Veteran highlife legend Bright Chimezie, creator of the Zigima sound, has reflected on how the music industry has changed, highlighting the discipline and creativity of his generation.
Speaking on The Honest Bunch Podcast, Chimezie contrasted past and present approaches to music production.
He explained that, unlike many modern artistes who depend on producers and digital tools, musicians of his era came to the studio fully prepared and confident in their skills.
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“Before we went to the studio, we already mastered the craft, we knew the music and exactly what we wanted to do. We were not depending so much on the producer,” he said.
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He explained that producers had less workload back then because artists came with their own rhythm, direction, and complete musical arrangement.
“Back in the day, producers didn’t do too much work. If you were a good artist, you worked out the music within yourself. Most artists now come empty-handed—no direction, no rhythm. It gives the producer too much work, and that’s why most productions today sound alike,” he added.
Chimezie further noted that in his era, true musicianship was judged by an artist’s ability to play instruments and create unique sounds.
“If you have an instrument, you’ll be able to work out the song the way it plays inside you,” he said, recalling that during his early years, it sometimes took two to three hours to properly balance the drums before any recording began.
