Nigerian musicians, Saheed Osupa, Shina Peters, Sikiru Agboola and Tolu Obey, son of legendary Juju artist, Ebenezer Obey, discussed the future of Yoruba music at a recent event in Lagos.
The gathering, which was tagged ‘Roundtable’, is an annual discourse aimed at promoting intellectual discussions amongst key stakeholders in the Fuji, Juju and Afro hip-hop genres.
The annual event heralds Ariya Repete competition, a talent hunt competition for budding Yoruba musicians.
Moderated by leading on-air personality, Adebayo Faleke, the ‘Roundtable’ panelists included a blend of veteran and young talented musicians.
The experts discussed the evolution of indigenous Yoruba genres of music while highlighting the roles played by the older and younger generation of artists.
The exciting roundtable conversation was an eye opener as the artists shared various insights into the past and potential future of their industry. The new generation indigenous musicians were represented by the likes of Sound Sultan and renowned music producer, ID Cabasa.
Other invited artists and guests at the event included Muyiwa Osinake; renowned dancer, Adebayo “Ijodee”; Segun Nabi, and Champion Kunle Opio.
They all shared their knowledge and views on how to enrich the ‘fusion’, which has come to bridge music genres in the industry.
Discussing the topic ‘One Culture, One Voice, New Sound’, Sound Sultan and other members of the panel highlighted the ingenuity of Sir Shina Peters.
Sound Sultan said, “Although SSP sings majorly in Yoruba language, he has been able to infuse English language into his music, which ultimately helped his music cross over to the wider and diverse Nigerian audience. This is one skill any aspiring Yoruba musician must adopt.”
The fusion of various musical genres in Nigeria was another core area of the discussion.
Osupa expressed delight at how the blend of traditional and contemporary genres have not only changed the direction of Nigerian music but also the perception of its listeners.
He added that the development is bridging the gap between the old and new generation of Yoruba music lovers.
The panelists also beamed the spotlight on the evolution of indigenous genres of music, highlighting the roles played by both the older and younger generation of artists while highlighting the huge potential of the industry in years to come. The gathering also served as the perfect platform to announce the return of the 2019 edition of Ariya Repete which would kick off on June 11 with a number selection parties to be held in the south-western states.
The Senior Brand Manager of Goldberg & Life Lager, Maria Shadeko, the organisers of the event, who spoke at the session expressed delight at the return of the talent hunt.
She said the 2019 edition of ‘Ariya Repete’ will be the first ever to be aired on television with the aim of reaching an even wider audience. This might be particularly exciting for fans of the show as this edition would also see the introduction an all-new ‘Afro Pop’ category.