I had just
finished watching one of Tekno’s music videos when I decided to write this. The video brought to mind the immense musical
talent of the artist. I was compelled to recall a well-popularized fiasco when
he performed in Kenya, sometimes in 2017, when I was left wondering how things
went wrong for one who is so vastly talented.
What often
comes to mind, each time I recall that Kenya incident, is what a Kenyan fan had
said while spitting his frustration. The guy posted on Facebook, that Kenyans
do not wish to shape their music in the path of the Nigerian music industry.
The statement could mean that he knows that Kenyan music was supposed to sound
Kenyan. But since no Nigerian had asked Kenyans to design their music to sound
Nigerian, the implication is that he is ignorant that music is supposed to
mirror the community from which it is born.
Music is an
art. Art is the creation of beauty. Art will never expect Kenyans to design
their music to sound Nigerian. If you come to Nigeria, you will know that we
listen to music from everywhere around the world. Even though we listen to all
these forms, we only get inspired to create music that is ours, music in which
you find the Nigerian character, notably in the parlance, dance, costume, and
remnants of Nigeria’s music past.
So, what is
expected from Kenyan music artists is for them to get inspiration by any good
music, not minding where it comes from. The spin from the music would then
trigger new songs, songs that would endure through generations. Yes, music that
mirrors society from where it was created endures, as it makes the people
proud, playing what they feel belongs to them. On the other hand, music that
fails to reflect the community from which it comes is fleeting, like a candle
in the rain.
To end this,
I want to recount what I learned reading the history of Reggae. According to
the article, Reggae is the end result of the mimicry of American pop. The music
evolved to embody a Jamaican identity, a character in which there is only a
small fragment of the American music culture. It is the same with Nigerian
contemporary music industry. When it started, I was a strong critic of the
music, asking why there is that constant effort to sound American. But just
about a decade and a half later, we can confidently say that we have finally
found our own music independence as well. If the Kenyan music industry is still
uncharacteristic of Kenya, they should just carry on. Eventually, it will begin
to reflect a Kenyan identity.
