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Popular music in nigeria.

By Ed Keazor

Traditional period

Nigeria is a diverse cosmopolitan nation with over 250 ethnic groups with largely distinct languages which influence individual musical styles.  Music was employed in Traditional societies for communal celebrations/social events, religious/ritual purposes and leisure/ entertainment.  The various forms of traditional music served as the popular music of early times.

The common instrumental voice employed by all ethnic groups was and is the leather skinned traditional drum. In Western Nigeria, there is the ‘Gangan’ (talking drum), the Bata, the massive Gbedu and Sakara drums.  In Northern Nigeria, the Kalangu (talking drum), the Tambari (kettle drum) and others. In Eastern Nigeria, the mighty Ikoro drum, the medium-sized Igba drum and the hollow clay bass pot (‘Udu’).  Many of these named drums were eponymous with the styles of music and dance they represented, e.g Kalangu music, Ikoro music and dance, the Bata dance and the Igba dance. Melodic instruments were employed alongside rhythmic instruments such as Ogene or Agogo (gongs), Ekpili or Shekere (shakers), the Ubo (Thumb Piano), Oja (traditional flute) and the elephant tusk trumpet, Kuntigi (traditional guitar), Goje (traditional harp) and trumpet (Kakaaki).

Post-Western Influence

In the mid-19th century, the Anglican Church established several Churches around the country which employed congregational hymns in worship. The hymns became popular musical themes in Nigerian society especially when Priest Josiah Ransome-Kuti (Grandfather of Fela Kuti) began to compose hymns in Yoruba language. He was invited to London in 1922 to record an album because of the popularity. Two streams of popular music, based on social status, existed at this time. Choral Music and Classical music became the favourite of wealthy, educated Nigerians in the late 19th and early 20th century. For the less wealthy, traditional music remained favourite. This changed with the advent of Brass Bands. Originally of the colonial police and army, they gained cross-over appeal when they adapted traditional tunes, exposing them to a larger audience. Civilian Brass Bands were soon formed, the most popular was the Calabar Brass Band (aka Lagos Mozart Orchestra).

Popular music history was made in 1925 when the first Nigerian popular music recordings were made separately by two Nigerians: Ladipo Solanke, lawyer and political activist, and Domingo Justus, an Afro-Brazilian. Both recorded albums of Yoruba folk songs.

One of the earliest and most revolutionary forms of popular music which cut across ethnic boundaries was palmwine guitar music. A fusion of Latin and Caribbean music with African traditional vocals which emerged in the 1920s, it spread across southern Nigeria with early stars like Irewolede Denge, Ayinde Bakare, The Three Night Wizards, Tunde King and later Julius Araba. Palmwine Music, however, occupied a lower social status, being the preference of the working class. At the time, the waltz, foxtrot and other dances were introduced into Nigeria by the colonials, with musical accompaniment by big band ensembles (mostly drawn from army and police personnel). These became the preserve of the high society. Later, the fusion of Palmwine Guitar and big band music gave rise to highlife music.

Highlife Music was the musical lingua franca of Anglophone West Africa from the 1940s onwards. In Nigeria a plethora of stars emerged: Bobby Benson, Ishola Willie Payne, E.C Arinze, Bala Miller, Victor Olaiya, Fatai Rolling Dollar etc. This coincided with the establishment of Phillips West Africa Records, Lagos, which began releasing albums from local artistes in the 1930s. This and the establishment of the Lagos rediffusion Service (the radio service) served to bring Highlife and other forms of popular music to a wider audience.

Other forms of popular music in this era include: rock and roll, soul, R&B and jazz, imports from the USA. Significantly, the first Nigerian to record a jazz album, August Agboola Browne, recorded in Poland in 1928. Jazz was a dominant musical force in the 1950s, with stars like Chris Ajilo (who recorded the first afrobeat track in the period), bassist Steve Rhodes, drummer Bayo Martins, trumpeters Mike Falana and a young Fela Kuti.

Contemporary Popular Music

This period witnessed the search for an indigenous musical identity, with highlife continuing its trajectory. A number of other indigenous styles formed:

Juju Music: This evolved in the 1930s as a fusion of palmwine guitar music and traditional Yoruba music and was the sound of urban western Nigeria. Stars emerged, such as Tunde Nightingale, S.F. Olowokere, I.K Dairo, Kayode Fashola etc. The most prominent were King Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey. Others include Shina Peters, Segun Adewale etc.

Afrobeat: The first Afrobeat track, ‘Ariwo’, was recorded by saxophonist Chris Ajilo in 1961. The genre was popularised by Fela Kuti with a series of ground-breaking releases from 1960 till his death in 1997. This brought him and the genre international acclaim. Fela’s contemporary Orlando Julius later enjoyed sustained international acclaim. Fela’s sons, Femi and Seun Kuti carry his legacy with individual imprints. Others include keyboardist and band-leader Dele Sosimi and vocalist Ade Bantu.

Afrofunk: The fusion of American funk with African rhythms and vocals, which emerged in the late 1960s, peaked in the late 1970s, with a renaissance in the late 1990s. The Strangers, Wrinkars Experience, Monomono, BLO, The Funkees and Boy Band Ofege were among the proponents. Included are jazz funk stars like keyboardist Gboyega Adelaja and percussionist Aleke Kanonu.

Fuji Music:  Fuji Music is an indigenous hybrid of Traditional Yoruba Music and Islamic chant, which had existed in previous forms as apala and sakara music. Fuji Music emerged in the 1970s with Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Kollington Ayinla, and a female artist Salawa Abeni. Other artists emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, such as Obesere and King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall , the latter is one of the biggest ever stars of any genre in Nigeria. Wasiu Alabi Pasuma followed.

Foreign Imports

Asides the indigenous hybrids, mainstream genres like reggae showed strongly between the 1970s and 1990s with artists like Cloud 7, Sunny Okosuns, Ras Kimono, Evi Edna Ogholi , Majek Fashek, Mandators, Tera Kota gaining international prominence. The advent of dancehall and ragga, saw the emergence of more contemporary stars like General Pype, Felix Duke, Kupa Victory, Burna Boy and Pato Ranking. However the most successful in this category would be the multiple award-winning 2Face Idibia, whose catalogue straddles several genres.

Nigeria has produced a long line of soul, pop and R&B acts influenced by American and some European superstars. These included 1970s artists Joe Nez, Segun Bucknor, Bongos Ikwue and Akeeb Kareem; 1980s heartthrobs, Kris Okotie, Jide Obi, Dizzy K Falola, Adu Deme and Mike Okri; as well female singers Mary Afi Usuah (who sang on Italian Spaghetti Westerns soundtracks in the 1960s) Onyeka Onwenu, Christie Essien, Funmi Davies.

