Why Rock Music Isn’t Popular In Nigeria

Ever wondered why this genre of music hasn’t caught on with the Nigerian public yet? Joey Akan writing for Pulse.ng

shares his thoughts.

Dear Nigerian rock fans, your preferred genre of music won’t grow any bigger than it is. If anything, it’s headed for extinction.

Rock music in Nigeria currently stands at the lowest rung of the entertainment radar. It is far lower than even the most minority tribe’s folk music. This will not change; neither will it attempt to change.

Rock music as a genre is amazing. When studied and enjoyed for its sake, the creativity and lyrical depth cannot be disputed. The genre is based on electric guitars, deep lyrics and vocal twists and turns, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass guitars and drums. The lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political in emphasis.

This is awesome when put in a blank space, devoid of continental contexts, preferences and interpretations. But this is Naija, and the jam must be intrinsically Nigerian.

Rock music has failed in Nigeria, and there are many reasons why. The most basic reason for its failure lies in its sound. The best part of Rock music is the reason why it has failed.

This genre has no African drums, and it isn’t malleable enough to infuse aspects of the country’s musical elements and still retain its essence as rock. It becomes Afro-Rock, a discordant, almost unrecognisable blend of guitars, horns and drumming that fails to ignite the music centres in people. Afro-Rock is a confused mixture of two opposite elements. Oil and water don’t mix well. Afrobeats and Rock will never mix well.

Most Nigerian Rock singers understand this, hence their style; they keep the classic sounds unadulterated, and Nigerianise it by singing in Pidgin English, or any indigenous language.

With the lack of an impressionable sound, comes the poverty of investments. No serious entertainment entrepreneur wants to throw his money into the pit of Rock.

A prevalent behaviour of the money lords is to stick to the sure thing. Rock isn’t that sure thing. I have spoken to many and posed them this question.

A particular response got me thinking. It came from a man who has pled to keep his name anonymous. He is popular and respected as an investor in talent. “Wetin be rock for Naija?” He asked me with raised brows. “Abeg people no go dance the song. People no go sing am, nobody go call my artiste for show, na waste na.”