Waka music

Waka music is a popular Islamic-oriented Yoruba musical genre.^[1] Under the umbrella of Àpàlà, itself an 'Islam-influenced genre' of Yoruba music.^[2] This musical genre was created by women in exclusive networking groups within marketplaces.^[3] Particularly, it was made popular by Alhaja Batile Alake from Ijebu in the 1950s, who took the genre into the mainstream Nigerian music by playing it at concerts and parties; also, she was the first waka singer to record an album. The tradition of performing waka music in public spaces can be seen as a representation of its importance in ceremonial proceedings as well, such as naming ceremonies, marriages, and births.^[4]

The traditional Yoruba instruments used to play Waka music include the following: Seeli, Iya-ilu Dundun, Sekere and Agogo.^[5] Drum sets are ubiquitously found in Yoruba instruments and the Sekere as well as Agogo can be classified as such.^[6] Interestingly, the Iya-ilu Dundun is considered the "mother" of all instruments, and is thus the leader of the instruments; she also has been considered by critics/musicians to have much more expressive freedom than the other musical tools.^[7] In addition, the 5-note pentatonic scale and modal melodies are the primary characteristics of waka music.^[8] One major musician who employed these musical tactics is Ayinla Omo Alayan, who used music to meditate on the social and cultural aspects of Yoruba life. In later days, the 90s to be precise, a lot more Musicians with the Qur'anic front came on board and one to stand out is El-hadj wasiu Kayode Sideeq and his wife, Hajia Hafsat Sideeq. He is now popularly known as BabaNwaka (father of Waka), with his music being Islamic-centered. Later, younger singers like Salawa Abeni and Kuburatu Alaragbo joined the pack. In 1992, Salawa Abeni was crowned "Queen of Waka" by the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.^[9]

Being that waka music is considered a musical form rooted in Islam, it's also important to note its place within the religion. Generally speaking, Islamic legal traditions have differing interpretations about the permissibility of music. On the one hand, naysayers feel as though the Holy Qu'ran does not support such expressions. On the other hand, believers advocate for the intimate correspondence of music and Islam. This is primarily because of the phenomenon of adhan, or call to prayer, within Islam.^[10] Call to prayer involves highly rhythmic as well as sonically aestheticizing sounds, almost resembling a song. This style of recitation can even be traced back to "the days of Mohammed's teachings through the process of oral tradition."^[11] Concerning waka specifically, some believe that it is a musical style that humbly admires God.^[12] In this light, it has also been described as a genre of Islamic praise poetry. Song lyrics contain content matter such as admiring Islamic ethics and denouncing African traditional religions.^[13]

In contemporary Yoruba society, Yoruba muslim musicians continue to evolve their respective musical styles. Scholars have noted instances of interfaith musical collaboration in southwestern Nigeria. Some Yoruba Muslim musicians have participated in joint recordings and performances with Christian gospel artists. In such projects, performers from both religious institutions use music as a vehicle for promoting religious tolerance.^[14] For example, in "You cannot fight for God" by Idayat Ajogberu and Samuel Ajagunla, the two artists rejoice "Religious war is unacceptable. / Ayeloyun is proclaiming Allah / Tumisile is proclaiming Jesus / Walking the pathway of faith is the best."^[15] Note that the original song is sung in Yoruba. It may also be helpful to note that Waka music has no connection whatsoever with the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup called Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) which is a traditional African soldiers' song from Cameroon.

Raheem, O. 2020. "Waka Music," in Daily Life of Women: An Encyclopedia from Ancient Times to the Present, eds. Colleen Boyett, H. Micheal Tarver & Mildred Diane Gleason (Bloomsbury Publishing). ISBN 9781440846922