At the recently held Spotify GreasyTunes event in Lagos, cultural journalist and writer Jide Taiwo hosted two key conversations exploring how Nigerian artists are reinterpreting heritage in contemporary music.
In one session, Taiwo sat down with Vector and Spinall for a discussion on the Eyo masquerade of Lagos and cultural symbolism in modern music. The panel unpacked how artists continue to draw from Yoruba traditions, particularly the Eyo masquerade and its place in Lagos folklore, to shape their sound, imagery, and performance identity. For Vector and Spinall, both deeply rooted in Lagos culture, the conversation revealed how indigenous references still pulse beneath the surface of Nigeria’s globally dominant pop sound.
Later, Taiwo hosted a fireside chat with Adekunle Gold, whose new album Fuji has reignited conversation around the genre’s legacy and contemporary relevance. The exchange offered a glimpse into Adekunle Gold’s creative evolution and explored how Fuji music bears the inspiration for his music career, as well as the framework for his new album.
Together, the two sessions highlighted an ongoing dialogue within Nigerian music: how to balance innovation with identity, and how to reinterpret cultural memory without losing its essence. Taiwo’s moderation lent the much-needed context and cultural depth to the conversations, which might otherwise have been framed simply as entertainment.
The Spotify GreasyTunes event, which gathered artists, producers, and tastemakers from across the Nigerian music industry, reaffirmed how strongly traditional culture continues to shape modern artistry. For Taiwo, who has spent much of his career documenting Nigeria’s musical and cultural evolution, including his most recent book, ‘K1 De Ultimate: A Legacy Secured,’ it was another moment in a growing archive of how the past and present continually converse in African pop culture.
