A Dutiful Wife, An Inconsiderate Husband

Despite his great popularity back in the day, information about the late, great Igbo bard Show Promoter (Nelson Ejinduaka) is as scarce as h...

Fighting Biafra

Thanks to a tip from reader/listener Zim Bida, I was able to score from Ebay an almost-mint copy of the elusive LP Igba na Egwu Ndi Biafra J...

That Old-Time Jùjú Music

Like a lot of people, I got into Nigerian jùjú music in 1982 when King Sunny Adé hit the international scene. In short order Ebenezer Obey ...

Birth of a Nation

If you've been around here a while you'll know that I have a major obsession with the 1967-70 war in Nigeria, when the Eastern Regio...

The Alasa of Ibadanland

To an outsider, Lanrewaju Adepoju's Èwì would seem to be just another one of the many Yoruba percussion styles that are so popular in th...

In Praise of "Mami Wata"

For many months now I've put off posting this in an effort to find out more about our featured artist, Bob Sir Merenge. Unfortunately, ...

Adventures in Angularity

I hate to say this, but it's been ages since Ebenezer Obey has waxed anything worth listening to. For the last twenty years he's be...

An Igbo Minstrel

There is a parallel universe of popular music in Nigeria that exists mostly unknown to the international audience that listens to Fela, King...

Nigeria's Lady of Songs

I'll admit to being a little mystified by the current fascination with the cheesier byways of African music - '70s and '80s Afro...

The Unsung Genius of African Music

In a just world, Nigeria's "Gentleman" Mike Ejeagha would be considered one of the giants of African music, accorded the same ...

Benin (The Empire, Not the Country)

Back in Eighth Grade, my Social Studies class was given one of those typical assignments where we were supposed to pick out some country and...