NIGERIA MUSIC INDUSTRY,
MUSIC SOCIETY AND THE MASS MEDIA
Author: Adeola Gideon
(Horllar 19thingale) 08038106010
Depending on
the listener, music can either have intrinsic or extrinsic meaning to the
listener and music meaning can either be interpreted from the viewpoint of the
formalist or from the viewpoint of an expressionist. While some listen to music
just because they are bored or they are thrilled by the beat so they just want
to dance; some others may listen to it for the lyrics or message the artist is
trying to pass across. The music professionals listen to music for professional
evaluation and sometimes for enjoyment or relaxations (like every other person).
Kristian
David Olson, a music expert cited, “Music is an important and extremely useful
tool in the way we learn and to deny its power is a waste of a truly wonderful
resource”. Some might opine that music is a small footnote in the progression
of humanity, but it is in fact a much greater force; for some, it defines their
very existence. Whatever our respective believe is, music is a driving force in
the society of today; it has been present since the dawn of man. The average
person spends several hours a day listening to music, whether they see it as a
main activity or just as something to take up space in the background. Moreover,
music directly affects the human’s mind (especially the impressionable young
mind) in the area of taught, intelligence and general attitude. Human’s social
behavior is most time the direct result of their level of exposure to certain
music. Furthermore the consensus of this theory view is that music has the
capacity for both positive and negative effects on the human’s mind, depending
on what music he/she uses to regularly feed the mind.
In its
online publication (titled “Effects of Music on Children and Adolescents”) that
explores both negative and positive side of music on human, the Suite 101 website
had this to say: “Certain types of music or more specifically music with
violent lyrics are believed to have a negative impact on adolescents”. With the
experience of music being so close to the human psyche, the listener naturally
experiences both emotional highs and lows. While most would feel nothing more
than a relieving cathartic effect, in some cases troubled adolescents have been
pushed over the edge while listening to music, or encouraged in their
self-destructive habits. For example in the Western nations like the United
states, Canada etc, many documented suicides have taken place while music is
being played at the background, and there is some speculation that extended
listening to music could lead to anti-social behavior. However, cases of this
are few and far between; often it seems that the subject was previously
troubled, before music could have been pinned as the primary cause. In other
words, music is not really the cause of the problem, though it clearly affects
the mind and actions of the troubled adolescent.
Furthermore,
sexual promiscuity and excessive profanity in modern music (specifically
hip-hop and R&B genre) have also been said to affect the young psyche.
Again quoting from the Suite 101 website: “Sexually explicit lyrics and mounds
of profanity exuberate through certain hip hop songs [which] can have a
negative effect on the thoughts and feelings of adolescents” (“Effects of Music
on Children and Adolescents”).
Evidence of
the above theory is (can be) established in juveniles party where preteens and teenagers
display their stunts of different erotic dance steps, sometimes when the male
and female are merged together for a dance. The prominent theory is that the
explicit nature of some modern music has desensitized today’s youth to immoral
thoughts and actions thereby making certain music genres (mostly the
contemporary club music genres like the hip-hop, R&B, rap, techno, blues
etc) changing the society to become more promiscuous one as time passes. Irrespective
of how we chose to look at it in our different manners, there is clearly a strong
correlation between the subject matter of music and the actions of the
listener; therefore, this theory cannot be entirely dismissed.
Using the
resources provided and with careful observation, it is clear that music is a
powerful force in human society. Listening to music like the classical music has
been shown to improve mood, increase productivity, and even encourage
intellectual growth, while music education can have an even greater effect. On
the negative side, there are also correlations between promiscuous or violent
music and destructive behavior; though some of these correlations can be
attributed to a previously troubled youth, others are not so easy to dismiss.
However wonderful or terrible it may be, music is a cornerstone of human
culture; it is a learning tool, a method of communication, and, for some, a way
of life. As such, it should be treated with respect.
All over the
world, different genres of music attract different impressions from diverse
music observers. But I think the most important thing should not be our
individual impression about these different music or the musicians,
irrespective of the kind of music they manufacture out for us as music
consumers to consume, but how does their (the musicians/music celebrities) true
life style, music lyrics and general music production affects our society? The
mostly displayed on the media channels today (print, radio, TV and internet) are
the music celebrities among the others.
