How Nigerian Artists Keep Indigenous Languages Alive
The average Nigerian is multilingual, and nowhere is this more evident than in our music. From the golden age of Cardinal Rex Lawson and Bongos Ikwue, who sang in multiple languages but often leaned into one dominant tongue, to early 2000s icons like 2Baba and Jeremiah Gyang, who blended languages with ease, Nigerian music has long reflected our linguistic diversity.
By the late 2000s, artists like Jesse Jagz and Timaya were pushing boundaries by plunging their native tongues into mainstream music and proving that indigenous languages could be both cool and commercially viable.
Fast forward to the 2020s, and the trend continues. Contemporary Nigerian music, especially Afrobeats and its Afropop offshoots, often blends Nigerian Pidgin and English, with Yoruba and Igbo frequently woven in. But a new wave of artists is going further, using music to champion their cultural roots and spotlight underrepresented languages.
Shallipopi’s “Laho” interlaces Edo and Nigerian Pidgin. Bella Alubo sings “Olohi” in English and Idoma, her native tongue. MC Galaxy’s “Use Me” blends Efik, Ibibio, and more. FirstKlaz, Gen-Z Arewa singer, uses Hausa, English, and Pidgin in “Soyaiya.”
These artists aren’t just making hits; they’re preserving heritage, celebrating identity, and popularising languages that deserve the spotlight.