The real secret is that virtually all the musicians listed were /are playing either pure Highlife or Highlife-inspired genre of music.
From Bobby Benson, Fela Kuti (he was in Ghana from 1967-69 to learn Highlife and later Afrobeat), Ebenezer Obey, etc..
Even the so-called 'Afrobeats' of Wizkid, Davido, Mr Eazi, PSquare, Flavour, are all heavily influenced by Highlife music!

Apart from the Yoruba, the biggest musicians from the older generation from the East, South South e.g. Osadebe, Oliver, Uwaifo, Rex Lawson, etc were all Highlife musicians!
Nigeria has benefitted from Highlife music, and her biggest success in music so far comes from Highlife music!

otipoju:


Nigerians are scattered all over the world in larger amounts compared to the Ghanian population. Music must be played before it becomes popular.

A Nigerian artiste already has a larger global audience of Nigerians waiting for him/ her on the internet via streaming services...and will has the nigerian crowd to fill up venues for shows in many countries.

The market is bigger.

Lolz. Dwayne Johnson that loves Davido's music too must be a Nigerian.

forgiveness:



During the tenure of Jonathan, the largest population of civil servants are from SE.

Na because job no Dey you go wan sell CD.

Judge wey Dey collect millions as salary besides other benefits like house, car worth 10-20 million Naira etc na em SE no go wan do!?

My man, you are joking.

You dey mind the crap he put there?

This country thrives on hypocrisy and double-speak...

Why would someone abandon a career where they see a defined path to success?

The Hausa-Fulani will persist in the armed forces because they can sense the possibility of climbing to the top in the nearest future...

Can you say that about an Igbo person?

Jonathan became a pariah for daring to give the Igbos some sense of inclusiveness for the first time since the First Republic...

richiemcgold:
apart from other facts raised by reno here, I think religion also played a big role in the early development of Yoruba music artists. Fuji for instance was an offshoot of 'jiwere' which was common in Muslim dominated areas like ilorin & ibadan.
we can also trace the roots of juju music and highlife to white garment churches especially cherubim and seraphim.



let me school you a little sir: The first generation of Fuji music stars were sikiru ayinde barrister, easy sawaba, kollington ayinla, ayinde wasiu etc. all of them started at young age as 'ajiwere'. you need to understand what 'jiwere' means in Yoruba and its connection with Ramadan in Islam.
Now lets talk about juju/highlife: Do you know what ik dairo, adawa super, dele taiwo, dayo kujore, shina peters and many other pioneers of juju/highlife music have in common? They belonged to C&S Church.

I understand your drift. What I'm saying is that Islam and C & S are not peculiar to Yoruba tribes alone. Why didn't these religions affect other artists in Africa too. Why Youruba artists alone?

otipoju:


All these artistes are/ were based in primarily in Lagos.

We are not discussing state of origin here sir.

No dey waste saliva for an obvious truth...

Lagos is the jewel in the crown...remove it and the shine will disappear.

Ttalk:


Read to comprehend, the author mentioned Angela Kodjo a Francophone artist that broke into limelight with her popular Yoruba song, Wombolobo. This has nothing to do with Lagos being entertainment city.

The fact remains that Yoruba dialect have a way of attracting attention and captivating the audience.

You can pick a thing from that message and use it to your advantage instead of doing strong head

While she may be francophone, Angela Qidjo is Yoruba...because the oyo empire/yoruba tribe are in benin republic and even togo. Na Britain and France create artificial boundary oo.

So who is the primary audience for the song? yorubas. where are the yorubas most populous?
it is still lagos.

Most radio stations - Lagos
Most funding to promote your song- Lagos
Most corporate shows- Lagos
Most TV shows- Lagos
Best internet services for streaming- Lagos
Most liberal city in Nigeria- Lagos
Heaviest prescense of artistes/producers for collabs- Lagos

Dont underestimate the power of exposure in entertainment

flokii:


Yoruba music is accepted worldwide so any attack from a near-minority tribe won't do much harm.. they are the ones to lose when Lagos shuts her doors to their upcoming artistes like Phyno, Humble smith etc.

