Popular music preservation and adaptation: A case study of E.C. Arinze's selected highlife compositions

This study examines the dynamics of popular music preservation and adaptation in Nigeria through a case study of E. C. Arinze's selected highlife compositions. Highlife, a popular music genre born in West Africa, has played a significant role in shaping Nigeria's musical identity. E. C. Arinze, a highlife music legend and veteran, made remarkable contributions to the evolution of highlife music since Nigeria’s pre-independent era. Although Nigerian popular music has been, and continues to be, preserved and adapted in various ways,documenting them through standard music notation is not frequently used. This study employed a case study research design focused on E. C. Arinze and his music. Two (samples) of his original compositions were selected and preserved via notation, while adapting his highlife ideas into choral and orchestral music formats. Through notation and analysis of his selected original works and adapted works, this study reveals the strategies employed by the researcher in preservation and adaptation, in order to ensure the continued relevance of highlife music in these contemporary times. The recommendations propose that popular music should be formally notated using musical notation as part of a broader strategy for its preservation. Additionally, composers and arrangers are encouraged to create new adaptations of highlife and other Nigerian popular music genres, ensuring these developments stay rooted in historical and cultural contexts while appealing to modern audiences.