distinction isn't likely to mean much in terms of quality of life/prospects and nepotism remains a key factor in all facets of Nigerian life, simply free-loading for a lifetime isn't really tolerated by Nigerian parents.
Of course the question remains, why music? Surely there are tons of avenues available to those of the silver spoon, especially considering that most of the artists I listed above graduated or at least attended university. The question itself illuminates a difference in respectability politics that I hadn't fully considered until now.
In Nigeria professional musicians, are held in far higher regard than in the West regardless of fame or success. Of course most parents would prefer their children become doctors lawyers etc. but your child becoming a musician is very unlikely to be seen as a cause for shame or derision. You'll find some exceptions but generally there isn't much of a gap to bridge between generations regarding the performative function of music in 'Nigerian culture'* and its centrality.
Wizkid's 'Pakurumo' remains one of the songs I cherish the most largely because its underlying conceit illustrates syncretic and cross-generational ties so accurately.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S4S-2sMS5wThe video plays up the divide perfectly with the Pasuma/Wizkid mixup, the initial confused reactions of the older guests and the faux-hysterical outrage of the hostess (played by Funke Akindele, who would probably have been the most popular actress in Nollywood at the time the video was released and is notable for her cross-generational appeal).
The song calls back to traditional fuji singers who historically sang Islamic call to prayer. Over decades it has evolved into what has been the most prevalent form of party music amongst older generations across Nigeria for a while now, and elements of it are regularly found in modern Afrobeat songs (Pasuma from the video is a widely known fuji singer). When fuji singers perform at parties or events, they typically incorporate the names of important guests/dignitaries into their improvised songs, as Wizkid alludes to in the chorus: 'Funke','Tolani', 'Folake', 'Alimo' all Nigerian girls names first 3 being Yoruba, last being Hausa. 'Pakurumo ko jo dada' basically = "have a good time and dance well"and the outro albeit in a more traditional fuji fashion: 'Alhaji M.O Balogun', 'Governor Fashola' (current and much revered governor of Lagos), 'Mrs. J.M Balogun', 'Mr Wellington' 'A kin yi o' = we welcome you'Mo rin yi o' = I see you'E na mi lowo' = spray the money on me (refers to a traditional wedding custom that you see being done at 5.48 in the video)
Sorry bit of a wild digression there :/
The question regarding Nigerian society is harder to parse because it only really makes sense if you disregard the through line between afrobeat of the past and present and the historical narrative that goes with that, which is unfortunately pretty easy to do because there is a tendency to treat the new stuff like it sprang up from nowhere in 2005. There's a huge digression in there that I unfortunately don't have time to make but taking the question at face value? As far as I'm aware there is no political element to current Nigerian afrobeat, largely because people don't go to clubs, parties and weddings to listen to songs about how corrupt their government is. The depoliticization of afrobeat is a book that I'd very much love to read but unfortunately it hasn't materialised yet.
*Strictly speaking, there's no such thing but this notion rings true amongst the vast majority of groups in Nigeria.
― tsrobodo, Wednesday, 9 July 2014 02:40 (nine years ago) link
More digressions please! I'm learning a lot from them! And with regard to a "political element" I made sure to mention disco and house, where lyrics might not be political as such but the movements and the cultures behind it definitely carry political meanings tied to, say, identity politics, modernity and the like. I take it, for instance, that Boko Haram are, generally speaking, no fans of Wizkid? And also that the American (hiphop, r&b) influence on afrobeats does something to how the relations between the sexes are treated in the songs, in contrast, perhaps to earlier afrobeat treatments? Or am I overthinking this?
― longneck, Wednesday, 9 July 2014 06:47 (nine years ago) link
Really dig this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0giqlgCdl6o
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Thursday, 10 July 2014 05:08 (nine years ago) link
(i know longneck already posted it)
bring back trencoat swag is the real lesson here
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Thursday, 10 July 2014 05:13 (nine years ago) link
love that song
― Strictly EZ Snappin' Nhex (Spottie), Thursday, 10 July 2014 14:43 (nine years ago) link
had actually written out something longer but chrome crashed kmt, this is what I could remember:
While afrobeat as a politicised movement may have begun with the railings of Fela against censorship, poverty and heavy handed government it pretty much ended with him in that respect for most people in Nigeria. Why? Well I could tell you that its because a few years after he died Nigeria became a civilian democracy, but that would be an oversimplification to the point of being a lie. Its hard to know where to even start with this without knowing how much of Nigeria's history you're already familiar with. I mean I ain't looking to write a book here. Not throwing any shade but this stuff doesn't form part of any public discourse and its difficult to put forward concise, relatable ideas when we're talking in such broad strokes.