See how Linda Ikeji finished her blogging career when she ventured into tribalism by singling out Yoruba music talents like Wizkid, Olamide and even Davido for constant attacks to tarnish their image. You saw what the likes of Wizkid did to her, calling her 'stinking pvssy' which she is yet to recover from till date.

Igbo people will begin to move forward the day they realise that they need Yoruba people more than the Yoruba people need them. This is nothing but an undiluted statement of fact !

mybiz234:


Lolz. Dwayne Johnson that loves Davido's music too must be a Nigerian.

Its easier to wake a man that is sleeping than to wake a man that is pretending to sleep.

You can sleep on. No problem

Within the shores of Nigeria, yorubas might have an edge as regards these claims, but outside the shores of Nigeria, they nor even pop at all, igbos are the major tribe winning in these regard

temielects:
Full of senses ...but sir shave this beards

.

Within the shores of Nigeria, yorubas might have an edge as regards these claims, but outside the shores of Nigeria, they nor even pop at all, igbos are the major tribe winning in these regard
temielects:
Full of senses ...but sir shavequote author=franchasng post=109326496]The answer to this question is LAGOS State.



Lagos State have a phenomenal influence and power over everything in Nigeria. Any music that got produced and accepted in Lagos always gets accepted in Nigeria. Lagos hosting almost all Nigerian tribes makes Yoruba dialect more easily understood and accepted by all Nigerian tribes than any other Nigerian dialect.



Reno Lagos is the answer.



Another point to reckon is the fact that Yorubas are jaiye people....they love parties a lot. That's why Yorubas close down roads to celebrate festivals or even naming ceremony. You cannot dare that in Igbo land where everybody is business focused.


Yoruba culture is more of partying and merriment which make their youths focus more on singing to entertain their people and others.....then the Lagos factor helps them sell nationwide and gets more easily accepted because almost all Nigerian tribes live in Lagos and speak and understand Yoruba....making Yoruba dialect easily accepted.[/quote]

VEHINTOLAR:


Igbo people will begin to move forward the day they realise that they need Yoruba people more than the Yoruba people need them. This is nothing but an undiluted statement of fact !

That is thoughtless remark and you know it.

Don't come here and be disgracing your education in the name of joining the bandwagon..

omenkaLives:
Personally I love Igbo music more than Yoruba's, especially their gospel music by female artists. There's a way they resonate with a deep part of one's soul. But that song Ekwueme remains one of my all time favorite gospel songs.

For spoken language though, I love Yoruba more than Igbo. The language, truth be told, is almost becoming a generally accepted urban/street slang. You see folks from all across the country using Yoruba curse words and exclamations in their everyday interactions. Perhaps it is because the Igbo language is alot more intricate to understand than Yoruba.

That is not to say Reno isn't an idiot though.

What makes you think this is true?

otipoju:


Its easier to wake a man that is sleeping than to wake a man that is pretending to sleep.

You can sleep on. No problem

Lolz. So you don't know that Dwane Johnson likes Davido's music?
Your comment is bourne out of ignorance.

That's a shame

maestroferddi:
Try and travel out of Yoruba land so you can know about other people's culture so you can have a balanced view.

There is some element of narrow-mindedness in your views...

Don't get me wrong, the Yorubas excel in certain areas of life, but so also do other tribes...

I don't really need to "travel" out of my comfort zone to know your culture, nowadays social media, TV has made the world a global village (most people have not travelled out of Nigeria but know a lot about america and Europe than even the citizens of these countries themselves). The aso ebi phenomenon, which the Igbos have almost colonized more than the originators of the culture, was popularized by the yorubas. How did the Igbos and hausas who copy this culture know about it? Most of them have never been to the west of Nigeria, but they see colourful pictures and videos of the aso ebis worn by yorubas on social media and fall in love with the culture. Most people that listen to the Yoruba music that we all hype and Vibe to have never visited Lagos or Nigeria, but they simply love the melodious tune and feeling they get listening to it.

On a side note, Britons are jamming to Peru fireboy ft ed Sheeran, it's topping the charts there, I recommend it you will love the song �

Tranquillity360:
Reno Omokri we Yoruba are happy how you are telling us our history.



