The music of Nigeria

July 4, 2007 2:08 PM

Nigerians have always had musical opinions about lots of topics. From premature pregnancy, to women who cannot conceive, political criminals or the old topic of heartbreak. And that's just the old stuff. The new Nigerian music is about the Nigerian perspective on 419, sexing your professor for better grades, staying faithful to your wife, how a big schlong can get you girls, how getting your car hit by a politician is the best that can happen to a poor man, big booties, success as a musician, being in love and the everywhere played African Queen. There is also the embarrassing stuff, like when the most popular actress decides she also wants to sing. And let's not forget Idols West Africa.
posted by markesh (9 comments total)

Cheers for the post, markesh. As a long time fan of Nigerian music (which is amazingly rich - check out Fela who lurks under the political criminal link, Tony Allen, Peter King...and many, many, many others) it is interesting to see what is happening today. I remember seeing I Chop Your Dollar or YouTube ages ago and being amused. What does make me sad is that a lot of the new popular stuff that ends up on YouTube sounds rather like a 1980s toy keyboard on the 'tropical' preset. Why is this? There is still some great stuff amongst those links though!
posted by The Salaryman at 3:06 PM on July 4, 2007

"I Go Chop Your Dollar" is amazing. I found the lyrics here :

pon say I get sense
Poverty no good at all, no
Na im make I join this business

419 no be thief, it's just a game
Everybody dey play em
if anybody fall mugu,
ha! my brother I go chop em

Chorus:
National Airport na me get em
National Stadium na me build em
President na my sister brother
You be the mugu, I be the master

Oyinbo man I go chop your dollar,
I go take your money and disappear
419 is just a game, you are the loser I am the winner

The refinery na me get em,
The contract, na you I go give em
But you go pay me small money make I bring em Grin
you be the mugu, I be the master…
na me be the master ooo!!!!

When Oyinbo play wayo,
dey go say na new style
When country man do him own,
them go dey shout: bring em, kill em, die!

That Oyinbo people greedy, I say them greedy
I don't see them tire
That's why when they fall into my trap o!
I dey show them fire

Apparently the singer was recently arrested in a big 419 sting. Great post.
posted by stammer at 3:36 PM on July 4, 2007

My girl's Nigerian (from Kaduna), and teaches at FSU. The 'Mr. Lecturer' video provides me with ample fodder to kid her with.

Thanks for the post!




good music, too...
posted by Pecinpah at 4:51 PM on July 4, 2007

Wow. On evidence of these YouTube clips, Nigerian pop music has gone pretty far downhill since the glory days of Fuji, Juju and Apala. Some of the stuff from these links was just embarrassingly bad. Hopefully there's still some good stuff coming out of Nigeria (I've lost touch in recent years) but if there is it ain't finding its way onto the Tube.

On the Nigerian topical songs tip, there's also the old Prince Nico Mbarga standby, Free Education in Nigeria.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:22 PM on July 4, 2007

Nigerians Everyone [has] always had musical opinions about lots of topics.
posted by spiderskull at 5:30 PM on July 4, 2007

Fela was awesome. His son Femi is OK but doesn't come close.
posted by mike3k at 9:04 PM on July 4, 2007

That Nigerian 419 guy was recently arrested in Amsterdam as an illegal alien and part of a (you guessed it) 419 scam gang and will be deported shortly, after some legal wrangling is over on wether the Dutch police was justified in going into the cafe and rounding up just about everybody there. Here is an article about the raid, although it doesn't mention Osuafia by name.
posted by DreamerFi at 10:24 PM on July 4, 2007

You do all realise that most of the songs, including the 419 song, are meant very ironically, right? The songs are meant to be funny, and not to be taken seriously.
posted by markesh at 2:18 AM on July 5, 2007

Your favorite Nigerian band sucks.
posted by junkbox at 6:08 AM on July 5, 2007