THE CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE SETTING OF JUJU MUSIC IN YORUBA LAND

Abstract

Yoruba music encompasses rich tradition of choral singing mostly in form of call and response patterns in their performance practices. This study explores the contemporary performance setting of Juju music in Yorubaland, studying the adaptation and the adopted traditional elements in modern contexts. Juju music as a genre of music is rooted in the cultural heritage of Yoruba people and had witnessed the transmission and infusion of new evolutions in performances style while retaining its identity. This has giving rise of Afro beat which was pioneered by Fela Kuti marching Yoruba idioms and its ostinato rhythms in conjunction with political ascertains, thereby producing some musical genres like Jazz and Funk. Using the descriptive and historical method of qualitative approach, this work examined the contemporary performance styles, content, audiences, factors influencing Juju music as one of the prominent popular musical style, the various exponents of this genre and the significance of Juju music in Yoruba etymology, with the conclusion that, though the music has witnessed the evolvement of new Juju music, globalization and cultural transformation, uprising of contemporary musicians using the Yoruba musical instruments with western instruments and have new genres like Afro beat Modern pop, hip-hop and R&B, yet, the genre still maintain its originality which are deeply rooted in African elements, and sustain its rich Yoruba traditions.