Its easy to take for granted but we're able to grasp the political implications of movements as influential and sprawling as disco and house, past and present, largely because the narratives behind them and the contexts in which they evolved are readily historicized and accessible as part of western cultural lexicon. There is no great treatise on the evolution of afrobeat and there has never been a dedicated legion of journalists and commentators documenting its every turn, or anything approaching that.
Nigerian democracy is only 15 years old. In that time there have been few if any popular political movements worth speaking of and frankly it'd be easy to argue that for the vast majority of Nigerians afrobeat didn't constitute one. There is no singular cultural impetus you can attribute to the growth and form of afrobeat today besides globalised materialism, pop aesthetics and the fact that Nigerians love to party.
Boko Haram, generally speaking aren't fans of anything that isn't explicitly Islamic and being a small extremist group aren't very useful as a representative baseline for anything really.
I wouldn't say you're overthinking it but you are failing to consider how existing sexual politics within Nigeria might already encompass that and that most of the widely known early afrobeat songs had little to do with romantic love and sex leaving little ground for comparison in that regard.
― tsrobodo, Thursday, 10 July 2014 17:47 (nine years ago) link
excellent stuff as always tsrobodo
― ogmor, Thursday, 10 July 2014 18:12 (nine years ago) link
^^^
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Thursday, 10 July 2014 18:29 (nine years ago) link
― Frederik B, Thursday, 10 July 2014 18:48 (nine years ago) link
hear hear(especially loved the insight you gave into "Pakurumo" song + video)
― breastcrawl, Thursday, 10 July 2014 20:29 (nine years ago) link
Yes. Thank you so much for all of this. I was trying to get an idea about to what extent this "movement" intersected with existing public discourses and your answers have all been marvellously enlightening.
― longneck, Thursday, 10 July 2014 21:49 (nine years ago) link
Can't get this song out of my head:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN6sdfIm9pU
DJ Xclusive feat. Wizkid, "Jeje".
The track DJ Xclusive did with Olamide "Ibebe" (I posted it before) is great too. If ever a song was waaayyy too short… I mean, just 2'36 of that? Come on!
― breastcrawl, Friday, 11 July 2014 17:11 (nine years ago) link
Jeje is awesome.
― longneck, Friday, 11 July 2014 18:32 (nine years ago) link
Another question: how is it possible that Dorobucci is not even on the afribiz charts? That song is huge, right? At least it should be, judging from my shazam research, lol. Shouldn't it be at least as big as King Josh & Iyanya's Good Looking (at #18)?
― longneck, Friday, 11 July 2014 21:09 (nine years ago) link
The answer is very simple: it doesn't have a video (yet). Not clear to me how that chart is compiled, but that's the first prerequisite for a song to chart there at all. The Afribiz is an interesting initiative, but it has definite flaws. I wrote something about it last year.
And yes, Dorobucci is huge, biggest song in Nigeria for some two months straight now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaEFCEzkaYA
Mavins, "Dorobucci" (remix) (feat. Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Dr Sid, D Prince, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, Di'Ja)
― breastcrawl, Friday, 11 July 2014 22:45 (nine years ago) link
been playing jeje a lot. great record
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Friday, 11 July 2014 22:54 (nine years ago) link
Xpost lol I guess that explains it. Weird though.
― longneck, Friday, 11 July 2014 23:12 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcvoZcGrPA
this feels like such a smash to me. no vid yet tho
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Friday, 11 July 2014 23:24 (nine years ago) link
really enjoying tsrobodo's posts itt
― lex pretend, Saturday, 12 July 2014 09:22 (nine years ago) link
I'm downloading (even buying) a lot of these tracks but mostly as singles. Are there any essential albums from these artists yet or are we mostly talking three singles and a lot of filler? (I love the Uhuru album I mentioned upthread but that's the exception to the rule so far). Also, this is great:
http://youtu.be/AhmzLMzHdNQ
― longneck, Monday, 14 July 2014 21:11 (nine years ago) link
Also, this:http://youtu.be/gyU4W7MlPLUSammie Okposo - Who Tell You Say
― longneck, Monday, 14 July 2014 22:38 (nine years ago) link
On the somewhat shallower end, this is growing on me:Dj Xclusive, Wizkid & D'prince - Gal Badhttp://youtu.be/ecrgBc3lcRo
― longneck, Monday, 14 July 2014 22:56 (nine years ago) link
Well, there it is, the new Wizkid banger, video included: "Show You The Money". Album next, please.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMAsSEH3yys
― breastcrawl, Wednesday, 16 July 2014 21:09 (nine years ago) link
fire
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Friday, 18 July 2014 17:34 (nine years ago) link
It's perhaps hardly afrobeats, but this Kenyan r'n'b-track is really doing it for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYFQRuqQ7EM
― Frederik B, Monday, 21 July 2014 23:05 (nine years ago) link
I'm in Hyde Park right now and there are a load of Nigerian kids on bikes all singing Kcee and Wizkid's 'Pullover' really loudly. I just want to record this moment for posterity.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 17:33 (nine years ago) link
Afribiz chart alert! "Dorobucci" has a video now!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDHBe1BA-Nk
― breastcrawl, Friday, 25 July 2014 19:11 (nine years ago) link
Just as it's being dethroned on radio!http://massiveairplay.blogspot.com/2014/07/1-10-july-23-onye-by-waje-gains-rapid.html?m=1
― longneck, Saturday, 26 July 2014 10:28 (nine years ago) link
Wow, nice blog/chart! Thank you for that.
