This study
examines the nexus between Africanism and eclecticism in contemporary Nigerian
popular music, offering critical insight into how globalisation continues to
reshape local cultural expressions. While globalisation and commercialisation
have accelerated cultural eclecticism, prompting the blending of traditional
Nigerian forms with Western genres like American Hip-Hop, R&B, and
electronic music, this paper demonstrates the enduring resilience of Africanism
as a foundational cultural core. Grounded in historical and conceptual
frameworks, the paper analyses the structural role of indigenous rhythms, tonal
languages, traditional instruments (such as the dundun, bata, udu, and kakaki),
and communal socio-cultural functions in shaping genres ranging from Highlife,
Jùjú, and Fuji to Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat and modern Afrobeats. The findings
reveal that cultural eclecticism does not inherently erase indigenous identity;
rather, it creates a dynamic, glocalised musical ecosystem—however, unchecked
market-driven hybridisation risks diluting moral substance, linguistic
authenticity, and native artistic control. To ensure the continued prominence
of African identity in global music economies, this paper emphasises strategic
interventions, including intellectual and educational decolonisation,
curriculum reform, local institutionalisation of indigenous languages, and
greater economic ownership of distribution channels by African creators.
Ultimately, the study concludes that prioritising an authentic African cultural
orientation allows the Nigerian music industry not merely to adapt to global
market trends, but to project its distinct identity onto the world stage.
Keywords: Africanism, Eclecticism, Nigerian Popular Music, Afrobeats, Globalisation, Glocalisation, Cultural Identity.
