Music globally has breached dimension following a craft of an art that came to life from decades to date.

From bone flute_ a musical instrument crafted by the early humans, we were able to evolve to a phase where genres can be celebrated and carried through legacies. The early signs of music that were able to excel through ages exhibited and prove how vast music grew in humans.

In the current days, it was able to navigate through various phases and widespread over several countries, finalising to become several genres. Culture grew big outlining just several genres making waves across all countries.

In Africa, music presents the culture and the rhythm that defines the root of the unique continent ranging from several genres. In contrast to the view of world music, Africa stands out as a key contest to unleashing the best. This has also spread in various nations located in the continent.

From incredible instruments like kora, djembe, balafon, and mbira, giving rise to rare superstars, Africa has soared to a recongnised musical feat.

Aligned with the new wave, we would outline and discuss top African countries impacting the music curriculum globally.

Nigeria

Just as vast as the African country portrays its dominance in culture and history, Nigeria, as of recent times, holds the most influential peak in music. Perhaps the country rose from the foundation of her pioneers.

The historical phases that ranged from slavery to independence in 1960, enhancing to civil war, Nigeria has always been known for their musically inclined culture.

Before independence, music grew among tribes as the likes of Igbo were known for their music inclined temperament of singing in groups during labor before it grew to ritual purposes. Also, the Hausa were known for similar characteristics. This they did to endure brutal complications linked to their slavery activities, communicate and nurture their mental health.

From the point of division and after independence, several tribes ehanced in their culture musically exhibiting various sounds and inventing various instruments.

In the southeastern part of Nigeria, it was all slanted to their culture that featured wildly rituals, festivals, dancing, and other minor activities. While they evolved in civilization, they were able to invent musical instruments like the idiophones which include the wooden slit drum identified as ‘Ikoro’ or ‘Ekwe,’ the Udu (a clay pot drum), and the Ogene (a metal gong). This instrument aligned with further civilization, which gave rise to incredible statuses like Chief Osita Osadebe, who, among other legends, embodied it to a professional level identified as High life music. While it grew vast, other tribes exhibited the same evolution as the yorubas and Hausa grew in their various genres. Yoruba exhibited mostly in high life and juju music before they advanced in the genre called fuji in the 1960s. They invented unique instruments like Dundun drum, Agogô bell, and Batá drum. Hausa, in the other view, grew in their local instruments featuring the likes of alghaita (a wooden oboe-like instrument), the kakaki (a long metal trumpet), the goje (a two-string fiddle), and the gangan (an hourglass-shaped double-headed drum). All tribes carried their genre in their specific language.

Fela Kuti

While music grew in various tribes, Fela Kuti introduced a new genre.

The legendary pioneer who had just established his music group, Koola Lobitos London, while studying at Trinity College of Music, came back to Nigeria and pushed a distinct genre, this time, a genre that was exhibited through Nigerian official general language Pidgin English.

The difference and power of his calls attracted the whole tribes in Nigeria. Everybody loved him and was connected to his sound. Drafted from various affluences, his soud featured the combination of Western jazz, funk, and highlife.

He carried on with his inspirational sound, talking politics and connecting the whole tribe together. His music would advance to the phase where he attracted the global attention as they were curious about his passion and energy towards Nigerian politics.

However, as entertaining and satisfying as his music thrived, Fela faced a brutal approach from the Nigerian government.

One of the most highlighted blows to date occurred in 1977 when Fela Kuti released his album ‘Zombie.’ The album heavily criticized the Nigerian military, which didn’t sit well with the Nigerian government, who responded by raiding his Kalakuta Republic commune. They fatally beat Fela and injured his mother.

What seemed to be a shot for a wrap wasn’t close as Fela didn’t back down. He continued with his critics against the Nigerian government through his music.

In 1984, on what many believed to be trumped-up charges of currency smuggling, Fela Kuti was arrested. This occurred under the military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari. He was charged and sentenced to 5 years in prison. However, he was released after 20 months when the military government that had imprisoned him was overthrown.

The dispute spanned between Fela Kuti and the Nigerian government until his death in 1997.

Afrobeat

Perhaps his death wasn’t the end of his music as his children took over. Moreover, behind his fate were young lads who looked up to him. They dived through his niche and established a rebranded sound identified as Afrobeat.

The likes of Don Jazzy, Timaya, Psquare, 2face, and D’banj skyrocketed the genre to the next level, setting bars for the new generation who reformed the genre to the global feat. In the early 2000s, these incredible pioneers attained legacies that inspired the likes of Davido and Wizkid, switching the gear to an entirely new dominance.

The two stars carried on with the genre in a great rivalry in the global stages until the likes of Burna Boy and Tems stabilised the international growth of Afrobeat. They clinched Grammy awards, respectively, putting the genre in the world map.

Davido

Nigerian singer and songwriter David Adeleke, who is known popularly as Davido, is an Afrobeat Maestro who has surpassed several dimensions to attain his spot at the top.

The Nigerian singer was born in Atlanta, U.S., and was raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Growing up and aspiring music as his only vocation, Davido debuted in music as a member of the group KB International. Back in school, Davido studied business administration at Oakwood University. He would drop out to make beats and record vocal references.

This would push him into trying out music. His first release emerged to be a hit: “Dami Duro,” a track from his debut album “Omo Baba Olowo,” which attained him prominence and skyrocketed him to fame. He would win the next rated artist at the headies award the next year.

At this phase, the young talent didn’t hesitate to utilise his opportunity, releasing other hit songs like “Gobe”, “One of a Kind”, “Skelewu”, “Aye”, “Tchelete (Goodlife)”, “Naughty”, “Owo Ni Koko”, “The Sound” and “The Money”.

His consistency also earned him a record deal with Sony music, attaining him a full Stance to achieve a milestone in the music curriculum. The Nigerian singer advanced to finding his own record Label and signed several incredible artists who carried his label to the top.

While everyone soared in their niche, Davido released several album, which bagged him several awards, including Grammy award nominations.

Alongside Wizkid and other stars, Davido pioneered the new era Afrobeat that inspired the likes of Rema, Fireboy, and Asake.

The pioneered view of the Afrobeat genre sparks heavy influence attatched to Davido, following how he has helped incredible stars to stardom, thereby maintaining a stable ground for the growth of Afrobeat.

His influence triggered the rise of the new generation Afrobeat stars, having embodied dominance at the top for over a decade.

Wizkid

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter who rose to fame by releasing incredible hit songs that defined his class.

Overly convinced, Wizkid was all for music, following how he showed impactful signs of his rare talents from his childhood.

Wizkid kick-started his musical career at the age of 11, the same era he released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five_, a group he formed with his church friends. This served as a pinpoint to his early beginning. Before his early teen, he had already signed to EME owned by his guide, Banks W.

Embracing his opportunity, Wizkid released his debut album Superstar in 2011. The lead track off the album “Hola at your boy” attained him the prominence he needed to exceed levels. As anticipated, Wizkid released more hits songs that stabilised his fame. He would carry on with his dominance until he went solo in 2014 after renegotiating his contract with EME.

His solo career emerged to be a success, firing him to a legendary spot in the Nigerian music firm. This was backed with the indigenous, global annual musical awards he bagged, averaging numbers that positioned him as the African most awarded musician with over 120 plaques and trophies, including a Grammy trophy.

To date, Wizkid serves as the sole point of inspiration among the young generation Afrobeat stars amid how they look up to him.

Wizkid and Davido’s influence

At the early phase of Wizkid and Davido’s caree...

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