As individuals we all have our distinctive tastes in everything, from Music, fashion, tastes in partners, lifestyle choices, and more.
I personally enjoy different types of music as a young person, from traditional music of the greats like King Sunny Ade, Musiliu Haruna Ishola and Adewale Ayuba, underground music, the likes of Mavo, scotty olorin, Kobilou, WAVESTAR, Toyè and many more, Gospel Music, the likes of Sounds of Salem, Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine, Sola Allyson, TY Bello, Sunmisola Agbebi, Pelumi Deborah, BBO and many more, foreign artists like Dave, Stormzy, Post Malone, SZA, Drake, Ed Sheeran, WILLOW and many more not to forget our very own Mainstream Nigerian musicians like Tems, Wizkid, Adekunle Gold, Fireboy DML, FOLA and more.
But today, we have to consider our traditional music, a few days back while preparing for an international exam, I was on Prime King Sunny Ade and I felt the flow, my book and the music were in sync, It was a fun experience and I really enjoyed that study session.
From someone that didn't love traditional music, It's a blast and a big flex, those guys had music for every occasion, wedding, Church, birthdays, social gatherings, love, serious, religious, life and many more.
Though a lot of them were cringe, we have to give them their flowers, especially those who pioneered genres like the Ishola dynasty with Apala and the Sikiru Ayinde's for giving us Fuji. Those who fought off the white resistance and dominance in our music by pioneering record labels like the Haruna Ishola's and IK Dairo's. Those who put Africa on the map, the Fela Anikulapo's, the Sunny Ade's, the Lucky Dube's and a lot of them even though not Africans in Africa themselves like Bob Marley gave us a good dynasty so that their work doesn't die, talk about continuity Sikiru Ayinde Barrister mentored K1 De Ultimate and several others and his own son Barry Jhay, also gives us soulful melodies, Bob Marley's children and even grandchildren and those of Fela keep the fire burning and make it seem that the legends never left, and let's not forget Baba Ngari (The King of Apala) Alhaji Musiliu Ishola who pioneered Apala, passed down the baton to Haruna Ishola who modernized it and gave us Soyoyo with bangers like iseoluwa ko seni to ye, Opon apala ti sun and more.
Their music is lowkey fire, but before it becomes an artifact and is gone like the owners, it is advisable that the music is sampled more often, the artists are adequately credited, the music is played at parties and used for TikTok challenges to ensure that the classics do not end up being forever gatekept. Because gradually they're fading away and the next generation may not appreciate it but it's a long road to put it I to perspective but there's a glimmer of hope as good music always speaks for itself.
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