Igbo traditional music is a genre that is deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of the Igbo people of Nigeria. It is characterized by the use of traditional instruments such as the ogene, ekwe, and udu, as well as call-and-response vocals. The music often tells stories of love, life, and social issues, and is accompanied by energetic dance moves. The genre has produced many notable bands and musicians, who have contributed to its popularity both within Nigeria and internationally.
Here is a list of notable Nigerian highlife musicians arranged in alphabetical order. This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness.
Sadly, the Igbo highlife sound, at least as we have known it, may be fading away. The great stylists - Osadebe, Warrior and Oliver de Coque - having passed on in the last few years. In their places have emerged a new crew - Eke Chima, Sunny Bobo and the like - who have numerous fans but offer a synthesizer-and-drum-machine-based style that's just a pale imitation of the classic sound, at least in my humble opinion.
In a future post I'll be discussing some of those new guys, but here I want to talk about some of the lesser-known musicians of the '70s and '80s, just a few of the journeymen who made the Igbo highlife scene of the time so vital and productive. In a way they're equivalent to the "garage bands" of the 1960s in the US, who toiled away in obscurity in hopes of someday scoring a regional hit. In the Nigerian case, some of these musicians put out numerous recordings and were quite popular. They just weren't in the top tier of the Igbo music scene.
Key Features of Igbo Highlife Music
- Lively and rhythmic melodies
- Use of guitar, trumpet, and other brass instruments
- Lyrics revolving around themes of love, social issues, and cultural values
- Celebratory and danceable nature
Throughout its history, Igbo highlife music has gone through several stylistic shifts and adaptations, incorporating influences from jazz, Afrobeat, and other genres. It has also played a significant role in the Nigerian music industry, contributing to the development of modern Nigerian popular music.
Read also: A History of Igbo Resistance
Igbo highlife holds deep cultural significance, acting as a repository of Igbo history, values, and identity. It continues to evolve in the modern era, with contemporary artists incorporating electronic and global influences while still staying rooted in its traditional essence.
Best of IGBO HighLife Music | IGBO Songs | Classic Old School Sounds
Top Five Igbo Highlife Music Composers
Here are five prominent Igbo traditional highlife composers:
- Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe: One of the best known and most influential Igbo highlife musician, popularly known for his 1984 hit "Osondi Owendi".
- Bright Chimezie: Also known as Zigima, a musician, composer, dancer and live performer, and the founder of Zigima sounds.
- Prince Nico Mbarga: A Cameroonian-Nigerian born highlife musician, known for his hit song "Sweet Mother", described as the best-selling song in history by an African recording artist.
- Ayaka Ozubulu: A Nigerian-born Igbo Highlife singer and songwriter, known for his energetic and widely appreciated songs.
- Dr. Sir Warrior: The leader of the Oriental Brothers International Band, famous in the Nigerian Igbo highlife music scene for several decades.
Igbo Highlife Music
Beyond the Top Tier: Lesser-Known Musicians
One such musician was Owerri-based Douglas Olariche, whose LP Me Soro Ibe (Fontana FTLP 109, 1980) makes inspired use of native xylophone and the Igbo ogene bell. The title track, whose title means "Let the World Let Me Follow My Mates," is basically a series of Igbo proverbs such as "a gift knows who wrapped it" strung together, while "Elele" sings the praises of various individuals such as a man who makes his living in the transport business and the Owerri highlife band the Imo Brothers:
Also of Owerri, the guitarist Joakin followed a similar career trajectory, scoring a number of regional hits in the mid '80s. In "Nwagbeye Ebezina," from the album of the same name (Sann SR 13, 1984), he sings "poor man's son, do not cry." The chorus is "nobody comes into this world with wealth." "Chikereuwu Buonye Ogbubbonjo," from the same LP, means "God the Creator is the Preventer of All Evils." Joakin calls on God to prevent evil. He also asks God to reveal what will happen to him:
Read also: "Beautiful" in Igbo: A guide to Igbo vocabulary
Ibealaoke Chukwukeziri's Anti Concord/Apama (Nigerphone NXLP 011, 1988) was one of the outstanding highlife releases of the '80s, combining traditional Igbo percussion and agile guitar work. The song "Anti Concord" is actually about Aunty Concord, the singer's betrothed, whom he questions about her sincerity. He asks, "you can see that I have many new cars and a great mansion. Is it me you love, or my wealth?" He goes on to sing that some women are like a beautiful present that a man takes home, only to find snakes and scorpions inside:
"Nara Ndomadu Chukwu" ("Accept God's Advice") tells the story of a young man named Augustine, a trader who has the opportunity to go abroad to buy goods to sell. He asks a prophetess at his local church for advice, who tells him not to go, then he asks a prophet, who tells him the same thing. He then goes to a traditional healer, who tells him to go abroad, but asks 1000 Naira for his advice. Augustine goes abroad and buys his goods, but when he comes home the Customs service check his parcels and find only newspapers inside. Augustine has lost all of his money. Now he sits in the village shooting small animals with a slingshot:
Finally we listen to Elvis Nzebude of Amagu, Anambra State. In "Ije Awele" ("Good Journey"), from the album of the same name (Rogers All Stars RASLPS 124, 1992), Elvis sings, "Ganiru, ganiru ("go forward"), we go where there is love, we go where there is peace, we go where there is respect. Because where there is respect there is peace. Let no one wish others death.
Traditional Igbo musical instruments: Ogene, Ekwe, and Udu
Here you can see the popularity of Igbo Traditional genre over time. Explore igbo traditional history by listening to songs from every decade. Here is a list of igbo traditional artists on Spotify, ranked based on popularity, who exemplifies the igbo traditional genre.
Read also: Voice Translation: Igbo to English
| Artist | Notable Song | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe | Osondi Owendi | 1984 |
| Prince Nico Mbarga | Sweet Mother | 1976 |
| Bright Chimezie | African Style | 1991 |
| Oliver De Coque | Biri Ka Mbiri | N/A |
| Dr. Sir Warrior | Iheoma | N/A |
Popular articles:
tags:
