A discourse on Yoruba contemporary highlife music compositional techniques employed in tiwa savage’s “One” music

Highlife music is a popular musical genre in Nigeria, and it has a long and rich history dating back to the early 20th century. It is typically danceable and incorporates elements of traditional African music, as well as jazz and Western styles. Highlife music has been a significant part of Yoruba culture for decades, serving as a source of entertainment, expression, and cultural identity. The music has undergone significant transformations in recent years which have metamorphosed into Afro-beats incorporating different compositional techniques employed by various musical artists. This study discusses the contemporary compositional techniques employed in Tiwa Savage’s “One”music. It used a qualitative research method to gather data through the review of related literature, interviews, analysis, and observation of highlife music performances. Findings from this study reveal that contemporary Yoruba highlife music employs simple chord progressions, with a mix of major and minor chords. It often features syncopation and uses a blend of traditional Yoruba melodies and rhythms with modern vocal styles. The paper concludes that lots have changed in the compositional techniques of Yoruba Highlife music in contemporary times. However, traditional elements of Yoruba music are still sustained in the contemporary Yoruba highlife music today.