Popular demand and the Nigerian Artist.

            According to Aaron copeland a well known modern composer "we all listen to music according to our seperate capacities"he further broke it down into 3 components; the sensuous, the expressive and the sheerly musicàl plane.
Among thè three components mentioned above he said the basic way of listening to music is listening for the mere pleasure of the music itself. It is the level on which we hear music without thinking and contemplation. Unfortunately this is where our Niģerian musical audience falls. The Yoruba's call it alujo...beat lets dance.
            The 2nd approach of listening to music is The expressive. This deals with the listening of music not for the rhythm alone but to get a message. For alot of people, music must speak to them in relations to what's happening. Unfortunately alot of Nigerian artists do not look into this category because their songs do not carry messages. Their music rely on beats and rhythm to make profit. They forget that music which eventually says the same thing later becomes dull music. Looking at Tschaikovsky and Beethoven. It is easier to understand Tschaikovsky music because each time you come back to it eventually says the sàme thing. But Beethoven is not easily understood.
         The 3rd plane of which music is judged is "the sheerly musical plane". This surpasses the pleasurable sound of music and the expressive feelings of which music emanates. In this plane music exists in terms of the notes and its manipulations. Alot of Nigerian musicians and audience are not sufficiently conscious of this 3rd plane.
           I believe that the Nigerian audience is the major cause of the complacent attitudes of the Nigerian artist. Many upcoming Nigerian artists believe that the Nigeriàn musical audience lays their emphasis on the beats, ryhthm and the repetitive chorus...  As far as a music can be used ìn clubs, I bet Nigerian audience is good to go.
             Despite the message and clarity in Asa's music. Most Nigerians still claim that they are not able to relate to her music. Contrarily to her kind of music are singers like wizkid, Davido, Timaya....someone refered to Wizkid as "Niger's hit boy ". Yet alot of people feel his music is majorly repetitive. Look at Don jazzy and Tiwa savage....what is 'jantamànta or dorobuchi'  . No one knows the meaning but they go ahead listening to it.
         Also from the perspective of popular demand. Nigerians end up criticising their songs saying its too repetitive and not expressive. Whàt if Tiwa Savage begins to sing like Asa do you think her music would still sell?? I don't think so.
         I drive that Nigerians must correlate the three forms of listening and writting music together. This would create an equilibrium. They should also be an obvious drive for listening to music both subjectively and objectively. If all these is given attention to it would create for balance and depth.