Therefore,
it will be concurred that the music celebrities (and every others) plays
immense role in influencing the lives of the society especially the age bracket
of like 5 to 30s who all look forward to them as role models, hence the
celebrity is regarded as public figure.
The
musicians with the kind of music they bake out to the public reflects and
creates social conditions – including the factors that either facilitate or
impede social change as the sub-cultures in today’s society are all based on
what you are exposed to on the social media, the clique you hang around with,
how you were raised, and the music you listen to.
Technology
generally, with regard to the development of recording techniques in the latter
half of the 20th century has revolutionized the extent to which most people
have access to not only music, but also the internet and cable TV. 24 hours a
day people are opened to different programs on the TV. At the touch of a switch the teenagers can
determine what they watch on the media out of their parents and guardians’
decision. One major disadvantage of this easy accessibility to the modern media
devices that easily displays MP3 music and music videos is that there is a
tendency for it to be taken for granted by the adolescent.
Using the radio
and television as the subject matter in this case, if therefore the society is
largely influenced by what is predominately aired via the media then the media
ethic comes to play here and this leads me to citing the media catchword which
says “the media is a mirror to the society”. As far as this 21st
century is concerned, I don’t think as you might agree with me that there is
any human being who has not been affected by the mass media in one way or the
other. The modern man (generally the people) can hardly cope a day without
having anything to do with either the TV, radio, news paper, magazines,
internet, phone etc.
Among
others, one major responsibility of the media is dissemination of information,
hence a morale building obligation solely rests on its shoulder as it is largely
counted upon to provide, through its broadcasts the information that is not
only entertaining, but also educating and helps to shape the society’s morale.
The Nigeria
music of current wouldn’t have attained its present height without the huge
support of the mass media. Apart from the diverse entertainment magazines, the
private radio stations and TV stations are the major weight behind the current
Nigeria music. One thing is for a musician to record his music; another thing
is for the music to be accepted by the radio or TV stations in order to be brought
to the public awareness through air-play. Apart from now where the internet is
serving as a complementary platform via which an artist can widely hit
admiration and popularity just by being active on the social media sites
(facebook, twitter, instalgram etc), no artist can ever be massively recognized
whether he sings great or not without the immense support of the radio, TV and
the new papers or the mag.
At this
juncture, I will likewise borrow a statement of Dr Omazu (a lecturer at the
national open university) in the guardian news paper of 12th-November-2013,
quoting the philosophical conundrum of Thomas Hubbes “Who will guide the
guardian”.
Who will
guide the Nigerian media when it starts running off the track of its
professional ethics by embracing what is termed “Payola” under the study of
journalism?
“Payola” is
usually associated with the radio industry. It has to do with record companies or
artists that pay radio personnel (presenters, disk jockeys, producers etc) to
play their songs on radio. Many media companies, including those outside radio,
require employees to sign ethics disclosure forms. If you're offered money or
gifts, ask yourself what the giver wants in exchange so that you avoid
accepting payola.
So, I may
not rather be misapprehended, I drop this line on the ground that I may call to
order and summon my dear Nigerian music/entertainment practitioners with his
benefactor (the media- the mass communication industry, esp. newspaper,
television and radio; journalists and other related professionals collectively),
and every private or government own organization that is formed for music
reason to much better improvement.
My dear
reader with kindred spirit, I did not write this article in other to demean,
attack or cheapen any entity, be it private individual or cooperate
organization. I make 95% of my earnings from the entertainment/music industry
and I will be very happy to witness it when our radio/TV stations air music and
music videos that I won’t have to ask my very tender children to close their
eyes or go into their rooms whenever such music/music video is been massively
promoted for the easily mutable lovers of music to consume. I want to be comfortable
with my little children, listening to, via the radio stations or watching on
national TV, the Nigerian music videos without fear of luring them into the
base of immorality, thereby putting them in iniquitous trouble.