In the new millennium, a new generation of stars emerged: D’Banj, Darey, Banky W , Asa , Sound Sultan , P-Square , Wande Coal , Flavour , Davido, WizKid , Bez, Tiwa Savage , Omawumi , Waje etc.

Rap/Hip-hop

The biggest musical phenomenon of the new millennium was Nigerian hip-hop, which became an international brand. It started in 1981 with an experimental recording by Radio Jockey Ron Ekundayo, followed by the first hip-hop album released in 1988 by Sound on Sound, consisting of Americans Scratch, Mr Kool and Jedi and Nigerian singers Ebony Olaoye and Monica Omorodion. The 1990s saw the emergence of a home-grown brand, consisting of rap in ‘Pidgin English’, with the two pioneers being the groups Emphasis and the duo Junior and Pretty in 1991. From this spawned a revolution that exploded in the new millennium, with a succession of artists such as the group Remedies, Trybesmen and Maintain, and solo artists Eldee, Olu Maintain, Tony Tetuila and Eedris Abdulkareem. Later came Jazzman Olofin, Ikechukwu, Naeto C , Sasha P, Sauce Kid, Ice Prince , M.I, Jesse Jagz , Ill Bliss . Most of the early artists were on Obi Asika’s Storm Records.

The new millennium saw artists expressing their art in local languages, using indigenous genres, such as highlife and even decale. These included Lord of Ajasa, Mr Raw, MC Loph, DaGrin, 9ice and notable new sensations Olamide , Phyno and Reminisce.

Behind the sound of the millennium

A number of people are behind Nigeria’s new popular music paradigm. The first, DJs, are the silent heroes of Nigerian Hip-hop. DJ Jimmy Jatt was responsible for scouting some of the earliest Hip-hop talent in Nigeria for pioneer labels. DJ Howie Tee famously discovered P-Square. Producers are another group that have defined the new Nigerian sound, with some releasing albums. They include Don Jazzy , WizBoy, OJB Jezreel, Omololu, Sarz, Sheyi Akerele, the legendary Beatz duo of Ozezi and Okiemute Oniko, and Doyinsola Adeshola.

• Asika, Obi. 'Nigerian Soft Power'. Presentation at '90 years of Nigerian Popular Music', a Music In Africa event
• Ikonne, Uchenna . Nigerian Popular Music in the 1980s. Presentation at '90 years of Nigerian Popular Music', a Music In Africa event
• Idonije, Benson. 'Nigerian Popular Music 1930-1960s'. Presentation at '90 years of Nigerian Popular Music', a Music In Africa event
• Keazor, Ed. 'The Nigerian Afro-Funk Chronicles'.
• Ikonne, Uchenna ' Nigerian Rap (The first decade 1981-1991)'
• Keazor, Ed. 'The History of Nigerian Jazz'

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World Music Central

Nigerian music.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is located in western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon.

Nigerian Musical Genres

Afrobeat – One of Nigeria’s most influential musical genres since the 1970s is Afrobeat. It’s a fusion of highlife, jazz, and Nigerian African percussion characterized by frequent jams, abundant percussion and the use of brass. The most famous artist in this category was Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.

Fela Kuti was the creator of Afrobeat. In the late 1960s, Fela was performing highlife combined with jazz. His electric bass lines emulated the large African drums. Another innovation Fela Kuti added to his dance music was the introduction of the piano and electric organ . According to Fela’s conga player Daniel Koranteng (a.k.a. JB) in the book Fela: Kalakuta Notes , the term Afrobeat was coined in 1969 when Fela met Stan Plange of the Uhurus and promoter Raymond Azziz in Accra (Ghana). Fela told them he wanted to change the name of his music from jazz-highlife to something else. Stan Plange told him: “ Fela, you used to raise your shirt collar like an ‘Afro’ guy so call your music Afrobeat .”

Since the 1990s, Afrobeat has experienced a resurgence of jam bands in Nigeria, Europe and the United States of America. Some of them include Antibalas, Akoya, Afromotion, as well as Fela’s children, Seun Kuti and Femi Kuti, and former bandmate Tony Allen.

Apala – Vocal and percussion style that combines Muslim proverbs and traditional folk music.

Fuji – Acoustic music that features various types of drums and percussion: talking drums, sakara, batá, bells and shekere.

Juju music – Juju music comes originally from southern Nigeria. This genre, made popular by artists like King Sunny Ade, the late I.K. Dairo, Ebenezer Obey & Sir Shina Peters, makes a clever fusion of traditional drumming with modern instruments like guitars, synthesizers and saxophones.

Nigerian musicians:

Babatunde Olatunji Bola Abimbola D’banj Fela Kuti Femi Kuti I. K. Dairo King Sunny Ade Lagbaja Majek Fashek Seun Kuti Sikiru Adepoju Sola Akingbola

From Nigeria to the world: Afrobeats is having a global moment

Research Fellow, Rhodes University

Disclosure statement

Garhe Osiebe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Rhodes University provides funding as a partner of The Conversation AFRICA.

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Another Grammy Awards season and there is a growing list of African nominees. For African music enthusiasts, it is heartwarming that recognition is being accorded to practitioners in the Afrobeats space.

Afrobeat and Afrobeats , although related, are quite distinct . Afrobeats is the genre that emerged when West African pop music became cool. Its origins coincide with the media liberalisation that accompanied the “final” wave of democratisation in Africa from 1999. More than this, it is a convenient term for Europe to refer to music coming out of Africa, distinct from Euro-American pop.

Afrobeat, on the other hand, is what Nigerian music icon Fela Anikulapo-Kuti called his invention, which blended jazz, funk, psychedelic rock and traditional West African chant and rhythms in the early 1970s. Afrobeat typically bears messages of liberation.

There is a relationship between Afrobeats and Afrobeat; indeed, an overlap between Fela’s music, lifestyle and message and today’s Afrobeats practice.

West African musicians (like King Sunny Ade , Femi Kuti , Seun Kuti and Rocky Dawuni ) have been nominated for or won ( Angelique Kidjo ) Grammy Awards for several years. But it took an album richly intertwined with Fela’s essence for an Afrobeats artist to earn the same.

Burna Boy ’s African Giant (2019) paved the way for Afrobeats at the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020 through a nomination for Best World Music Album. Afrobeats eventually had its big moment a year later at the 2021 Grammy Awards where his Twice as Tall (2020) was named Best Global Music Album.

The nomination of Wizkid ’s Made in Lagos (2021) for the same category this year makes it the third time in succession that Afrobeats is being recognised at the Grammys. Wizkid’s Essence, featuring Tems, is also in the reckoning for Best Global Music Performance.

Afrobeats is having a big transnational and transatlantic moment, and I’ve considered some of the factors driving it.

