Jùjú music

Jùjú music is a style of Nigerian popular music rooted in the Yoruba culture. This genre of music blends the singing and percussion traditions of the Yoruba with Western and African influences.

Jùjú music originated in the 1920s in Lagos, Nigeria. Guitarist Tunde King is credited with creating the term and style. The dundun, or the "talking drum," is jùjú's signature feature. Along with King, jùjú pioneers include Akanbi Wright, Ayinde Bakare, I.K. Dairo, Ebenezer Obey, and King Sunny Ade. In the 1980s, Ade catapulted the genre onto the world stage by performing concerts in large venues.

Through its unique fusion of cultural identity and technological evolution, jùjú music has developed a worldwide following. The genre has produced major stars and influenced other musical styles.

Background

Jùjú music marries indigenous traditions with foreign influences. The musical hybrid was born while Nigeria was under a tumultuous period of British colonial rule. The Yoruba are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa, based in western Nigeria. Their beliefs emphasize respect, honesty, religion, and praise-naming, which is complimenting a prominent person's qualities, especially the patron of an event. These values are expressed through music and dance, which are fundamental to Yoruba culture.

In Yoruba music, the vocals and drums often follow a call-and-response pattern, in which a singer sings a melody and a second singer sings in response. Traditional Yoruba music utilized only two instruments: the drums and the human voice. A common theme in jùjú lyrics is the "rags to riches" story. This is rooted in the Yoruba's praise-naming. In these songs, the musician and/or band members dream of fame and wealth. They achieve it through hard work, patience, and prayer, praising God or the patron who has hired them to play.

Jùjú music's vocal and percussion influence comes from the Yoruba culture, but its guitar influence stems from British colonialism. As people from the Western world came into the region, they brought new instruments, like guitars. The palm-wine style of guitar music was played in urban clubs across western Africa during the early decades of the twentieth century. Palm-wine music's mellow and reflective melodies were the precursor for what would become jùjú music.

In jùjú music, the melodies are based on Western stringed instruments, like guitars, banjos, and mandolins. To provide harmony, musicians integrated Western or African percussion instruments, including the tambourine, gourd shaker, or bongos. The term jùjú is the doubling of the Yoruba word ju, which means "toss" or "throw." The word comes from a story about a member of Tunde King's band throwing his tambourine up in the air during performances.

King was the first musician to record jùjú music in the 1930s. While King played guitar and sang lead vocals, his three band members created harmonies by playing percussion instruments. Through his lyrics, King connected with the people of Lagos by singing about the struggles of life under colonial rule.

Jùjú music has evolved through the addition of instruments, keeping up with technology while maintaining ties to its roots. The readiness of its musicians to adapt to change has allowed the genre to expand from Nigeria to the world stage.

Overview

Jùjú music is as much about integrating new instruments to develop its sound as it is about remaining faithful to its Yoruba origins. The mix of old and new defines the genre.

The next major development in jùjú music occurred after World War II. After the war, there was a boost in Yoruba nationalism. In 1948, jùjú music gained its identifying feature when bandleader Akanbi Wright incorporated the dundun, or "talking drum." Wright's contribution was significant in winning over musicians and listeners who looked down on jùjú music. The inclusion of Western instruments did not sit well with those who preferred traditional native music. Adding the talking drum helped jùjú maintain its Yoruba identity while still being able to evolve. The talking drum's nickname developed because the instrument seems to mimic a human voice. The pressure drum was among those used by the Yoruba themselves. The hourglass-shaped instruments could imitate the pitches of the Yoruba language.

After World War II, electronic amplification transformed the performance aspect of jùjú music. Guitarist Ayinde Bakare was the first jùjú musician to use an amplified guitar in live performances and on recordings. Electric guitars and amplifiers allowed musicians to perform in bigger settings, paving the way for concerts. Musicians could also add more drummers without upsetting the balance between vocals and instruments. In staying true to jùjú music's foundation, the amplification allowed musicians to expand upon patterns in traditional Yoruba musical techniques. The modernization of instruments also aided the musical expression of indigenous values.

Advances in mass media technology helped increase the popularity of jùjú music. After Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960, bandleader I.K. Dairo rose to prominence as the top jùjú artist in the 1960s. Dairo made several radio appearances on the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service, and his band, the Blue Spots, won a television contest in 1961. Dairo went on to record several hits during the mid-1960s.

In the 1970s and 1980s, jùjú music experienced another transformation. Jùjú giants Ebenezer Obey and King Sunny Ade added more electric guitars, ushering the genre into modern times. With his band, the Inter-Reformers, Obey slowed down Dairo's tempos and added more drums.

Ade is known as the king of jùjú music. He introduced the steel guitar and added synthesizers to his brand of jùjú. With his large band, which included dancers, Ade performed concerts at major venues. After a decade of success in Nigeria, Ade brought jùjú music to the attention of the Western world. Ade and his band, King Sunny Ade and His African Beats, released the 1982 album Juju Music to critical and commercial acclaim. This success continued with 1983's Synchro System. Ade later became the first jùjú musician to tour the United States.

Jùjú music has influenced other music styles and has led to the creation of new genres. In the 1970s, Fela Kuti fused jùjú music with American soul and funk in a style he called Afrobeat. The black power movement had influenced him, and his controversial lyrics contained protests against government corruption. A hybrid style, Afro jùjú, combines jùjú music with Afrobeat.

Through its balance of culture and technology, jùjú music has expanded its reach from Western Nigeria across the globe. In the twenty-first century, the cultural influence of the Yoruba continues through jùjú music and the effect it has on other genres.

Bibliography

Akombo, David. The Unity of Music and Dance in World Cultures. McFarland and Co. Inc., 2016.

Vallier, John. "King Sunny Ade." All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Popular Music, edited by Vladimir Bodanov, et al., 4th ed., Backbeat Books, 2001, p. 882.

Collins, John. Musicmakers of West Africa. 1st ed., Three Continents Press, 1985.

Collins, John. West African Pop Roots. Temple UP, 1992.

Frith, Simon, editor. World Music, Politics and Social Change. Manchester UP, 1989.

Nzewi, Meki, and Odyke Nzewi. A Contemporary Study of Musical Arts: Illuminations, Reflections and Explorations. 1st ed., Center for Indigenous Instrumental African Music and Dance, 2007.

Olaniyan, Tejumola. Arrest the Music!: Fela and His Rebel Art and Politics. Indiana UP, 2004.

Waterman, Christopher Alan. Jùjú: A Social History and Ethnography of an African Popular Music. U of Chicago P, 1990.