I have heard
it via the radio and the TV. I even have to; on many occasions argue it out
with many music enthusiasts, music practitioners and music fanatics or critics
like me. They mostly based their argument for Nigerian music growth as thus:
- “After all, the young boys and girls
are now making money from music as music has provided a path to gainful
employment to the gifted Nigerians who the Devil may otherwise have used to
torment the nation”;
-
“the
current kind of music is more danceable than that of the old”;
-
“The
current kind of music is very easy to produce and also not very busy as it
applied to Nigerian music in the past which a track of some of it lasts as long
as 30 minutes (Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s work is an example)”;
-
“Nigerian
music has taken over the airwaves in many African countries even more than the
South African music, unlike some decades ago”;
…………………………………And
many other thesis to support each of their different argument of musical
growth.
From
authoritative and a professional point of view, I shall analytically aver the
Nigerian current music as thus:
Talking
about structure, One major hazard that has currently fallen upon Nigerian music
is what I will call “Lack of structure”. A situation where an artist signs a record
company contract today with an empty belle and after being belle-filled to
satisfaction tomorrow, he finds it very
easy to breach an agreement by running to another record label or even form his
own record label without any regard to the entertainment law.
There is no
law or any firm institution that legally regulates the Nigerian entertainment,
especially music industry. Like every other Nigerian formulated laws that begs
for enforcement, the existing laws, instituted by the Nigerian Copyright
Commission (NCC) and National Censors Board (NCB) are nothing more than just a
frivolous paper and biro work.
In the 50s
through the early 80s before the EMIs and the Deccas left, having sensed the
coming jeopardy that would happen to the Nigerian music industry, Practitioners
of music were able to enjoy adequate structure of a level playing ground for
every artist irrespective of whatever genre of music you professionalized on.
In Nigeria do we even have any serious record companies, whose responsibility
is mainly to scout for young and hardworking upcoming musicians again? My
answer is “NO”.
Am trying to
avoid sounding derisively- the Nigerian entertainment industry just like a
destitute who from his early years of parental deprivation, on the spur of the
moment arose to the status of a parvenu, has in a way, with sincerity accomplish
my professional assessment on the below average level. Having said this, the
Nigeria music industry still has a long way to go. I leave in naija and I am
aware that the music industry has suffered a happy-go-lucky and devil may care neglectfulness
from the Nigerian government over the years, apart from the one time ago
2hundred billion naira funds that was dumped in the vault of the Bank of Industry
(BOI).
By hope
against hope, I personally, like my many other colleagues kept visiting the
head offices of BOI until we got tired and decided to let the government keep
his money (maybe for some more ministers and politicians to loot and buy
private bullet proof cars) while we work harder to make our own money in order
to execute any musical project we dream of bringing to the public.
The
fundamental duty of the Performing Musicians Association Of Nigeria (PMAN), I believe
is to be coordinating and structuring the Nigerian music scene; making sure
that professional practitioners of Nigerian music produce standard works;
making sure that whoever that is ready to take music as a profession in Nigeria
adheres to the rule of responsibility and etiquette; and that whatever to be aired to
the public on our media forum is consumable to the average music lovers out
there and not capable of morally corrupting the viewers mind through the
display of almost unclothed ladies, seemingly amorously in a sexual spores with
the artists that the upcoming ones sees as role models (our musicians) in a
display of music videos on our national TV.
Yours
sincerely was as of late driving by the Performing Musicians Association Of
Nigeria (PMAN)’s office. I daresay that the building which used to be PMAN’s
office is now being sold to a church or something, because there is nothing that
suggests the existence of PMAN about the building. If PMAN truly still exists,
they should answer the few following unproblematic questions: What have they
being doing all these decades for this mess to get to this level where the
rulers of Nigerian music industry today are the “Alaba market pirates”, the
drug lords (that Nigerians sees as business men), the radio/TV Djs and
presenters who doesn’t care but will accept payola (bribe) from anybody who
claims to be a musician just to broadcast anything they present in compact disk
as music irrespective of how suggestive the message is?; What is the PMAN’s
contribution to all of these work party music awards (both local, national and
foreign) and endorsements given by multinational companies to the mediocres of
today that are made legend of music just in 3 or 4 months of escaping from
classroom, vocational workshops or abroad (after committing crime) to the music
scene?; How is PMAN making sure that the quality of Nigerian music becomes
something better than the current bunch of electro-computer music that are hastily
compiled and produced to upset our hears via massive publicity on the Nigerian
radio stations and TV stations?; Was any of the even PMAN’s high-ranked
officials able to access the N2hundred billion naira fund and what was their
reaction to this government’s vote-seeking political gesture? I still have many
other questions for the PMAN, but I will stop for now. Maybe I will enjoy some
authoritative reactions from the PMANs “ogas on top” (and the likes) in my
email, phone or the news paper after the publication of this write-up.
Lately, I
got the wind that COSON is on a campaign, trying to make sure that artists are
paid whenever their music works are aired via the radio or TV. It is a good
cause, but wrong place to start the fight. As far as that is concerned, I see
what COSON is doing as “looking for waiting dem wan chop”. If COSON is really ready to be a positive
factor to the Nigerian music industry, let them start the fight from first and
foremost making sure (in collaboration with the ostensibly sleeping National
Censors Board-NCB) and any other regulatory body that the music works of
Nigerian musicians are even air-able (Not harmful to the mind or morals) in the
first place; If COSON will truly stand the test of time and not soon going to
wither away with the mercantile foot it firstly brought afore, its authority
should make sure that there is at least 98% sanity in the Nigerian music
industry.
There are
many war-fares for COSON to fight than only threatening the media to be paying the
escapists (the so called current music artists) for airing their libidinous
contented music works on the radio or TV. One of such warfare is firstly
restructuring and sanitization. However, it is the duty of the government of
Nigeria to provide other job opportunities for the Nigerian youths (whether
schooled or not). If these two efforts are combined, we won’t have the charlatans
turning out to become a legend just in two years of waxing junk and boo music
that does more of moral harm to the public than the dance-good. I believe a
serious association will be more saddled with the responsibility of protecting
this music business for us the trained and not making the middling musicians,
the one hit wonder artists to mess it up for us with protools, nuendo, cubase
and reason etc cut and join beat junk music.
Rather than
this harry-chivy on the Nigeria media COSON can collaborate with the IBAN
(Independent Broadcasting Association Of Nigeria) and BOND i.e. Broadcasting
Organization Of Nigeria and wake the slumbering National Censors Board-NCB to
summon sanity to the face of the current misfortunate and boorish Nigeria music
scene that some men of affairs music enthusiasts will rather prefer to define
as growth because of the gain that follows in to their bank accounts. As
technically and professionally inadequate as current Nigerian music is, the
same media has being very helpful to its global recognition right from when it
used to be a serious music in the days of musicians like Fela Sowande, to Akin
Euba, Rex Jim Lawson, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, etc. Many organizations leaves the
shore of Nigeria to the overseas because they run large chunk of what should be
their profit on generating electricity in order to remain consistent in
operation. Or how wont a Nigerian media establishment that is basically formed
for profit run at lost after all, when it has to generate its own electricity power,
pay staffs wages and pay royalty to a middling artist whose music work does
more moral arms to the society than any good? Some of this media houses runs at
lost to remain in operation and the government of Nigeria should rather be
paying them some structured compensatory fees rather than them paying amorphous
royalties to these crops of present quack musicians (escapists) whose music has
lead the present generation to a blind alley.
Do you call
these growth?:
-
Where
the 98% of Nigerian music which is exported to other countries is messaged on
vulgarity and lewdness that has to do with either: “women shaking their backside”;
“drinks and clubbing”; partying and dancing etc.
With all the
many problems (insecurity, economy, corruption, especially political problem)
of Nigeria, should these be the music composition topics/theme of any serious
future leader as the youth is called?
I challenge the media and the Nigerian music/entertainments industry to join
forces making sure that every musicians which 95% of falls among the youths
today pick cautious and intelligent musical composition theme to correct our
public office holders, and such music is rather massively promoted like they
promote these crop of “bom bom music” on our national radio and tv stations every
day for the next one year, I bet you that Nigeria will improve within one year
of this modification. No politician is unfriendly to listening to the radio or
Tv. Imagine how they (the public office holders) will feel whenever they tune
their radios on to different stations and hears the radio playing Nigerian
music with theme, calling their reckless conducts to order.