The diaspora

Pop musicians from other parts of the continent have been making music under the Afrobeats banner, but it is the Nigerians Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy who have each sold out The O2 arena in London or the Accor Arena in Paris. Undoubtedly, Nigerian artists are the trailblazers of the Afrobeats movement.

Nigeria’s over 200 million-strong population comprises a middle class that ranks among the world’s most migrated. There are Nigerian populations in many parts of the world, owing to the country’s infrastructural challenges and high level of unemployment . Artists are not exempt from this exodus, although success can give them the means to return home.

Consequently, contemporary Nigerian culture – Afrobeats included – is a culture very much on the move. If the artists are not between cities, the consumers are. Members of the Nigerian diaspora are enthusiastic about the experience of a concert with their favourite Afrobeats stars.

A similar logic extends to the culture of downloads and streams. While streaming is unaffordable for many in Nigeria, the diaspora Nigerian is able to afford streaming. So, the poor state of Nigerian infrastructure actually promotes the evolution and propagation of Afrobeats.

Dance videos

Related to this is the culture of dance videos – challenges and general routines – orchestrated by Afrobeats artistes across social media platforms that have contributed greatly to the unprecedented global rise of Afrobeats.

The explosion of these dance videos on TikTok, for example, demonstrates that language is no barrier to the acceptance and popularity of the music. CKay’s Love Nwantiti (2019) became the most Shazamed song in the world thanks to the love it garnered on TikTok . ( Shazam is an app that identifies songs.) At the height of its popularity, TikTok and Instagram users were making more than 10 million videos a week using the song.

More recently, Finesse (2022) by Pheelz and Buju also emerged among the most Shazamed songs in the world.

Collaborations

The collaborations by Afrobeats artistes with the biggest music stars in the world have made for further global exposure.

For The Lion King: The Gift (2019), US star Beyoncé did the unprecedented by enlisting the services of numerous Afrobeats stars, including Wizkid and Burna Boy. Her Brown Skin Girl featuring Wizkid won Best Music Video at the 2021 Grammys.

A Grammy nominee again this year, the multilingual Angelique Kidjo from Benin is a past winner on four occasions. She cannot be said to be an Afrobeats artist. Yet her recognition of the genre means that she has had to co-opt some of its brighter stars in her most recent work.

Kidjo’s latest album, Mother Nature (2021), nominated for Best Global Music Album, features a host of Afrobeats stars including Burna Boy, Mr Eazi, Rexxie and Yemi Alade. Kidjo’s choice of direction is testament to the growth and recognition that Afrobeats has recorded recently.

The category of Best African Act was introduced at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2005 while the Best International Act: Africa premiered at the 2011 edition of the BET Awards. These were landmarks pointing to an African pop music unable to be confined within Africa anymore. They also represented an improved opportunity for high profile exposure. In 2012, meanwhile, D’banj’s Oliver Twist charted at No. 9 on the UK singles chart and at No. 2 on the UK R&B chart, making it the first Afrobeats song to so do.

The sustained success of Afrobeats songs in the UK and in continental Europe eventually led to the launch of the UK’s first Afrobeats music radio station, The Beat London 103.6 FM , in 2016. It presents Afrobeats as a major genre rather than a side offering.

To date, the most streamed song of all time is One Dance, an Afrobeats song by Drake, with a cameo from Wizkid which has surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify. This is a reflection of the boost Afrobeats artists stand to get from working with American pop stars.

Wizkid’s Essence, featuring Tems, charted in the top ten of the Billboard 100 after a remix with Justin Bieber. In order to rank the top 50 Afrobeats songs in the US based on streaming, airplay and physical sales, Billboard is partnering with festival company Afro Nation, this year, to launch America’s first ever Afrobeats chart . This buttresses Afrobeats as the fastest growing genre in American pop culture.

In the words of Afrobeats star CKay, Afrobeats is the new pop. It’s the next sound that consumers and major labels are looking for. Afrobeats is a conglomeration of many influences from hip-hop, R&B, reggae, fuji, juju, apala, galala, konto, lamba, makossa, soukous, amapiano etc. The core of this music is the percussion, the aggressive drums, snares, shakers and the sometimes chaotic sound mixes.

Global acceptance

Musicians typically desire to have a global reach. The importance of America as the world’s entertainment capital guarantees that for the average artist, acceptance in America is tantamount to global acceptance. The Grammy Awards represents the ultimate recognition in music. The categories of Best Global Music Album and Best Global Music Performance thus represent the best opportunities for many artists from outside the US to reinforce their global success.

The quest for global relevance of the Afrobeats movement is further signposted by the announcement that the next edition of The Headies – an awards show dedicated to celebrating excellence in Afrobeats – is scheduled to be held in Atlanta, Georgia, later this year. It is the first time in 15 editions that the annual awards show will be held outside Nigeria.

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The history and evolution of music in nigeria.

Last Updated on January 26, 2024

Introduction

In this blog post, we will explore the captivating history and evolution of music in Nigeria.

Nigerian music has had a profound impact on a global scale, influencing various genres and artists worldwide.

The purpose of this blog post is to delve into the rich musical heritage of Nigeria, tracing its roots, examining its growth and transformation, and exploring its significance in today’s music industry.

Traditional Nigerian Music

Traditional Nigerian music has a rich history that dates back centuries.

It is deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of the indigenous people of Nigeria.

The diverse musical traditions of various ethnic groups in Nigeria highlight the cultural importance of music in Nigerian traditional societies.

The Rich History of Indigenous Nigerian Music

• Indigenous Nigerian music has been passed down through generations, serving as a means of communication and cultural preservation.
• Traditional music in Nigeria has its origins in ancient times, with the use of instruments such as drums, flutes, and stringed instruments.
• Oral traditions play a significant role in the preservation and transmission of indigenous Nigerian music, ensuring its continuity.

Diverse Musical Traditions of Various Ethnic Groups in Nigeria

• Nigeria is home to over 250 ethnic groups, each with its unique musical traditions and styles.
• The Hausa people have a rich musical heritage, known for their traditional instruments like the “goge” and “kakaki.”
• The Yoruba people are famed for their intricate drumming techniques and use of the “bata” drum in their traditional music.
• The Igbo people are known for their vibrant masquerade festivals, accompanied by the sounds of “ogene” and “ekwe” instruments.
• Other ethnic groups like the Ibibio, Efik, and Tiv also have distinct musical styles and instruments.

The Cultural Importance of Music in Nigerian Traditional Societies

• Music plays a vital role in various aspects of Nigerian traditional societies, including religious ceremonies, festivals, and rites of passage.
• Traditional music serves as a medium to express emotions, convey messages, and tell stories about the history and cultural heritage of the Nigerian people.
• It fosters a sense of community and strengthens social bonds, promoting unity and cooperation among community members.
• Nigerian traditional music often accompanies dance performances, adding rhythm and energy to the celebrations and rituals.

