The
Nigerian rock and psychedelic music scene that had originally started in the
1960s didn’t truly flourish until 1970, when the country's three-year civil war came to
an end.
But despite developing a significant global following during the time, the era
remains a largely forgotten chapter of modern music history outside of the
country.
The Hykkers' return was a symbolic one for the Nigerian music industry, but the tone, sound and attitude of the pre-war music scene had changed. The slick good-time dancehall music had been replaced by a rugged, more edgy sound. Soul, funk, blues, rock, jazz and reggae were fused with local rhythms and psychedelic experimentation, and a cult scene was born. The Hykkers eventually split when guitarist Jake Sollo inexplicably destroyed the band's instruments after a gig in 1972. It transpired that he was planning to leave the band and wanted to send a message that they should not continue without him.
After a spell at university, Sollo went on to join the Funkees, who moved to London where they became heavily influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix. They performed alongside fellow Nigerian artists such as OFO and the Black Company and Remi Kabaka, who also made an impact on the English scene. Sollo was one of many Nigerian musicians who embraced the sound of Hendrix. And it is a testament to the legacy of the late American pioneer that his influence once reached such obscure places as the bars and clubs of war-torn Nigeria and continues to permeate every corner of pop culture to this day, with an online casino in the UK even having a video slot game dedicated to him.
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One artist who gained direct exposure to the American scene was Fela Kuti. The young jazz musician travelled to the USA in 1970 and came back with a sound that gave birth to the Afrobeat movement. He established a nightclub called the Afrika Shrine which became one of the recognised centres of the Nigerian music scene during the 1970s. Such was the influence of Afrobeat that it is no surprise that Kuti himself has gone on to influence a broad spectrum of artists, including contemporary musicians and club DJs.
But
all good things come to an end and by the late 1970s, the Nigerian scene
started to dissolve, Afrika Shrine burnt to the ground and many groups
disbanded. The Afrobeat scene did not disappear altogether but it was never the
same again. As the memory of the civil war faded and the country got back to
normal, the abstract musical concepts and intangible attitude that had emerged
from that horrific episode also began to fade, as the country turned to face
the future.
And they call this Fela a legend....Chronic smoker
ReplyDeleteFela The great... He did not need any publicity.. He was publicity himself.
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