African Musician as Journalist: A Study of Ayinde Barrister’s Works

Abstract

This study was conducted to test the validity of contention that Sikiru Ayinde Barrister (SAB) music is journalism, particularly when its contents are juxtaposed with different sections of a newspaper or magazine.

Being a qualitative essay, copious quotations from SAB's works were done to test each unit of the analysis such as education, politics, news commentary, travel/tourism, editorial, poetry etc. A total of 13 albums representing 10% of SAB's works were selected and graded on their contents based on their suitability to each of the categories above. Findings however revealed that music of SAB is journalism. Apart from informing, educating and entertaining his audience, SAB also employed his music for agenda-setting and social responsibility purposes in media theoretical framework. The criticism aspect of his music had played the watch-dog and advocacy roles of the media on the populace and the government especially during the military juntas of Gen. Muhamadu Bihari, Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha respectively. The study found that selected works of traditional musicians such as Ayinde Barrister and Ayinla Omowura qualify journalism in structure and content.