In fact, traditional Nigerian music has a deep-rooted history and significance in Nigerian society.

It showcases the diverse musical traditions of different ethnic groups, highlighting the cultural richness and diversity of Nigeria.

Through its various forms and styles, traditional music in Nigeria continues to be an integral part of cultural expression and societal cohesion.

Read: How to Become a Successful Artists’ Agent in Nigeria

Early Influences on Nigerian Music

In the early years, Nigerian music was heavily influenced by colonialism.

The introduction of Western musical elements to Nigeria had a profound impact on the country’s music scene.

Traditional Nigerian music began to blend with Western influences, creating a unique and rich musical tradition.

Impact of Colonialism on Nigerian Music

• Colonialism brought foreign cultural practices to Nigeria, including Western music.
• Christian missionaries played a significant role in introducing Western music to Nigeria.
• Traditional Nigerian music was often suppressed by colonial authorities.
• Colonial rule led to the decline of certain traditional Nigerian musical practices.
• Despite the negative impact, colonialism also created opportunities for Nigerian musicians to learn Western music.

Introduction of Western Musical Elements to Nigeria

• Western musical instruments such as the piano, guitar, and trumpet were introduced to Nigeria.
• Western music notation and composition techniques were taught in schools and churches.
• Brass bands became popular, showcasing Western musical styles and instruments.
• Western hymns and songs were translated into local Nigerian languages.
• The introduction of Western musical elements broadened the scope of Nigerian music.

Blending of Traditional and Western Influences in Early Nigerian Music

• Nigerian musicians began incorporating Western instruments into traditional music performances.
• Traditional Nigerian rhythms and melodies were fused with Western harmonies.
• Vocal styles from traditional music were adapted to fit Western musical structures.
• Traditional Nigerian percussion instruments, such as the talking drum, were combined with Western drums.
• The blending of traditional and Western influences resulted in a unique hybrid music style.

Early Nigerian music was a product of the colonial era, with both positive and negative effects.

The introduction of Western musical elements expanded the range of musical expression in Nigeria and created opportunities for Nigerian musicians to learn new techniques and styles.

However, colonialism also had a detrimental impact on traditional Nigerian music, leading to its suppression and decline in certain areas.

Despite these challenges, Nigerian musicians managed to blend traditional and Western influences, creating a distinctive musical tradition that continues to evolve.

The integration of Western instruments, harmonies, and composition techniques with traditional rhythms, melodies, and vocal styles resulted in a vibrant and diverse music scene.

Today, Nigerian music is known for its fusion of different genres, including Afrobeat, Highlife, Juju, and Afro-pop. These genres showcase the rich history and evolution of music in Nigeria.

Read: Steps to Becoming a Successful Music Publisher in Nigeria

Emergence of Highlife Music

Highlife music, a genre that originated in Ghana, emerged in Nigeria during the 20th century.

It was characterized by a fusion of Ghanaian and Nigerian music, resulting in a unique sound that captivated audiences.

The emergence of highlife music in Nigeria in the 20th century

The development of highlife music in Nigeria can be traced back to the early 1900s when Ghanaian musicians migrated to Nigeria.

They brought with them their traditional rhythmic patterns and melodies, which eventually blended with Nigerian musical elements.

The fusion of Ghanaian and Nigerian music in the development of highlife

One of the key factors behind the popularity of highlife music was its ability to appeal to both the elites and the masses.

It had elements of Western music, such as jazz and swing, while also incorporating African rhythms and melodies. This fusion created a sound that was both sophisticated and accessible.

Highlife music gained momentum in the 1930s with the introduction of modern instruments like the guitar, trumpet, saxophone, and drums.

These instruments added a distinct flavor to the music, making it more vibrant and energetic.

Key highlife artists and their contributions

Several Nigerian musicians played a crucial role in shaping the highlife genre. One of them was E.T. Mensah, a Ghanaian musician who relocated to Nigeria in the 1940s.

He is often referred to as the “King of Highlife” and his band, The Tempos, became one of the most influential highlife bands in West Africa.

Another notable figure in the development of highlife music was Bobby Benson. He was a Nigerian musician who blended elements of jazz and highlife, creating a unique style that resonated with audiences.

Benson’s band, Bobby Benson and His Jam Session Orchestra, became famous for their energetic performances and catchy melodies.

Other key highlife artists include Victor Olaiya, Rex Lawson, and Sir Victor Uwaifo.

Each of these musicians made significant contributions to the genre, either through their innovative compositions or their exceptional performances.

Highlife music continued to evolve throughout the 20th century, incorporating influences from various genres.

It reached its peak of popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, with highlife bands performing in clubs, dance halls, and even on national radio stations.

However, with the rise of other genres like Afrobeat and juju music in the 1970s, highlife music began to decline in popularity.

In essence, the emergence of highlife music in Nigeria in the 20th century was a result of the fusion between Ghanaian and Nigerian music.

It captivated audiences with its unique blend of Western and African influences and played a vital role in shaping the Nigerian music scene.

Artists like E.T. Mensah, Bobby Benson, Victor Olaiya, Rex Lawson, and Sir Victor Uwaifo made significant contributions to the genre, leaving a lasting legacy.

Read: Creating a Winning Demo Reel for Voice Actors in Nigeria

The Rise of Juju Music

Juju music, a popular genre in Nigeria during the mid-20th century, emerged as a unique fusion of traditional Yoruba music and modern influences.

It was a significant development in the history and evolution of Nigerian music.

Popularity of Juju Music in the Mid-20th Century

• The 1940s and 1950s witnessed the rise of juju music as a dominant genre in Nigeria.
• This popularity can be attributed to the energetic and danceable nature of juju music.
• The catchy melodies, pulsating rhythms, and infectious beats of juju music captivated audiences across the country.
• During the mid-20th century, juju music became the soundtrack of celebrations, parties, and social gatherings.
• Its popularity extended beyond Nigeria, gaining recognition and acclaim in neighboring West African countries.
• Well-known juju bands toured extensively, bringing the euphoria and joy of the music to different cities and towns.
• Record sales soared, and juju music dominated the airwaves, further cementing its place in Nigerian music culture.

Influence of Traditional Yoruba Music on Juju Music

Juju music draws heavily from its roots in traditional Yoruba music, incorporating various elements to create its distinctive sound.

