CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Music is a lot like alcohol and drugs. It can be very influencing and destructive when misused. It can distort one’s emotions, reasoning, judgment, perspective and behaviour Peer pressure only makes it worse.”(Proctor, 2003) Music is an imperative medium through which philosophies, emotions and agendas are conveyed. Since the earliest times, man has often expressed his or her feelings through music. The musical themes are often a reflection of societal issues that manifest in the worldview of the musicians, their audience and the geopolitical environment that they find themselves.
Nigeria as a nation is increasingly witnessing the projection of musical competition amongst youths by communication companies, thereby making it an important means to fame and wealth creation. This paper assesses the often neglected theme, which is the place of contemporary music in relation to good governance and national security. There is an inter-penetration of different organic relations in the determination of good governance, and national security outcomes. Scholars have shown that many sectors and organic issues often blend together to ensure good governance and national security. The power of music to produce behavioural changes in man remains a neglected tool for good governance. Music is used to influence individual and group behaviours in different ways. There is often the transmission of soft influence on man by the power of musical sounds and messages. Man tends to admire, appreciate and listen to music because of its effect on man’s existential feelings. This is because music often generates powerful emotions in man. Sometimes, music effects extra-ordinary influence on man, which creates high emotional appeal that could be momentary beyond the control of musical audience. It is not unfamiliar to see people of all echelons of the society as they play certain musical tones aimed at enhancing their effectiveness in whatever they are doing. Music is often played to generate a powerful intangible force of creativity and productivity. Consequently, music could be used in the same light to build peaceful political socialization and integrate the Nigerian society into improving opposition to national violence and insecurity that is growing on a daily basis. This act of peace building and socialization could be achieved when the different musical artistes begins to increase performance on topical issues that would enhance durable peace in the Nigerian society. In the pre-colonial times, individuals, groups and communities that were once engaged in conflict, uses music as a post-conflict peace mechanism for post-conflict transformation and reconciliation. Okafor (2005) defines music, precisely, “as a system of expression which uses sound, rhythm and time. Its effect is perhaps the most important feature and the very reason for its existence” Looking at it critically, one would see that the relationship between social life and musical styles are illuminated in many cases by the dynamics of music as seen in situations of change either for good or bad. Nigeria is presently in a situation of increasing conflict and terrorism that calls for change. Societal changes can be promoted by music artistes when the lyrics of their songs begin to capture issues of sociocultural, political and economic issues of Nigeria that needs to be turned-around, in order to attain good governance and national security in the country