― breastcrawl, Saturday, 26 July 2014 11:13 (nine years ago) link
Yes! It has improved my life considerably.
― longneck, Saturday, 26 July 2014 12:19 (nine years ago) link
Davido is touring the US again. Alas, the last-minute D.C. show last night happened while I was getting back from being away. Philly & NYC up next
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 2 August 2014 23:26 (nine years ago) link
About to see him in ny! Missed wizkid last weekend
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Saturday, 2 August 2014 23:57 (nine years ago) link
wizkid is apparently part of this in nyc?http://nyuskirball.org/calendar/nigeriaentertainmenthttp://www.neaawards.com/nominees/
― go ahead. make vid where u rap about this new TMNT movie. (forksclovetofu), Sunday, 3 August 2014 00:28 (nine years ago) link
where does it say hes performing?
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Sunday, 3 August 2014 08:39 (nine years ago) link
it doesn't; one of the producers told me he was? they may be having me on but i doubt it.
― go ahead. make vid where u rap about this new TMNT movie. (forksclovetofu), Sunday, 3 August 2014 17:06 (nine years ago) link
word. can u get me on the guest list
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Sunday, 3 August 2014 23:06 (nine years ago) link
i can put you in touch with the producer if you're serious
― go ahead. make vid where u rap about this new TMNT movie. (forksclovetofu), Monday, 4 August 2014 06:33 (nine years ago) link
v serious
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Monday, 4 August 2014 10:08 (nine years ago) link
Drop me a line
― go ahead. make vid where u rap about this new TMNT movie. (forksclovetofu), Monday, 4 August 2014 12:04 (nine years ago) link
Was eating in a suburban D.C. Kenyan restaurant Saturday night and they were booming nothing but Afrobeats loud. Sounded great...
― curmudgeon, Monday, 4 August 2014 13:22 (nine years ago) link
Yes! I get to revive one of the jams of the year, because it has a video now: Guru - "Pooley".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UPYjg6bQAU
― breastcrawl, Wednesday, 6 August 2014 19:30 (nine years ago) link
Another recent Ball J Beat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhAja2jB8oQ
Fresh feat. Twinny & BeddyBoy - "Sukundy"
― breastcrawl, Wednesday, 6 August 2014 20:01 (nine years ago) link
God, I love Pooley. It has lost a bit of it's mystery after thousand spins or so, and perhaps it doesn't work as well on the dancefloor as a lot of other afrobeats, but it's still just an amazing track.
― Frederik B, Wednesday, 6 August 2014 20:36 (nine years ago) link
This is very nice. It's like Robyn made a trip to South Africa and ended up in Nigeria - or something:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrcvRNb8aCI
Niniola - "Ibadi"
― breastcrawl, Thursday, 7 August 2014 22:05 (nine years ago) link
Can anyone tell me what the track in this video is, please?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hRd285WuPC0
― everyday sheeple (Michael B), Thursday, 7 August 2014 23:21 (nine years ago) link
My friend Shazam from Kumasi told me it's this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_1PicpAc7M
SameOne - "Tro Tro" (feat. Gasmilla and Skob)
― breastcrawl, Friday, 8 August 2014 06:13 (nine years ago) link
Loving Olamide's Awon Goons Mi: http://youtu.be/c0VQmL82H1cWish I knew what he was saying, lol
― longneck, Monday, 11 August 2014 12:00 (nine years ago) link
Awon Goons Mi = My goons
N'inu hood Mi = In my hood
Think that covers most of what the song is about lol
― tsrobodo, Monday, 11 August 2014 14:56 (nine years ago) link
Haha, thanks.
― longneck, Monday, 11 August 2014 15:52 (nine years ago) link