• Traditional Yoruba rhythms, such as apala, bata, and sakara, form the foundation of juju music.
• The talking drum, a key instrument in Yoruba music, plays a prominent role in juju music arrangements.
• Juju musicians often sing in Yoruba, preserving the cultural and linguistic identity of the music.
• The use of call-and-response vocal patterns, characteristic of Yoruba music, adds an interactive and participatory aspect to juju performances.
• Traditional Yoruba instruments like the sekere, agidigbo, and shekere are also featured in juju music compositions.

Key Juju Music Artists and Their Impact on Nigerian Music

Several legendary artists have contributed to the growth and development of juju music in Nigeria, leaving an indelible mark on the country’s music history.

• Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, popularly known as “Obey,” played a pivotal role in popularizing juju music.
• His unique guitar style, captivating vocals, and socially conscious lyrics resonated with audiences.
• King Sunny Ade, another iconic figure in Nigerian music, revolutionized juju music by introducing modern electric instruments.
• With his band, the African Beats, King Sunny Ade became a global ambassador of juju music.
• Dr. Orlando Owoh, known for his distinct vocal delivery and mastery of various Yoruba music styles, contributed immensely to the evolution of juju music.
• Other notable juju musicians include Shina Peters, Segun Adewale, and Sir Shina Adewale.
• The influence of these artists transcends juju music, inspiring subsequent generations of Nigerian musicians.

Basically, the rise of juju music in Nigeria during the mid-20th century showcased the country’s rich musical heritage and its ability to adapt and evolve.

By blending traditional Yoruba music with contemporary influences, juju music captivated audiences and became an integral part of Nigerian music culture .

The contributions of legendary juju music artists continue to resonate and shape the Nigerian music landscape.

Read: Emerging Trends in Music Publishing in Nigeria

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Afrobeat and Fela Kuti

Afrobeat music emerged in Nigeria in the 1970s, gaining popularity both locally and globally.

Fela Kuti played a significant role in popularizing this genre, while also conveying powerful political and social messages through his music.

• Emergence of Afrobeat: In the 1970s, Nigeria experienced a musical revolution with the emergence of Afrobeat.
• Fusion of Styles: Afrobeat blended traditional Nigerian music with jazz, highlife, funk, and Western influences.
• Influences: Fela Kuti, the pioneer of Afrobeat, drew inspiration from James Brown, Miles Davis, and traditional Nigerian rhythms.
• Fela Kuti’s Contribution: Fela Kuti’s innovative sound and charismatic personality played a vital role in popularizing Afrobeat.
• Unique Sound: Afrobeat’s distinct sound was characterized by complex polyrhythms, powerful horn sections, and prominent bass lines.
• Political and Social Commentary: Fela Kuti used Afrobeat as a platform for expressing political and social messages.
• Fela’s Activism: Fela Kuti was an outspoken critic of Nigeria’s corrupt government and advocated for human rights and social justice.
• International Recognition: Fela’s powerful lyrics and energetic performances resonated globally, earning him international acclaim.
• Musical Structure: Afrobeat songs typically consisted of long instrumental introductions, followed by Fela’s poetic lyrics in Pidgin English.
• Conscious Lyrics: Fela’s songs addressed issues such as government oppression, poverty, and the exploitation of the Nigerian people.
• Impact of Afrobeat: Afrobeat became a symbol of resistance and cultural pride for many Nigerians and Africans worldwide.
• Influence on Future Generations: Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat laid the foundation for future genres like Afrofunk, Afrobeats, and Nigerian pop music.
• Legacy: Fela Kuti’s legacy as a musical and political icon continues to inspire artists and activists globally.
• Recognition and Honors: Fela received numerous awards posthumously, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Modern Nigerian Music

In the last few decades, Nigerian music has undergone a remarkable evolution, reflecting the country’s diverse cultural heritage and global influences.

This evolution has given rise to a wide range of exciting genres and sub-genres, which have left an indelible mark on the global music industry.

Evolution of Nigerian Music

• Traditional Nigerian music has evolved to incorporate contemporary elements.
• New musical styles, such as afrobeat, afropop, and highlife, emerged in the late 20th century.
• Nigerian artists began infusing their music with Western influences, creating a fusion of styles.
• Advancements in technology, such as the proliferation of recording studios, contributed to the growth of Nigerian music.
• The emergence of music videos and the internet further propelled the popularity of Nigerian music.

Genres and Sub-genres

Modern Nigerian music encompasses an array of genres and sub-genres, offering something for every musical taste.

Some notable genres include:

• Afrobeat: Combines traditional Nigerian rhythms with elements of jazz, funk, and highlife.
• Afropop: Blends African beats with Western pop music, creating a catchy and danceable sound.
• Highlife: Originating from Ghana, this genre became popular in Nigeria, characterized by upbeat melodies and brass instruments.
• Juju: A Yoruba music style that incorporates elements of traditional percussion, guitar, and talking drums.
• Naija hip-hop: Nigerian artists fuse hip-hop with Nigerian rhythms and lyrics, creating a distinct style.

Influence on the Global Music Industry

Nigerian music has had a significant impact on the global music industry, elevating the country’s cultural presence and attracting international recognition.

Here are some ways Nigerian music has influenced the global scene:

• Afrobeats, a contemporary fusion of African music styles, gained popularity worldwide, with Nigerian artists at the forefront.
• Nigerian music festivals, such as the Lagos Music Festival, have attracted international performers and music enthusiasts.
• Artists like Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, and Burna Boy have garnered global acclaim and influenced musicians across the globe.
• Nigerian musicians collaborated with international artists, promoting cultural exchange and diversifying music styles.
• The vibrant Nigerian music industry has become a source of inspiration and a reference point for creativity in global music.

All in all, modern Nigerian music has experienced a dynamic evolution, showcasing the country’s rich cultural heritage and embracing global influences.

With its diverse genres and sub-genres, Nigerian music continues to captivate audiences worldwide and shape the global music industry.

This blog post has provided an insight into the history and evolution of music in Nigeria.

We have seen how Nigerian music has evolved from traditional sounds to incorporate various genres like Highlife, Juju, Afrobeat, and contemporary Afrobeats.

The significance of Nigerian music’s history and evolution cannot be overstated. It is not just a form of entertainment but also a reflection of the rich cultural heritage and identity of the Nigerian people.

Nigerian music has transcended borders and gained global recognition, showcasing the talent and creativity of Nigerian artists.

As readers, it is important for us to explore and appreciate Nigerian music. By doing so, we not only connect with the vibrant sounds and rhythms but also support and promote Nigerian musicians on a global platform.

Nigerian music has the power to inspire, uplift, and unite people from diverse backgrounds, fostering cultural exchange and understanding.

So, let us delve deeper into the world of Nigerian music, listen to the melodies, and dance to the beats.

Let us appreciate the history and evolution of Nigerian music as a testament to the resilience and creativity of the Nigerian people.

Nigerian music has a story to tell, and it is up to us to listen and celebrate its greatness.

