We’ll look at some of the key milestones in the development of Nigerian music in this piece, from the early pioneers to the contemporary scene’s biggest names. So take a seat and enjoy a musical time travel adventure that will have your toes tapping.

The 1930’s

Initial Nigerian Fusion the Nigerian city of Lagos is the birthplace of jùj music, which mostly consists of talking about people and things in a style akin to early rap music (but with less profanity). Tunde King, a Yoruba musician, released his first recordings in 1929, but it wasn’t until the following decade that musicians like Irewole Denge and Ojoge Daniel gained popularity. Although it still had its roots in casual music played at gatherings or for friends, Jùj had begun to become increasingly commercialised by this point. These gatherings eventually developed into live concerts with performers performing simultaneously on a variety of instruments. The most prominent musicians of this time period were people like Irewole Denge, Ojoge Daniel, and Ebenezer Obey; their music is still well-liked today.

The 1940’s

Highlife Music Ephraim Nkansah (also known as King Bruce), a Yoruba musician, began experimenting with new instruments to produce highlife. He combined indigenous African percussion instruments like gourds, bells, and talking drums with Western drums and brass instruments. Ephraim Nkansah & His Crusados released the first highlife songs in 1948, but it took until the next decade for the genre to become popular with the general public.

Artists from Ghana during the period included E. Mensah, T., and E.K. Highlife music was also produced by Nyame, but primarily by Ghanaian musicians.

The 1950’s

Jazz, R&B, and the introduction of guitar highlife. Major developments occurred in Nigerian music during the 1950s, including the emergence of various genres including jazz and rhythm & blues (R&B) as well as the expansion of highlife throughout the country.

Because they combined traditional African instruments with contemporary ones like guitars and keyboards, these genres had a significant influence on African performers.

The 1960’s

Thanks to businesses like EMI, which began producing albums by musicians like Dr. Sir Warrior & His Sounds Of Brass and The Royal Dance Band, recording technology significantly advanced in the 1960s. This band contributed to the widespread popularity of the period’s music in Nigeria by performing a kind of Nigerian pop music with strong jazz undertones.

The 1970’s

Koola Lobos, the first band that guitarist/bandleader Fela Kuti established, would go on to become one of Nigeria’s most well-known bands (and the first to play Afrobeat music). Like other Nigerian highlife musicians, Fela Kuti used West African instruments to perform guitar licks. His songs, however, were considerably lengthier and explored many diverse genres, such as jazz, R&B, funk, and soul, in contrast to other highlife performers. They also looked into societal topics like government corruption, which at the time was unheard of in popular Nigerian music.

After years of having his songs rejected by radio stations due to their insulting or critical lyrics about politicians, Fela launched his own channel, Radio Lagos. This increased the attention his music had previously received in Africa.

Conclusion: The golden age of the Nigerian music

Nigeria had an explosion of musical genres in the 1960s and 1970s, including highlife, jazz, and R&B. During this era, reggae and Afrobeat also witnessed significant expansion. This era is one of the most interesting for any global music enthusiast to investigate since no other time in Nigerian music history has generated as much musical brilliance. It might be confusing to explore each new genre that emerges during this time because so many are emerging. Fortunately, there are numerous places available where you can check for music by these artists.