The persistence of blasting loud, on our
different radio/tv stations, music which its theme rather glorifies iniquity
and mundanity displays the fact that the media and the youths musicians are not
really ready to help or change the current situation of the country, using the
power of music.
We even have some radio stations,
mainly established for the promotion of only this kind of music I called “the
bom-bom shaking music”. I don’t need to be told that the money bags politicians
are behind the establishment of such media houses. All a ploy to make us remain
blindfolded to their looting, while their sponsored media houses keep making us
dancing to “bom-bom shaking music” with our eyes closed to the massive
corruptions and we remain in our suffering and smiling position as a nation
until the day the youths of this country will stand up, using the power of
music (to be massively aired on the radio and TV) and say “enough is enough”
Some might argue that, after all,
like many others too in the past, the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti that the world celebrates
today, in his life time also expressed sex suggesting terms in some of his
lyrical works. In fact, Fela was an addict and an unrepentant philanderer. What I have got to say
to that is: Yet, even spiritually reborn musicians, for example the gospel ones
still have immense lessons to deduce from the subject’s professional works, not
necessarily, all or some of the music messages, the live style or the deportment. But, I am talking about the
music compositional skill and the musical techniques (involved to play Fela’s
kind of music) that brought about what is today known as Afro-beat, played and
celebrated all over the world with many new evolving subgenres like Afro
beat-Gospel, Cuban-Afro beat etc. As a music pundit, I have a lot to learn from
Abami Eda’s musical gift, but noting to learn from that escapist artist who
lacks any formal or informal music training.
No human being is perfect, but at
least, if an artist records 12 tracks (which can rarely be found in today’s
Nigeria music) music album, professionalism demands all the 12 tracks not only being
messaged around womanizing, wining, dining, clubbing etc as it applies in
Nigeria music today, but also messages that suggest expertness in the area of
philosophy and poetry - should be included in the same album in order to
display not only artistic vastness, but also a common wisdom.
Is this an improvement?
A situation whereby your music work (No
matter how beautifully sound or how immense is the physical and financial
effort is invested to produce it) is never massively aired on the Nigerian radio/Tv
like the loose lyrics hip-hop music is promoted without the media personnel
accepting “payola” (backhander).
Do you call this a growth?
-
Any
Tom Dick and Harry can walk into any studio (even N3000 per session home
studios) and hastily come out with hurriedly garden-trucked electro-computer generated music in the
name of Afro hip-hop. This category of opportunists/chalatans (I find it
difficult to refer to them as musicians) majorly falls among the raring,
lazy-bone youths who takes preference in
rather looking for quick wealth other than taking a profession in another legitimately
productive field that he is truly passionate about.
The Nigerian music industry is now so structurally brainsick and ridicules embracing
that these set of mere entertainers don’t only become so enriched within few
months of producing wacky music out to the public to consume, but also become
celebrated legend within 4 months of opting for a career in music.
Do you define this as growth?
Out of population of close to or more than 200million Nigerians with the
beautiful female youths outnumbering her male counterpart, a Nigerian hip-hop
musician will still leave the shore of the country to other African countries
like Ghana, South-Africa etc to shoot music videos with the display of foreign women,
dancing in his music video. What could be wrong with the many beautiful ladies
in Nigeria, to be that that less qualified to grace many (though not all) of the
hip-hop artists’ music videos?
I am not being squawky or bellyaching
on these very lucky escapists, but I am rather being infelicitous that the
saboteurs have made messiness of the Nigeria music industry and they define it
as “growing” after all. Their prehensile plan is to make their money, leaving disarray
disorderliness and untidiness behind for the upcoming ones to inherit when
their time comes to take over. This is the definition of greed!
Is this called a growth?