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Nigerian music

Oct 30, 2014

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Your #1 Urban Nigeria & West Africa Lifestyle Hub We provide you the very best in West African Music, Fashion & Style, Daily Inspiration & Political commentary. http://idey.me/

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Nigerian music African fashion

Your #1 Urban Nigeria & West Africa Lifestyle Hub We provide you the very best in West African Music, Fashion & Style, Daily Inspiration & Political commentary. About us:- Website:- http://idey.me/

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Nigeria Music

Nigeria music nigeria is simply strongly believed to be among probably the most music loving country and it is the only country where musicians sing nearly – powerpoint ppt presentation.

• Naijavibe is one of the most popular pop culture websites of Nigeria that is proved to be the most visited entertainment and music website. According to Google Analytics, in less than 2 years period, this website has secured almost 1.5 million page views per month which results in almost 100,000 page views each day. Based on this fact, the website receives almost 400,000 unique viewers each month and 10,000 unique viewers each day.
• Naijavibe provides pop culture wardens with the latest music, movies, celebrity news, press updates, opportunities, fashion, beauty, concerts and shows focusing mainly on Nigerian super cool entertainment industry that so exciting. This website also provides a platform for people and advertisers to promote their brands, services and events to a wide range of customers more effectively.
• This platform is made available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week all year long so that each and every visitor can access the features provided by the website at any time. To maximize the availability and accessibility of all the services, this website is made mobile friendly, so that people can simply use any browser on their mobile phones to view the web contents.
• Nigerian Music
• Nigerian music is mostly based on the multitudes of ethnic groups of the country. Each of these groups use their own unique techniques, instruments and songs to generate their music. Some of the Nigerian folk and popular music are famous worldwide. Nigerian traditional music are often functional which means that they are performed to notify different rituals such as marriages and funerals rather than performed to achieve an artistic goal. Nigerians also frequently play traditional work music. These music are believed to maintain synchronization between workers that result in more efficient work output. Different people use different work music based on their work requirements. More complex rhythms are used in in housekeeping tasks.
• Most internationally recognized Nigerian musician and composer, Olufela (Fela) Obafunmilayo Sowande, is regarded as the father of modern music in Nigeria. This is because his works marked the beginning of a new era for Nigerian Art Music. Afrobeat is regarded as the closest music associated with Nigeria, although it is commonly found across West Africa. Some of the other popular music found here are Igbo rap, Apala, Fuji, Jùjú, Afro-juju, Waka and Yo-pop.
• Nigeria has many captivating musical instruments that are used to tune their unique traditional music. Each of these instruments carry their unique value and role in shaping the Nigerian music history. Some of the most famous instruments used are Udu, Batá drum, Kakaki, Ogene, Xalam, Omele, Sekere, Sakara, Djembe, Gangan, Ekwe, Agidigbo, Kontigi and Gbedu. The instruments are not just limited to these, as the music industry is flourishing more and more modern instruments are being used to improve their

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In the Nigeria Pavilion, Criticism Meets Optimism

The group show “Nigeria Imaginary” will be one of the most ambitious African presentations ever at the Venice Biennale.

By Siddhartha Mitter

Reporting from Lagos, Nigeria

People in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, are hardly shy. The stereotype runs toward boisterousness, worn as a point of pride. But when the artist and poet Precious Okoyomon recorded interviews with some 60 city residents in January for an art project, the unusual questions — like “Who was responsible for the suffering of your mother?” — proved disarming.

Okoyomon is based in Brooklyn, but lived in Lagos as a child and still visits there frequently. The artist was collecting material for a sonic and sculptural installation that will be presented in the Nigeria Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale . The event, one of the art world’s most important, opens for previews next week and to the public on April 20.

Okoyomon’s steel-framed structure, erected in a courtyard, imagines a kind of radio tower, decked with bells and colonized by creeping vines. Motion sensors on the tower activate a soundtrack: It will play in the courtyard and also online, for anyone to tune in. It mixes poems by Okoyomon with music and passages from those interviews, whose respondents range from fellow artists to “strangers, someone’s cook, someone’s auntie,” Okoyomon said.

After some wary first reactions to the intimate 12-question protocol (adapted from another poet, Bhanu Kapil ), the conversations grew vulnerable and real, Okoyomon said. The resulting sound piece, was “a kind of speaking in tongues,” as if tapping the unconscious of the city, Okoyomon added.

Okoyomon is a Venice veteran: In 2022, the artist presented a major installation in the Biennale’s main exhibition . But this year Okoyomon is one of the eight lauded artists to represent Nigeria in the country’s second-ever Venice pavilion — one of still relatively few African presentations at the Biennale, and one of the most ambitious in concept and scale.

Titled “Nigeria Imaginary,” the pavilion fills a semi-restored palazzo in the Dorsoduro district with projects that cast an oblique but pointed look at history. One is Yinka Shonibare’s exacting clay replicas of 150 of the Benin Bronzes that a British expeditionary force plundered in 1897; they accompany a bust of the raid’s British commander painted in batik patterns and placed in a vitrine, a kind of symbolic restitution awaiting the real thing.

In the most contemporary reference, a sculpture by Ndidi Dike made of 700 police-grade batons, together with photographs from mass protests against Nigerian police violence in 2020 — and their bloody repression — link popular struggles in the country to the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States, Britain and Brazil.

Other projects — by Tunji Adeniyi-Jones , Onyeka Igwe , Abraham Oghobase , Toyin Ojih Odutola and Fatimah Tuggar — span drawing and painting, video and photography, even A.I. and augmented reality. They suggest fresh ways for Nigerians, and also the world, to think of the country — a behemoth of some 220 million people that is often dismissed as a place of crisis or corruption.

Thus Ojih Odutola’s charcoal and pastel works on linen stage free-spirited, gender-flexible characters in a setting inspired by Mbari houses, once built for ritual in southeastern Nigeria; a linked reference is the Mbari Club , which gathered Nigerian artists and writers in the 1960s. “I wanted the space to exist very open and free,” said Ojih Odutola, who is based in New York and Alabama, of the suite of drawings. In her imagined Nigeria, she added, creativity “is safe; it has room to roam; it has the right to change, to be mercurial.”

Adeniyi-Jones, who was raised in Britain and now lives in Brooklyn, has produced an overhead painting influenced by Nigerian Modernist artists and Italian ornamental tradition that will hang below the palazzo ceiling.

Oghobase, who works in photography and installations and is newly living in Canada, examines resource extraction in northern Nigeria through original and archival images plus diagrams from a vintage mining treatise.

Tuggar, who teaches at the University of Florida, considers the humble calabash gourd — a fruit with myriad traditional uses in West Africa, from drinking vessel to musical instrument to fishing float — in an installation that uses augmented reality to visualize alternatives to plastics and other consumer products.

