Music, as a talent and an art, has now become a universal language. Virtually everyone in various parts of the world finds it pleasant listening to music, whether instrumentals or just vocals.
Originally, musicians were engaged in music, as a result of their passion for the art, as well as their desire to be creative. However, that has changed. Currently, the people involved in music don't just create great sounds because of their enthusiasm for the talent they possess. They also want to have a sense of accomplishment, value, and significance through music. In fact, It is no longer uncommon that one can build a successful career (monetary) from music.
Making music entails a lot. There are so many determinants that must be considered when venturing into music. Plus, music is capital intensive. About three decades ago, the Nigerian music industry was still in the making. Pioneers such as Fela anikolapo Kuti, shina peters and others were the ones who laid the foundation upon which our world-renowned music brand is built today.
Now, one unique and vital aspect of music is building up lyrics, whch are the words you compose and then fuse together with already-made instrumentals. Without lyrics, a musical composition is incomplete.
Furthermore, to create good music, one would need to be an expert at songwriting. But what should an artiste do when he/she cannot competently write and compose a good song?
The only way out is to hire a songwriter or go learn the art of songwriting professionally. There are so many talented individuals who are skilled in the art of music writing. Although they may not be singers, if given the right platform, they would immensely contribute what they can to the Nigerian music.
In the Music Industry today, especially in Nigeria, songwriting is an expertise that is sometimes neglected and considered insignificant by many. This is a wrong ideology!
Just like the instrumentalists and music producers, songwriters are meant to be given the due respect and attention they deserve in the Music Industry. There are several significant reasons why the importance of songwriters should be acknowledged withing the Nigerian music scene.
Firstly, not all singers are able to write insightful and inspiration songs, with a touch of professionalism. Although some persons may dispute this fact, yet it's very true. This is the primary reason why there are so many shabby songs out there. These songs may sound great (due to the nice instrumental), but they would lack a specific and reasonable theme, and also contain vulgar and offensive language. Songs like these can't gain absolute reception, thus, they only trend for a while and vanish afterwards.
Songwriters can actually aid these artistes in creating quality and beautiful songs that are free from explicit contents.
Another vital reason why songwriters shouldn't be neglected in the music scene, is as a result of their effort to ensure that the Nigerian music measures up with the world's standard. Most of the renowned music artistes from the Western world, are known for putting out great music contents which has earned them numerous awards and great recognition.
Even though Nigerian music has successful gained reception and value in most parts of the globe, we need to place a permanent stamp of relevance by improving the quality of our music contents. One effective way to make this a reality, is by regarding songwriters and giving them opportunities to create awesome written contents.
Written by: Amodun Benjamin, content creator, ghost writer, and brand consultant.
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Entertainment