Nigerian Contemporary Music Scenes in the 1990s

Nigerian Contemporary Music Scenes in the 1990s

The 1990s marked a defining era for contemporary Nigerian music, blending indigenous rhythms with global influences to create a fresh sound. This period witnessed the rise of pioneering artists who fused hip-hop, R&B, reggae, Afro-juju and highlife into a new urban identity.

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The Extraordinary Journey of Raï Music
By Josplay | 11/13/2025 | Genres
Raï music began in the smoky cabarets of colonial Oran and eventually made its way to the cultural heritage list of UNESCO. It is most defiant and influential musical export from Algeria, a genre born from struggle that never gave up.
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Genre Spotlight: Asakaa in Ghana
By Josplay | 11/10/2025 | Genres
Born in Kumasi’s Ashanti New Town, Ghana’s Asakaa music blends local slang, drill rhythms, and hip-hop energy. Led by the Asakaa Boys, it’s reshaping Ghanaian youth culture, fashion, and global perceptions of African street music.
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The Streaming Platform Built for African Music is Josplay
By Josplay | 11/6/2025 | Company News
As the African music industry continues its explosive growth, platforms like Josplay are not just streaming services, they are cultural infrastructure, ensuring that the creative wealth of the continent benefits its creators and communities first.
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Genre Spotlight: Coupé-Décalé in Congo
By Josplay | 11/3/2025 | Reviews
Coupé-Décalé fuses Ivorian and Congolese rhythms into an energetic dance sound born in Paris. From Abidjan to Kinshasa, its electric guitars, flashy style, and club-ready beats continue to shape Congo’s nightlife and modern African music culture.
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Josplay joins Africa’s biggest music conversation - ACCES 2025
By Josplay | 10/28/2025 | Company News
Josplay will join hundreds of Africa’s leading music professionals in Pretoria, South Africa, for ACCES 2025 - the Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases.
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Genre Spotlight: Dancehall in Nigeria
By Josplay | 10/24/2025 | Reviews
Dancehall, which emerged in Jamaica in the late 1970s, evolved from roots reggae into a rhythm-heavy sound defined by its Patois lyrics and infectious riddims. In Nigeria, it grew into Afro-dancehall; a lively fusion of Jamaican grooves, African rhythms, and local storytelling that continues to shape the country’s modern music scene.
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Salif Keita: The Golden Voice that Defied Tradition
By Josplay | 10/22/2025 | People
He was born royal, but forbidden to sing. From Mali’s noble lineage to global stages, Salif Keita turned rejection into rhythm and pain into purpose. His album Soro didn’t just make history — it changed the sound of African music forever.
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Viral Nigerian Dance Movements Through Two Decades: What is Next?
By Josplay | 10/20/2025 | General
From Galala to Zanku, explore the evolution of Nigerian dance styles that dominated the streets and went global. A journey through two decades of movement.
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Genre Spotlight: Mbalax in Senegal
By Josplay | 10/15/2025 | Genres
Mbalax is defined by fast-paced, syncopated rhythms and frequent use of call-and-response vocals, and its use to mobilize people in political rallies, also making it a tool for social commentary and national pride.
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The Biggest African Music Collaboration Ever is ...
By Josplay | 10/13/2025 | General
The biggest African music collaboration ever is not what you think. It is not just one viral hit or celebrity partnership—it is the ongoing conversation between artists across 54 countries, building bridges through sound. From Lagos to Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam to Dakar, African artists are rewriting the rules of global music. Here is how they are doing it.
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Genre Spotlight: Singeli Music in Tanzania
By Josplay | 10/9/2025 | Genres
Singeli is Tanzania’s high-speed urban sound — born on the streets of Dar es Salaam and driven by MCs and energetic dance. Blending taarab, hip-hop, and kwaito influences, it captures the spirit of Tanzanian youth culture today.
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The African City Becoming the Next Music Hub …
By Josplay | 10/7/2025 | General
A new city is quietly rising to claim its place on Africa’s music map.
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Genre Spotlight: Baladi Music (Egypt)
By Josplay | 10/6/2025 | Genres
Baladi music, a vibrant urban folk style from Egypt, forms the foundation of traditional belly dance. With roots in the bustling streets of Cairo, it has evolved through contemporary interpretations while continuing to keep Egyptian dance culture both alive and modern.
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Rumba: The Dance that Left Africa, Found a Home in Cuba, and Returned to the Motherland
By Josplay | 10/2/2025 | Genres
From Havana’s backstreets to Kinshasa’s dance halls, the story of Rumba is a tale of rhythm, resilience, and return. Born of African memory in Cuba, it crossed the ocean again to ignite a musical revolution in Central Africa, proving that music always finds its way home.