In “Bhangra Music and the Engendering of Diaspora”, Gayatri Gopinath speaks on how identity and culture is interpreted in music, namely Bhangra music outside of India. I thought of the culture I grew up in and how I can relate to this in terms of music and how it has been changed to be commodified.

In Nigeria, music has evolved in such a way that it is not nearly as traditional as a few decades ago to accommodate the younger generation. In Nigeria, music was mostly sung in traditional languages and was a political tool to unify the people in their struggle after colonialism and the effects of it. Over time it has become an art form to relate to the younger generations by the inclusion of English.

While there is change within Nigeria itself, there is also a disconnect outside Nigeria with what Nigerian music is, with the inclusion of rap, and African American rap artists to be commodified by the ‘Nigerian American’ audience. Today we see a significant amount of Nigerian songs with famous African American hip hop artists and the nomination of Nigerian artists in American award shows under the international music category. This shows how art has become commodified in music and the loss of cultural identity as we move towards American standards to be recognized. It is hard to recreate culture in Nigeria itself, talkless of outside Nigeria.

It can also be argued that the music in the west caters to the younger generation of Nigerian Americans/Canadians because of their difference in identity and experiences. With that, there still holds that it is impossible to recreate culture outside of its original space. It is also important to note the lack of authenticity in the music and a variety of other things that try to emulate culture.

References:

Gopinath, Gayatri. “”Bombay, U.K., Yuba City”: Bhangra Music and the Engendering of Diaspora.” Diaspora Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies 4.3 (1995): 303-21. Web.