-
It
is now so messed up for the trained musicians (the schooled, trained composers
and instrumentalists) that, apart from teaching and church employment music job,
the platform is just not there to go into the practice of playing live music
concert with full band musicians the way it should be played. Most of these
classes of trained musicians can’t descend so low to pantomiming. The only
people making the music money nowadays in the pantomiming practice are these
group of mediocres because the only sector where huge employment lies for the
youths is ONLY in the music industry. The dream of every young Nigerians is
just to be a musician. We have had a lot of the youths who (after studying a
different course) managed to graduate out of higher institution, but still end
up becoming hip-hop musician today. Some of them ended up as a musician after
getting tired of job hunting.
Is this a growth?
-
Truly
the Nigerian music has taken over many of the African countries radio/TV stations
broadcasting. But the questions are “What is the quality of the music or even
the artists that produces or performs this precipitously cooked music?” How trained are these so called artists and
judging from their music messages, what is their views about life? To them, is
life only about banquet and womanization? I bet you, not this bunch of scraps!
“Why can’t government create other jobs opportunity for people to go into,
other than we having every youths festinating into music today”? Law of return
will always take its cause. The Nigerian music industry can’t last if we
continue like this and some people define it as growth.
Is this the definition of music growth?
-
The
ones who control the industry now are the Alaba market pirates who won’t only
dictate to artist what to play as music before he can market, but will also dictate
to the media (after greasing some palms) what music it should promote.
-
Nigeria music is growing!! Indeed!!??
Yet apart from some erudite musicians like Femi Anikulapo Kuti, King Sunny Ade
etc that the western world (especially the Americas, France, UK) is aware of
their prime-professional works, none other Nigerian musician has ever been
nominated for the grammy. The world is watching and expressing mirth at our
current musicians’ preposterously compiled music works that some people (mostly
the opportunists and the unknowings)
will rather term as growth.
-
Today
the rulers of the Nigeria music industry are the radio/TV Djs and presenters
who dictates and control and even collect money from artists to air whatever he
present as music for him to broadcast
It will be of great exhilaration to
me, if I am not being misconstrued to being just a disputant of only the music
that is centered around vulgarity which our Nigeria so called Afro-hip-hop is,
but also music works that is so melancholically composed and morbidly produced
that you will have to consider a suicide as an option after listening to such
music. The latter defined artist’s work falls mostly among the untrained and sometimes
over-learned religious musicians.
I am not just a music critic as you
may define me, but an advocate of professionalism, good work, ethic and moral
value.
Lately I had a wind of the nominees
of some of these music awards and it was extremely laughable when music all
sounding the same in the genre of hip-hop and rap are termed as Afro music,
highlife, rock genres, soul blues etc. Need I be told that the current rulers
of the Nigerian music industry like these ones who put this award events
together do not really understand what “music genres” is, but only commercially
minded, hence they don’t give a damn about the quality of what the artists play
as music, provided “alaba” (pirates) is paying.
I won’t
define the current phenomenon of Nigeria music as growth until the business men
and women in the media stop celebrating the escapists who finds solace in music
when he should rather be doing something else.
I will never
define my music growth on Charlatans who doesn’t care the impact of his lewd
lyrics on the society but will say anything in his musical construction
provided money is forthcoming;
My mouth
shall never define Nigerian music as growth when the “yahooyahoo” fraudsters
who after making huge millions from internet scams, takes a run from financial
crime fighter to hide himself under being a musician;
My
definition of music growth is not predicated on the restless and raring youth
who can’t wait for ASSU strike to be over and go back to school, but will
rather jump into N3000 (three thousand naira studio) to mix-up some American feigned
English, called “rap”.
Until all
these mountebanks in their categories are stopped from being encouraged by the
media, then I can say truly the Nigerian music is grown.
The day
there will be a level playing ground for every Nigerian musician irrespective of
what genre of music you specialized on, and not all musicians being forced to
playing hip-hop music because your music won’t make any sense to the media if it
is not hip-hop, and then I can say truly the Nigerian music industry is
growing.
