Afrobeats & Activism: Are Nigerian Fans demanding too much?

During periods of societal wide action, Nigerian fans often request immoderate allegiance from their favourite artists.

In Nigeria, euphony and authorities person ever intersected with artists utilizing their endowment to shed airy connected sociopolitical and taste ills.

Whether it beryllium done pointing retired these ills successful their songs oregon partaking successful citizen-led actions similar protests, immoderate musicians person contributed to advancing the people of the masses.

Recently, Nigeria witnessed a mass protestation implicit economical hardship and the precocious outgo of living. Amidst the protest, which rapidly gained momentum connected societal media, immoderate fans demanded that musicians talk up astir the economical difficulties facing the larger population.

Burna Boy, who has a love-hate narration with Nigerians, rapidly became the absorption of this speech with immoderate radical demanding that helium talk up successful enactment of the protestation that resurrected the shade of the 2020 EndSARS protest.

Burna Boy

While respective artists shared the "EndBadGovernanceInNigeria" hashtag connected X successful solidarity with the protest, Burna Boy defiantly refused to kowtow to the demands that helium talk up, with the Grammy victor citing the dense disapproval helium suffered during the 2020 EndSARS protestation arsenic the crushed helium washed his hands disconnected societal wide actions.

Burna Boy defiantly refused to kowtow to the demands that helium talk up

The bulk of the disapproval the Port Harcourt-born vocalist suffers stems from what immoderate observers see his tendency to creatively exploit Nigeria's socioeconomic ills portion failing to locomotion the talk. For these critics, Burna Boy's tendency to mirror Fela Kuti's conscious music isn't backed by the outspokenness and sympathy the Afrobeat pioneer had for the masses.

Fela Kuti

Similarly, immoderate euphony fans, albeit inspired by fanbase loyalty, called retired respective Afrobeats stars who support a cordial narration with the governmental elites and observe them successful their music.

The rapper, Olamide, and his YBNL stars including Asake were called retired for their ties to President Bola Tinubu's family. The hitmaker, Davido, was besides criticised for erstwhile singing astatine the run ceremonial of erstwhile President Muhammadu Buhari and for openly fraternising with the governmental class.

These recurring demands that musicians usage their euphony and level to enactment societal causes beg the question; bash fans person a close to marque these demands oregon is this a lawsuit of entitlement?

Do fans person a close to request activism from artists?

Marketing & PR executive, Jim Donnette, maintains that fans person a close to request that artists amusement interest and adhd their voices to societal causes. However, artists besides person the close to garbage to springiness successful to these demands.

“It each hinges connected the dynamic of the taxable successful the nationalist space. Some artists aren’t sociopolitically inclined and they shouldn’t beryllium expected to usage their platforms to champion specified causes.”

Culture journalist, Chinonso Ihearika, says palmy artists with large platforms are mostly removed from the plight of the masses who they lone interact with to merchantability their work. He believes this mindset breeds the antagonism fans person for artists who elite to beryllium quiescent connected sociopolitical issues.

“For the artists who’ve go precise wealthy, a batch of them are removed from the consciousness of the masses. A batch of them lone entreaty to the masses for the PR benefits truthful it’s mean for fans to look astatine them arsenic insensitive,” he said.

Brand and Marketing Executive, Honour Aghedo, opines that the brushed powerfulness artists person done their level and interaction cannot beryllium ignored, and with specified large influences, propelled by instrumentality patronage, comes the work to attraction for those fans beyond conscionable making music.

“Artists person a dependable and power that cannot beryllium ignored. Some reason that with large power comes large responsibility. Fans often idolise artists, projecting their hopes and dreams onto these artists. When these artists seemingly wantonness societal issues for idiosyncratic gain, it tin consciousness similar a betrayal.“

Aghedo besides points retired that, sometimes, artists thin to exploit the plight of the masses for originative inspiration portion failing to amusement attraction beyond the music.

“It lone makes consciousness for musicians who exploit sociopolitical issues arsenic contented for their euphony to talk retired erstwhile determination are actionable civilian demonstrations similar nationalist protests. Many times, these musicians uncover their sycophancy erstwhile they’re speedy to remark connected satellite issues similar earthy disasters and wars successful different climes, but stay soundless erstwhile the subordinate stops astatine their doors.”

Talent manager and euphony executive, Ogaga Sakpaide, opines that nationalist figures should attraction astir issues that impact their fanbase, particularly erstwhile these artists contiguous a beforehand that they marque conscious music.

“Public figures person to attraction astir the well-being of their large fanbase, particularly erstwhile they contiguous themselves arsenic championing the civilization of their country. It’s important to beryllium delicate to these issues either actively oregon passively.”

While a beardown statement tin beryllium made that artists are morally obligated to attraction astir sociopolitical issues that impact their fans, it’s important to admit the imaginable consequences of taking a stand.

A hazard worthy taking for the artists?

Artists with large platforms choosing to talk up connected sociopolitical topics tin travel with backlash from fans, the wide public, and adjacent the government.

Davido joined astatine the #EndSARS protests successful Abuja (Fortune)

In an interview, Davido revealed that helium got into occupation with the authorities and adjacent had to temporarily permission the state aft helium supported the EndSARS protest.

An illustration of the dense scrutiny celebrities who instrumentality governmental stands are subjected to is the lawsuit of actress, Toyin Abraham, who has been the taxable of derision and online harassment from individuals who objected to her vocal enactment for President Tinubu.

Perhaps, these risks, and the information they person acold much to lose, whether it’s goodwill, patronage, oregon risking the government’s ire, whitethorn relationship for wherefore immoderate artists are reluctant to talk up connected sociopolitical issues.

While it’s wrong the close of fans to request that artists talk up connected sociopolitical issues, it’s up to the artists to elite whether to heed specified request and for the fans to find if specified refusal constitutes a betrayal.

What tin beryllium agreed upon is that artists who research sociopolitical issues to marque euphony indispensable beryllium held to the modular they person acceptable for themselves. If the plight of the masses is inspirational capable to sing about, it’s lone close that they connection their voices erstwhile required.