Stories about Nigeria from June, 2022
Nigerian highlife music scene gets a makeover by two brother duos
Umu Obiligbo maintained the original Igbo highlife style, while the Cavemen have modernized it. Both groups have transformed highlife with an originality that resonates with young people.
How Flavour and Phyno pioneered the revival of Nigeria's Igbo highlife music
Flavour revolutionized highlife by adapting it for dancing in nightclubs and parties. Phyno successfully fused hip-hop and pop into highlife with such finesse.
Celestine Ukwu: the Nigerian philosopher-musician who left his mark on Igbo highlife
Celestine Ukwu’s soulful songs contemplated and portrayed complicated experiences that were deeply rooted in his Igbo identity.
How Nigeria’s Igbo highlife music provided hope after a devastating civil war
The Oriental Brothers provided hope after the civil war. The 80s witnessed the revival of ‘egwu ekpili’. Later, Bright Chimezie’s impressive ‘legwork’ live performances popularized Igbo highlife through the 90s.
The pioneers of Nigeria's Igbo highlife music
Highlife gained popularity in southwestern cosmopolitan Lagos and was transformed in eastern Nigeria. By incorporating Igbo traditional folklore style, they created the Igbo highlife that now enjoys global appeal.
The history of music in Lagos, Nigeria: 1980s to the 2000s
Nightlife disappeared during military dictatorship, with music collectives singing on radio and a cheap imitation of American raps. Currently, individual artists with prodigious talents have revived the music scene.
The history of music in Lagos, Nigeria: from colonial times to the 1970s
Lagos, Nigeria’s cultural capital has always been a cosmopolitan city. A place where music and culture are in constant collision.
Meet the new generation of Kenyan women sparking a vinyl resurgence in Africa
Since music listeners have pivoted toward digital streaming platforms, Maia is one of the few artists who views vinyl records as more than just a novelty.