As a
musicologist, I will be so excited to be invited as a musician to a major
concert, entertaining with my full big-band group (like that of late Anikulapo
Kuti) and I am not only appreciated by Nigerian music fans, but also
financially compensated for the worth of my service. As a music fan, I will
like to attend Nigeria major music concert in order to enjoy serious music and
not to see the Nigerian musicians scamming me (off my huge thousands of hard
earned Naira paid for ticket) by pantomiming his music CDs played at the
background by the DJ at backstage, rather than performing live music with live
band for me to be entertained. Let ANY
ARTIST as we have them all around today leaving large in music, be so glorified
and be called by any dignifying name, I CAN NEVER, I mean “NEVER” pay N50
(fifty naira) to go and witness his 10 minutes CD miming performance/show, usually
organized by the Nigerian blue ship companies. The fan who honors such concerts
and will waste his/her time and money to listen to pantomiming artist has allowed
his/her self to be cheated. It is high time Nigerian music lovers woke up and
demand good/quality music in return for the money they used in buying music CDs
or sometimes pay for ticket to witness live music concerts. It is an insult to
me if I buy your music CD as a musician and I can’t learn anything positive
from even commonly the instrumentation (am not talking about computer 5minutes
sequenced instrumentation here, but professionally live performed
instrumentation), except a production that is monotonously mingled and produced
with immoral message.
No human
being will be able to give out what he doesn’t possess in his capacity. A
musician musical composition is like his/her mutual resemblance. The
images/lyrical content (message) of the crops of music that is being aired on
our radio/TV does not only largely displays the kind of mindset that the
majority of Nigerian youths possesses (as they make the majority of the music
artists we have around today), but also showcase how far they can reason and be
helpful to this politically and economically sinking country in its present
dilemma. If we currently have less than one percentage of Nigerian youths who is
committed to playing cautious music in order to correct the debasedness and
corruption of our current crop of political office holders then I can never
vouch the affairs of this country to be placed in its youths grasps, as they
are called leaders of tomorrow. Am not sorry to say this; They will mess it up
by using it to wine and dine; fornicate with women; sag their trousers and sacrifice
the coming generations future to the altar of regular clubbing.
After all,
what is the percentage of our students that genuinely passes above average
whenever the WASCE or any other O level exam is conducted? Didn’t one of the
ASSU leaders (A university Don and lecturer) recently affirmed that “Nigerian
graduate can’t write a common application letter, not to talk of speaking correct
English”
I don’t
entirely blame the youths who run out of school to the music, acting, modeling industry
in order to seek employment, after all, where is the job after graduating from
our glorified secondary school-higher institutions?
However, it
is high time the Nigeria Censors Board (NCB) that has all along being resting
on its horse in collaboration with Broadcasting Organization Of Nigeria (BOND)
and Independent Broadcasting Organization Of Nigeria (IBAN) and every other
relevant bodies, arose and get to work with the media houses; and all making
sure a capable music person is employed in to the media houses to scrutinize
every music that will go into its library. If this is done, the Nigeria music
industry will surely be sanitized and not botched up by “Ori en fon ka sibe”;
“Meji loya___, Okan lok_____” kind of music. The NCB or BOND should not be sluggish
to give the axe to any radio or TV stations who won’t comply with the media etiquette,
irrespective of whoever is the director of such organization.
Quoting that
Nigerian philosopher, Dr. Omazu in his column of guardian news paper, published
on Tuesday-12th.Novermber-2013, “The Media should serve as the
greatest instrument to cultivate culture and nation building”
In
conclusion, the current deviation in Nigerian music industry, can be defined as
a growth “only by” chop-chop music business enthusiasts in the classes of
charlatans, mediocres, escapists and opportunists who will do anything (not
only music, but even if it is prostitution, provided it will bring forth the
wherewithal) to make money. Not to take this write up to a halt half-arsed, I
will define the current position of Nigerian music face as celebration and encouragement
of otioseness, laziness, corruption and mediocrity. Not a growth or development
(whatever positive word the fifth columnist chooses), but in one word, mere
“ballyhoo”!
AUTOR: Adeola Gideon with the stage name
Horllar 19thingale is a musicologist, vocalist, music producer, composer and
instrumentalist. Resides in Lagos, Nigeria.
Mobile: 08038106010.
Email: st_gideon2001@yahoo.com
