Music Society of Nigeria

Music Society of Nigeria
Name	Music Society of Nigeria
Founded	1970s
Founder	Chief Ermando O. Rarukwu
Headquarters	Lagos
Location	Nigeria
Region served	Nigeria
Membership	musicians, composers, scholars
Leader title	President

Music Society of Nigeria is a professional association founded to promote Nigerian music performance, composition, scholarship, and cultural preservation. The Society connects practitioners across regions including Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, and interfaces with institutions such as the University of Lagos, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Troupe of Nigeria to support festivals, pedagogy, and policy initiatives. It has played a role in national conversations involving the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, Nigerian Ministry of Culture, and major cultural events like the Festival of Arts and Culture (Festac '77).

History

The Society emerged in the wake of post-independence cultural organization movements that included contemporaries such as the Anglican Church of Nigeria music programs, the Nigerian National Symphony Orchestra initiatives, and efforts by figures linked to the University of Ibadan ethnomusicology faculty. Early leaders collaborated with composers and educators associated with Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Ikoli Harcourt Whyte archivists, and scholars influenced by Akin Euba and J. H. Kwabena Nketia methodologies. Key historical moments involved partnerships during the Second World Festival of Negro Arts era, engagements with the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), and responses to media reforms prompted by the Nigerian Communications Commission regulatory changes.

Organization and Structure

The Society maintains a national executive committee patterned after similar bodies like the Performing Right Society and the Musicians' Union of Nigeria. Its governance includes regional chairs in locations such as Kano, Enugu, and Kaduna, and specialized commissions echoing structures in the International Music Council and International Society for Music Education. Institutional affiliates include conservatories and departments at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ahmadu Bello University, and private bodies like the Kalakuta Republic-era collectives. Funding streams have included grants from foundations akin to the Ford Foundation and programmatic support involving the British Council.

Activities and Programs

Programming spans performance series, schools outreach, and festival curation comparable to the Muson Festival and collaborations with ensembles such as the Lagos Camerata and the Nigerian Youth Symphony Orchestra. Workshops have featured masterclasses by artists associated with King Sunny Adé, Oliver De Coque, and contemporary composers linked to Babatunde Olatunji legacies. The Society organizes competitions modeled on the All-Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) framework, convenes symposiums similar to those at the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), and curates archival projects with museums like the National Museum, Lagos.

Publications and Research

The Society publishes journals and bulletins paralleling outputs from the African Music Journal and the Journal of the Musicological Society of Nigeria tradition, disseminating articles from scholars who have lectured at institutions such as University of Ilorin and Ile-Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University). Research collaborations have involved ethnomusicologists in networks connected to SOAS University of London, Institute of African Studies (University of Ibadan), and projects referencing fieldwork by researchers influenced by Simha Arom and Moses A. O. Akinyemi. The Society's archival initiatives preserve recordings akin to collections at the British Library Sound Archive and documentation efforts like those at the Smithsonian Institution.

Awards and Recognition

The Society administers prizes and honors modeled after national awards such as the Nigerian National Order of Merit and the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic. Laureates include practitioners whose careers intersect with names like Chief Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) recipients and artists celebrated at the Headies and Nigeria Entertainment Awards. Institutional recognition has come through collaborations with the National Theatre, Iganmu and patronage from figures associated with the Nigerian Presidency cultural offices.

Membership and Chapters

Membership categories reflect professional and student tiers comparable to structures in the Musicians' Union of Nigeria and the Performing Right Society of Nigeria. Active chapters operate in university towns including Nsukka, Zaria, and Makurdi, and maintain partnerships with music departments at the University of Port Harcourt and conservatoires inspired by models from the Royal Academy of Music. The Society liaises with unions and guilds such as the Actors Guild of Nigeria where interdisciplinary collaboration occurs.

Impact and Criticism

The Society's influence is evident in curricular reforms at institutions like University of Benin and cultural policy dialogues involving the National Assembly, but it has faced critique regarding representation, transparency, and responsiveness to grassroots practitioners in communities around Calabar and the Niger Delta. Critics compare its outcomes to international counterparts like the European Music Council and question effectiveness vis-à-vis industry bodies such as the Nigerian Copyright Commission and the Creative Nigeria Project. Debates continue about balancing archival preservation with contemporary industry needs exemplified by tensions seen at events like the Calabar Carnival.

Category:Music organizations based in Nigeria Category:Nigerian cultural organizations