![]() From initial reports, the new album is making a big splash in the market. The 32-year-old clearly fancies himself as the Muhammad Ali of the African music scene. The album title, builds on “African Giant” and other songs that proclaim his conviction that he is the greatest musician of his generation. He recently released a much-anticipated album “I told them”. But we’ll come back to that in a moment.īurna Boy, arguably Nigeria’s biggest musical export at the moment, the country’s only winner of an individual Grammy is one of the big kahunas of the industry. As the trending case of the 27-year-old singer Mohbad (real name: Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba) demonstrates, the stranglehold has only been lessened not eliminated. Of course, the situation is far from perfect. Thus, the kind of power and control that record companies and tyrannical owners had over earlier generations of musicians has reduced significantly. Boomplay and co have made it possible for artists to access global audiences and get paid for their creative output in a structured, consistent and measurable way. This perhaps the most critical development in the ongoing revolution. The growth is driven by Boomplay, iTunes, and Spotify and other music streaming services. ![]() Perhaps most impressively, Nigerian music has over 30 million monthly listeners worldwide. There are also over 50 radio stations which chronicle and celebrate the hits that are becoming continental and global staples. Key players in the sector include over 500 music producers and over 1000 record labels. It employs thousands of Nigerians and provides for possibly hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries, including families. The industry, now one of the largest in the world, generates two billion dollars annually, mostly from digital streaming and downloads. From India to London, New York to Johannesburg, everywhere you turn, everywhere you look, the evidence of the popularity and acceptance of Afrobeats continues to mount.Ī recent Premium Times report captured some of the broad statistics behind the excitement. Propelled by catchy beats, infused with an authentic street quality that the world is finding more interesting than the generic American ghetto version and fronted by charismatic youths with irresistible swag, it is making unprecedented inroads into the world’s hearts, clubs and auditoriums. It’s no longer news that Nigerian music is going places. Mohbad is a metaphor for the many things wrong with the Nigerian music industry, contends Paul Nwabuikwu
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