And Onyeka Igwe , who lives in Britain, researched the Nigerian Film Unit , which produced films during the colonial period. Its archive in Lagos became neglected, and when Igwe visited, she said, “there were lots of stopped clocks; it was full of rotting reels.” Igwe’s film “ No Archive Can Restore You ,” studies this derelict space; a sound installation of speeches, poems and choral music then fills the room differently — hinting that colonial archives may be more burden than resource, crowding out other ways to connect with history.

To organize a national pavilion at the Biennale is itself a kind of history intervention. The pavilion system dates to the early 20th century and maps a hierarchy. There are permanent pavilions owned by around 30 mostly wealthy countries in the gardens where much of the Biennale takes place, many with distinguished architecture. Other countries present their pavilion in one-off spaces, some wedged into the Biennale’s other major exhibition complex in the Arsenale, others scattered around town.

The African presence has been slender and uneven . (Stories abound of slapdash pavilions underfunded by governments or handed to dubious foreign impresarios.) But recently, it has grown in numbers and rigor. In 2013, Angola won the Golden Lion for best pavilion. Nigeria’s first and only prior pavilion — a solid but smaller affair than this year’s — came in 2017. In 2019, Ghana presented a star-studded show including El Anatsui and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.

This year 13 African countries are presenting pavilions, up from nine in 2022. The paucity is understandable given more urgent economic development priorities, said Phillip Ihenacho, the director of the Museum of West African Art , known as MOWAA, now under construction in Benin City, Nigeria. “The decision to do anything in Venice is a difficult one,” Ihenacho said. “You have to ask yourself, ‘Why spend money on something which could be regarded as a vanity project?’”

But a strong pavilion sends a message, whether from a government signaling cultural investment, or, in Nigeria’s case this year, from private backers. Although commissioned by the Nigerian government, as Venice rules require, the pavilion has been organized by MOWAA. The pavilion’s top funder is Qatar Museums; other supporters include galleries representing the artists, and Nigerian and foreign companies and collectors.

For MOWAA, whose inception was linked to the fraught prospect of many Benin Bronzes returning to Africa, the pavilion conveys a commitment to contemporary art, Ihenacho said. With the first building due for completion late this year, the plan is to bring the Venice show to Benin City — possibly after one or two international stops — as the inaugural exhibition, he said.

On a hot, dusty Thursday in February, Aindrea Emelife , the pavilion’s curator, who will also lead MOWAA’s modern and contemporary department, was crisscrossing Lagos, finalizing things. She met with Dike, the only pavilion artist living full-time in Nigeria. Though they all have Nigerian roots, the others either grew up overseas, or moved away from Nigeria at some point.

Emelife herself grew up in Britain. Though she anticipates criticism that the show favors overseas-based artists, migration — and sometimes return — are part of the Nigerian experience, she said. “People are always leaving, and that’s important to articulate with presenting Nigeria as a place.”

Besides, she added: “I don’t think you can remove yourself intrinsically from Nigeria.” Indeed, if anything, pavilion artists are deepening their ties. Shonibare, for instance, opened a Nigerian foundation in 2019 that operates two residency centers and a sustainable farm.

Emelife’s next stop was the home of a local collector to borrow some letters by Ben Enwonwu , an important Nigerian Modernist painter, for a vitrine presentation of documents from the 1960s and 1970s in the pavilion. Many artists in that period were invested in connecting the Western canon with local aesthetics, culture and history.

“It’s important that this is not presented in isolation as a new moment,” Emelife said of the contemporary work in the pavilion. “I’ve met people who had no idea there was a Modernist period in Nigeria.” (Her concern dovetails, as it happens, with the Biennale’s main exhibition this year, which the curator Adriano Pedrosa has loaded with 20th-century Modernists of the Global South.)

With “Nigeria Imaginary” as the pavilion theme, Emelife makes a scholarly reference — to sociological theories of nationhood or to the “imaginary” in the work of the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, or the stories and illusions we tell ourselves to find structure in our surroundings. In Nigeria, where considerable dysfunction has become normalized — for instance, the widespread use of home generators and inverters to cope with the incessant power outages — that concept seems apt.

But the different projects in the show also make visitors privy, if indirectly, to a national pastime: diagnosing the country’s problems. “The trouble with Nigeria,” Chinua Achebe wrote in a 1983 essay by that title , “has become the subject of our small talk in much the same way as the weather is for the English.” (His analysis in a nutshell: bad leadership.)

That habit remains. “Everyone’s the minister of something!” Emelife said. “There’s so much discussion about what Nigeria needs, or Nigeria should be like.” Her wish for the exhibition, she said, was to prompt more expansive dreaming. “It will hopefully be energizing, by being honest, but also energizing, by being utopic,” she said. After all, she added, “Even when we’re critical, we’re critical because we’re optimistic about what a great place it could be.”

Dike, the Lagos lifer and detractor of police violence, agreed. “There’s always these not-so-positive discussions about Nigeria,” she said. “But this is a very dynamic cultural catalyst and hub for the continent — and the world. It’s about time we give Nigeria its due.”

Siddhartha Mitter writes about art and creative communities in the United States, Africa and elsewhere. Previously he wrote regularly for The Village Voice and The Boston Globe and he was a reporter for WNYC Public Radio. More about Siddhartha Mitter

Tems Is Finally Ready to Release Her Debut Album ‘Born in the Wild’

• By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

Tems has finally announced her long-awaited debut album , Born in the Wild , which his set to arrive in May. 

The Nigerian artist shared a short trailer for the LP, which appeared to feature a snippet of the album’s title track. The lyrics find Tems meditating on her new global superstar status, while also reflecting on her childhood in Lagos: “It’s all over the news, all over the news, I know this/Under the sun, struggling to find my focus/When I was young, younger then/I was always running away,” she sings.

Then, during the refrain, Tems repeats, “Born in the wild, born in the wild,” before switching it up, “I grew up in the wilderness/Didn’t know much about openness.” 

While Born in the Wild will arrive in May via ’93/RCA Records, an exact release date has not been divulged. No other details were made available either, like a track list or info about collaborators and guests. 

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In 2020, Tems released her first EP, For Broken Ears , then followed that up in 2021 with If Orange Was a Place . She also helped Rihanna write “Lift Me Up” for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, and covered the reggae classic, “No Woman, No Cry.” 

The Born in the Wild announcement comes on the heels of Tems’ set at the first weekend of Coachella , during which both Wizkid and Justin Bieber showed up to perform “Essence.” 

