Long known for its literary prowess, Nigeria shows dominance in music as well. If you’re going to invest the time and money to make the trip to the country you might as well learn about the tunes coming out of Lagos ‘booming music scene! Plus, depending where you’re flying from, you’ll have a lot of time on the plane. Make use of it by listening to good music. From underground producers to uber-celebrities here’s a tiny sampling of harmonies the city offers.
1) Something Old, Something New
DJ and producer Teck Zilla gives a fresh and intimate look into Fela and his musicians in this audio-documentary. The soundtrack includes remixes of the Afrobeat star’s live recordings. Get your dance on — and a history lesson — with this soundtrack
*FULL DISCLOSURE – Teck Zilla is a friend of the SMW Lagos Team*
2) Nigerian Soul
With the strum of his guitar combined with R&B, neo-soul and other influences, Bez creates an alternative sound that’s refreshing and all his own. Check out a video of his hit Say
3) Johnny Be Good…
Afro pop singer Yemi Alade will have you looking for Johnny as well, the title of her hit song
4) WizKid
The artist started his music career at 11 and hasn’t stopped since. His songs will have you doing the “Shoki” in no time. Peep one of his videos Show You The Money set in, where else, Lagos
5) GidiHouseMusic
This one’s only for the dancers. The award-winning DJ Caise down with Chocolate City Entertainment has a soundtrack to the Nigerian dance scene below
https://soundcloud.com/deejay-caise/dj-caise-afrobeats-mix-1
Definitely not an exhaustive, this list gives a sampling of music in the city. Leave your favorite Nigerian songs or artists travelers should check out in the comments.
The theme for Social Media Week Lagos 2015 is Upwardly Mobile: The Rise of a Connected Africa. If you have any questions about traveling to the conference, please contact yours truly at roxanne.scott@gmail.com. I hope to see you in Lagos.