Pls write and tell us about father of Oduduwa,Some of we yoruba youth don't know where we come from.


Tell us about Oduduwa.

The thing pain u abi

helinues:


So the Nigerian musicians are also bribing DJ's in the club in other African countries that makes Nigeria music to top their best and regular mix.

Those are the Nigerian artists that top Radio stations in Africa last year;

Burna, Wizkid, Rema, Adekunle Gold, Mayorkun, Niniola, Simi

If you have any reservations about the top chart, kindly present your own

That one no get sense ni

If you don fight the Northerners finish, na to mine and eat your skull go remain. Divisive lots.

Sholaco:
why you igbo people hate yoruba like this? One of my friend that travelled to Malaysia to do drugs was helped to come back to Nigeria through amnesty international. This igbo guy was given to life Imprisonment.. he was grateful to this yoruba guy, but here u are hating

Does my post have anything to do with tribalism?
Its just a statement of facts. Reno is asking people to do a big research into the clearly obvious...probably because Reno himself has never lived in Lagos extensively and does not understand the exposure that Lagos brings to any aspuring or established artiste.

Even Davido has recently figured out that its better to be based in Lagos than Atlanta. Even Teni relocated from Atlanta to Lagos. Don Jazzy and D banj from London to Lagos and many more like that.

Lagos is where the magic happens.

Alaye, mio kin se igbo ooo. And iyen o ni nkan kan she pelu oro to wa nile. Oro to mo so ko tako yoruba rara.

Try to be calming down.

Na them

Tranquillity360:
You are a bit wrong.


We yorubas are more money driven.



Have you ever asked why there's skull mining and more ritual killing in our region.

mybiz234:


Lolz. So you don't know that Dwane Johnson likes Davido's music?
Your comment is bourne out of ignorance.

That's a shame

Really? I am so excited and jumping for joy...because i dont have more important things to think about.

NGpatriot:



Music is also money driven, Yoruba people are also money driven. Abi Igbo people are richer than Yoruba people.

It's all about social cultural temperament and attitude, saying they are money drive doesn't mean they love money or make more money than other people, it's all about how you carry yourself and or how you beat your chest.

More wisdom to you.

otipoju:


You know you can have all these and if its in a remote corner somewhere ....nobody will know.

Exposure is vital. People have to see what you are doing. Now with other tribes largely present in Lagos, they can see and admire and imitate.

Lagos used to be the capital of Nigeria, it is still the commercial capital of Nigeria...and yes we all love faaji. And yorubas are more open minded than any other tribe.

Abuja is now the capital of Nigeria for some few years now, why has bwari, Nupe, Hausa and Fulani music (the original settlers of the land) not blown? At least they are enjoying federal government patronage, and other tribes' are flocking to the city, so their entertainment should have leveraged on this? Take it nor leave it, yorubas are naturally entertainers. We are creative people, we thrive in the creative space, it is culturally inbuilt �

otipoju:


Really? I am so excited and jumping for joy...because i dont have more important things to think about.

So, why did you start commenting on this thread sinceyoi have better things doing?

And to think all your comments on this thread is bourne out of ignorance.

Nollywood entirely igbo like we all thought Desmond Elliot was or maybe Funke Akinfele is too. Are those from the SS Igbos too.

maestroferddi:
You see your life?

Bad belle don finish you.

Yoruba music is leading but there is no doubt that Nollywood is almost entirely Igbo content.

All over Africa with reasonable influence all over the world, Nollywood has made Nigeria proud.

GrammarNazi1:


What makes you think this is true?

I dont know, maybe because I see more people who aren't Yoruba speaking Yorubas than I see those who aren't Igbos speak Igbo.

inspbado:


Abuja is now the capital of Nigeria for some few years now, why has bwari, Nupe, Hausa and Fulani music (the original settlers of the land) not blown? At least they are enjoying federal government patronage, and other tribes' are flocking to the city, so their entertainment should have leveraged on this? Take it nor leave it, Yorubas are naturally entertainers. We are creative people, we thrive in the creative space, it is culturally inbuilt �

Your analysis is shallow and lacks depth.
How old is Abuja? Lagos has been in existence since pre-colonial times and the commercial capital for almost hundred years. You cannot compare the amount of investments in the economic and social life in Lagos with that of Abuja or any part of Nigeria!

inspbado:


I don't really need to "travel" out of my comfort zone to know your culture, nowadays social media, TV has made the world a global village (most people have not travelled out of Nigeria but know a lot about america and Europe than even the citizens of these countries themselves). The aso ebi phenomenon, which the Igbos have almost colonized more than the originators of the culture, was popularized by the yorubas. How did the Igbos and hausas who copy this culture know about it? Most of them have never been to the west of Nigeria, but they see colourful pictures and videos of the aso ebis worn by yorubas on social media and fall in love with the culture. Most people that listen to the Yoruba music that we all hype and Vibe to have never visited Lagos or Nigeria, but they simply love the melodious tune and feeling they get listening to it.

On a side note, Britons are jamming to Peru fireboy ft ed Sheeran, it's topping the charts there, I recommend it you will love the song �

At least you didn't debate the fact that you are stuck in the neck of your woods...

There is a world of difference between offhand and fleeting information/knowledge garnered from social media and a first-hand and practical knowledge/experience obtained by intermingling with people of other cultures and societies in real time...

A man who has lived in the Bronx might have the story- telling endowments of Chinua Achebe coupled with the lexical skilled of Wole Soyinka, but will still fall short in narrating the experience of living there than someone who actually lives there...

Talking of diffusion of cultural values, it is common to all.

There is no part of Africa where Igbo family and cultural identities are not familiar courtesy of Nollywood which is unquestionably Nigeria's greatest export to the world.

And Nollywood is more than 70 percent Igbo content.

This "Peru " song you guys are overhyping here on nairaland is just one additional run-of-the- mill song.

It was released earlier and made no impact but got remixed and collaboed by the British singer and then to you guys it is now better than MJ's Thriller...

Una funny die...

Naija and mouth-making no be today na!

inspbado:


Seal, Sade Adu, Tunde Bayewu (of Lighthouse Family), Wale (I can mention quite a few others) never lived in Lagos. But are world known Yoruba artists making it big. What you guys fail to realize is that Yoruba's excel in entertainment because we like 'faaji" generally � The average Yoruba man likes an environment that is lively and bubbly. That's why every other tribe in Nigeria is copying our owanbe parties. Compare a Yoruba marriage (with the antics of the "alaga eduro and ejoko", aso ebi uniforms, all the choreographed dancing and music with other tribes' marriage ceremonies and tell me which one you find most entertaining. Yorubas are born creative, it's in the genes, the only problem we have is that the Nigerian environment and (hausa-fualni controlled government) is seriously killing our vibes☹️

I quite agree that Yorubas have a flair for the arts.

However I believe my point, which was more or less specific to music, still stands.

Besides, those names you mentioned, all of them spent very little time, if any, in Nigeria. So I don't think they count with regards to the discuss at hand.

Finally per the last part of your comment, I do not agree that government is killing anyone's vibes when it comes to entertainment.

Nigerian arts and entertainment is one aspect of 9ur culture and economy that has always thrived no matter how bad the government in power is.

Though I agree that much more can be achieved with a serious, people-oriented government in power.

Cheers man.

forgiveness:



During the tenure of Jonathan, the largest population of civil servants are from SE.

Na because job no Dey you go wan sell CD.

Judge wey Dey collect millions as salary besides other benefits like house, car worth 10-20 million Naira etc na em SE no go wan do!?

My man, you are joking.

Lol .. judge collect 10-20million officially? How much do you think Judges earn legitimately? You are joking. Largest population of civil servants during Jonathan was from South East and now they have all resigned? Joker! Abeg close your mouth if don't know anything to say. By the way what do you think 10 million is ? Small small boys are controlling that amount in dirty Aba!

Tap0lane:
Nollywood entirely igbo like we all thought Desmond Elliot was or maybe Funke Akinfele is too. Are those from the SS Igbos too.

Just two people among hundreds.

Funke Akindele knows her level na...Jenifa actress.

Why Funke when you have Omotola, who is easily the best female Yoruba actress...

You wan make I hit you with names?