Benin Journal of Music and the Arts . May 2026

This study addressed the persistent problem that musical artefacts are often defined narrowly as physical objects - a limitation that requires urgent attention as musical heritage increasingly expands across digital, embodied, and transnational contexts. It examined this gap by analysing a curated corpus of 120 musical materials using a conceptual–analytical design informed by material culture theory, intangible heritage studies, and ethnomusicology.

Music occupies a central position in religious worship and serves as a medium through which adherents express faith, hope, devotion, and 

Music education plays a significant role in cultural preservation, creativity development, talent cultivation, and national advancement. However, despite its recognised educational and socio-cultural value, music education in Nigeria has continued to experience persistent challenges that have adversely affected its growth and effectiveness at various levels of the educational system.

Music education plays a significant role in cultural preservation, creativity development, talent cultivation, and national advancement. However, despite its recognised educational and socio-cultural value, music education in Nigeria has continued to experience persistent challenges that have adversely affected its growth and effectiveness at various levels of the educational system.

This article compares the inclusion of Yoruba tonal and compositional principles in the music composition curricula of three universities in Southwest Nigeria, using a comparative document analysis approach. Selected for their differing backgrounds and emphases were three universities: Ajayi Crowther University, Obafemi Awolowo University and Olabisi Onabanjo University. The analysis of all three curricula involved categorising the titles of the individual courses into the following: Western, general African, Yoruba or Oyo-based and composition-designated.

This study examines the financial dynamics and risk management within Nigeria's evolving music industry, which is characterised by unpredictable revenue, digital changes, and informal market behaviours. Financial fluidity refers to the seamless creation, transfer, and reinvestment of financial resources throughout the value chain, including production, distribution, marketing, and performance. The paper explores how artistes, record labels, managers and distributors handle fluctuating income sources like streaming, royalties, live performances, endorsements, and digital platforms.

Gospel music is an integral part of Christian worship in Nigeria. It serves as an instrument of worship, evangelism, edification, and congregational participation. In recent times, paying gospel musicians (gospel music ministers) for their ministrations has become a contentious issue among the Christian populace in Nigeria, especially considering conflicting views of prominent clergymen and gospel music ministers on social media platforms.

Odòlayé Aremun is among few of Nigeran Artists in the south west of Nigeria whose brand of music (dadakúàdà) extols cultural heritage of the Yorubá. Textual dexterity is an identifiable and astounding feature that avidly defines this exponent’s musical aesthetic. Despite this artistic exploits, explicit and comprehensive scholarly attention has not been engaged in that regard.

The Àwórì, a Yorùbá sub-ethnic group, utilises a variety of traditional musical instruments in their music making.

In recent years, the convergence of culture, digital communication and corporate branding has gained much research interest. The use of cultural resources has become a key communication practice in a competitive environment as organisations look for innovative methods to connect with diverse audiences in a digital space.