The Creative use of Themes In Contemporary Igbo Popular Music in Nigeria

Abstract

Popular music is an offshoot of several musical typologies which are indigenous or
acculturated, incorporating both local and foreign elements. Most popular musical
styles or genres in Nigerian music scene evolved through various contributions from
musicians of diverse cultural sensibilities. Furthermore, the musical practices of the
Igbo are seen through their social, religious and cultural lives as their music
accompanies every stage of human and social development (childhood - adulthood -
death). Igbo popular music, being a contemporary genre, depicts both the language
and cultural elements of one of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria. The music has
evolved owing to acculturation, economic factor, technology and globalisation. This
articles attempts to appropriate musical theme - a borrowed concept from Western
classical music - into the structural form of 19b 0 popular music vis-a-vis its vocal and
instrumental elements. It effectively analysed selected songs of prominent Igbo artistes/
musicians and further established how these themes are creatively used in
contemporary Igbo popular music. Three distinctive methods were deduced from the
analysis - the antiphonal theme, instrumental theme and instrumental/ antiphonal
theme.