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Trump’s latest claim? That he has moderate abortion views – but don’t be fooled

Trump is walking a tricky tightrope trying to appeal to his evangelical base and moderate voters. His solution? A bunch of contradictory nonsense

Trump’s abortion conundrum

In recent years, Donald Trump has sold NFTs, sneakers, and bibles. Now the perennial marketer is busy selling a new and improved version of himself to voters. Meet Don 2.0: a reasonable man with moderate views on abortion.

Hang on a second, you might say. Trump? The guy who, in 2016, said “there has to be some form of punishment” for women who get abortions? The guy who can’t stop bragging about how he is responsible for overturning Roe v Wade because he filled the supreme court with conservative justices? The guy who, just a few weeks ago , was pondering a 15-week national abortion ban? That guy has now moderated his views on abortion?

Yes, I know, it’s tough to believe but, stay with me here, Trump has turned over a new leaf! On Wednesday the former president suggested that everyone should ignore all the extreme things he’s said about abortion in the past–not to mention his track record on reproductive rights–and, instead, trust that he would never implement a federal ban on abortion. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump said that, if elected president again, he wouldn’t sign a national abortion ban even if it passed Congress.

So should we take his word for this or – and I know this is something of a shocking suggestion – is a man who has been charged with 88 criminal offenses in four criminal cases just spouting lies to make himself more electable? It’s honestly very difficult to say.

It’s certainly politically expedient for Trump to tone down his rhetoric on abortion and repeat the talking point that he’s not going to do anything, it’s all for individual states to decide. Reproductive rights are at the centre of the Biden administration’s re-election efforts and the Democrats have just launched a new multimillion-dollar advertising campaign that makes it clear that Trump is responsible for overturning Roe v Wade . “Donald Trump did this,” proclaims the end of one ad, which features a Texas woman who faced life-threatening conditions after miscarrying and being denied a medically necessary abortion.

Trump is also facing pressure to look more moderate following backlash from extremist policies his presidency helped to enable. In February, for example, an Alabama supreme court ruling declared that IVF embryos are ‘extrauterine children,’ effectively shutting down IVF treatment in the state. The fallout from this prompted Trump to say he would “strongly support the availability of IVF” and call on Alabama to protect the fertility treatment. (In March Alabama passed a law protecting IVF providers from liability.)

This week, Arizona also made headlines with a scene that looked like it was straight out of The Handmaid’s Tale. On Monday a far-right Arizona state senator led a prayer circle in the state senate where worshippers spoke in tongues and prayed for an abortion ban from 1864 to become law again. (Do watch the video , it’s bonkers.) Their prayers were answered the next day as the Arizona supreme court ruled the 1864 law could go into effect , banning almost all abortions without any exceptions for rape or incest.

What happened in Arizona was so extreme that Trump basically had no choice but to distance himself from it . “Yeah, they did [go too far],” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. He then vaguely promised that the ruling would get “straightened out” and reiterated his talking point that abortion rights should be left to state governments.

With the election drawing closer, Trump finds himself walking a tricky tightrope when it comes to reproductive rights. On the one hand, he has to appeal to his evangelical base who want him to push for a national abortion ban . On the other hand, he can’t risk looking too extreme and alienating more moderate conservatives. His solution to this conundrum? Do what he does best: disorient everyone by spouting a bunch of contradictory nonsense.

By now it should be clear that nothing Trump says can be trusted. And yet, as Margaret Sullivan pointed out in her Guardian column this week, large swathes of the media are reporting Trump’s “new and improved” stance on abortion as if it’s fact, rather than opportunistic politicking. “Too many in the mainstream media swallowed [Trump’s more moderate stance on abortion] whole, at least in all-important headlines, presenting Trump’s position not only as news but as a politically savvy move toward the center,” Sullivan wrote .

Trump’s recent comments on abortion are certainly politically savvy, but don’t be fooled: he’s not moving even an inch towards the centre. Trump has shown us time and time again who he is. Anyone who thinks he wouldn’t restrict abortion rights even further if he became president hasn’t been paying attention.

A new study explains why lesbians report more orgasms than straight women

Several studies have found that women who sleep with women have better sex than their heterosexual peers . I’m fairly sure you don’t need to do an in-depth research analysis to figure out why, but academics recently did one anyway. Their findings? “When women are having sex with men, in general, they’re typically not experiencing enough clitoral stimulation to facilitate an equal opportunity for orgasm.”

Newborns are dying preventable deaths in Gaza’s primary maternity hospital

Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza has decimated the healthcare system and left prenatal care almost non-existent. Speaking to Jezebel, a Unicef spokesperson said up to three preterm babies or babies with birth defects or other congenital issues die every day at the semi-operational Emirate Maternity hospital. All of these are preventable deaths that doctors are simply “unable to treat” due to “lack of specialists, specialist equipment, lack of resources”. Even if these babies were to survive, of course, they would risk dying of famine . How can Joe Biden, a man who has lost a child himself, sleep at night knowing he is enabling these horrors? The answer is simple: he does not view Palestinians as humans . “Do I think that Joe Biden has the same depth of feeling and empathy for the Palestinians of Gaza as he does for the Israelis?” a former state department recently said in an interview with the New Yorker . “No, he doesn’t, nor does he convey it. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.” There certainly isn’t.

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What has 20 years of banning headscarves done for France?

Nothing positive, says Rokhaya Diallo in the Guardian . What was sold as a defense of secularism “has opened the floodgates of intolerance and become a tool for exclusion”.

AI ‘influencers’ are deepfaking their faces onto real women’s bodies

“AI ‘influencers’ on Instagram have racked up … millions of views by stealing reels from real women to make the AI seem more ‘believable’,” reports 404 Media .

How a ‘pretty tax’ in the music industry limits female artists

“Within the major label music industry, it has been an open secret that femme artists are afflicted by something like a ‘pretty tax’,” Julianne Escobedo Shepherd writes in Flaming Hydra . It costs a lot to develop artists who require make-up and a glam team so labels have been hesitant to invest in some of these women.

Ten years on, what happened to the 276 Nigerian girls snatched from their school?

A decade ago almost 300 schoolgirls were abducted from a school in Chibok, Nigeria, by the Islamic militant group Boko Haram. About 100 of those abductees (now women) are still missing. The Guardian revisits the abduction and looks at the “suspicion and stigma” that surrounds the women were recovered.

The week in paintriarchy

Unless you’re immensely talented, extremely lucky, or Joe Biden’s son then it can be difficult to break into the art scene. So I have a lot of sympathy for a 51-year-old frustrated artist working in a museum in Germany who decided to hang his own painting on the museum walls in the hopes of getting his break. Munich’s Pinakothek der Moderne has said it won’t comment on the painting’s style or subject because it doesn’t want to encourage copycats. “All I can say is that we did not receive any positive feedback on the addition from visitors to the gallery,” a spokesperson said. Ouch.

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