The Dichotomy Between Fela Aníkúlápó-Kuti's Revolutionary Iconicity and Wizkid's Global Stardom in the Nigerian Popular Music Continuum

Abstract

Among Nigerian music enthusiasts, a recurring debate exists over the erroneous tendency to use the titles ‘revolutionary icon’ and ‘global superstar’ interchangeably, whereby a revolutionary icon is mislabelled as a global superstar, and vice versa. This study arises from fans’ reactions on social media to Seun Kuti’s recent livestream session, examining the dichotomy between two iconic artists in the Nigerian music continuum (Fela Aníkúlápó-Kuti and Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, alias Wizkid). This is with a view to shedding light on the differences between the archetype of the revolutionary icon and the global superstar, drawing on Olaniyan’s (2004) postcolonial theory and Emielu’s (2018) progressive traditionalism. The study employs a qualitative research design, drawing on both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected through unstructured interviews with twelve participants. The sample consisted of six randomly selected fans for each artist, drawn equally from Osun, Oyo, and Lagos states, which are the hubs of the Nigerian music industry. The study also drew extensively on secondary sources, including books, journal articles, magazines, newspapers and online materials. A netnographic analysis of fan discourse was conducted across social media platforms, particularly Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter), to capture fans' perspectives within their digital communities. Findings revealed that while both titles command immense influence and recognition in the musical landscape, their influence stems from different sources. The study concludes that equating a revolutionary icon with a global superstar misconstrues artistic legacy, as each title represents a distinct, powerful, and legitimate path to cultural influence.