Thesis
Thesis Title & Description
Development of AI technologies to Preserve & Modernise African Jùjú Genre.
- Supervisor: Matthew Williams
My research is centred on developing a device that can preserve and convey the semantic meanings of the Yoruba Talking Drum within digital performances of the Jùjú genre. This effort seeks to indigenise Nigeria's music pedagogy, which has been largely shaped by Western influences, while also safeguarding the rich heritage of Jùjú music and other traditional Yoruba musical forms for future generations.
Biography
Biography
I am a scholar/practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in the production and performance industry as a self-employed multi-instrumentalist, tutor, consultant, mixing engineer, equipment supervisor and Live music entertainer. I have performed as a jùjú music mediator and practitioner-scholar in the UK, Nigeria, Italy, Denmark, Sri Lanka, Barbados, Canada, Kenya, Netherlands, and Ghana. I am currently researching how to mediate the Juju genre with new and emerging modern technology.
I hold a Scholar in Residence position at the School of ACT (Music) UoY, and I have been awarded The Sir Jack Lyons Scholarship. Additionally, I performed 'Jùjú Music at York' as part of the Concert Series.
M.A CMP, ICMP/UEL.
Graduated with a distinction in Creative Music Production.
Final Project (85%)
Juju Music Mediation: Negotiating Live Performance from A Cultural Perspective
B.A MUSIC, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA.
Graduated with a 2nd class upper division.
DIP, MUS. ED, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA
Graduated with credit.
Research
Research Interests
Popular Music; AI in Music Education; Decolonising Music Pedagogy; African Popular Music; Music Technology in the Classrooms, Yorùbá cultural Studies; Sonic identity in African Music; Music Information Retrieval; Ethnomusicology; Yorùbá Talking Drum.
External activity
External activity
2005 Till Present: FREELANCE MUSIC ENTERTAINER AND EVENT ORCHESTRATOR.
2013 – 2021: CONSULTING FOR TARRANTULA TUBRA, ITALY.
An active member of Tarantula Rubra; an Italian charity organisation that promotes national culture and goodwill across continents. I oversee music productions, presentations, teachings, and performances for various national and international tours. I continue to provide live Juju music entertainment for social, corporate, and religious events.
2022, Publication: JUJU MUSIC PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTION Sound
Mediation from the Cultural Perspective of Yorùbá Music Practice." In Audio
Engineering Society Convention 153. Audio Engineering Society, 2022.
2023, Paper Presentations:
Juju Music Performance: Africanising the Arranger Technology: Presented on 4th February 2023 at the IMT conference, Rhodes Island, Makhanda South Africa.
Street Music Meets Technology: A StreetLife Workshop on Afrobeat Making Workshop Presented at StreetLife Hub, Coney Street Presented at York on 5th June 2023.
Project: Decolonising African Sounds. An African Music Production Workshop for Underprivileged School-Age Children in Kenya, using globalised audio technologies for musical inspiration to empower underprivileged children by nurturing creativity and cultural pride through music. 22-29 July, 2023
The Use of Technologies for Creative Practice in The Art of Jùjú Music: Presented on 15th September 2023 at the Global Arts and Psychology Seminar, University of York UK.
Harnessing AI Potentials for Diaspora Juju Music Culture: Presented on 2Oth October 2023 at the University of West London Annual Black Music Symposium at the British Library, UK
Get Back: What does decolonised audio equipment, education, and research purpose look like? Panel discussion with Kirk McNally, Amandine Pras, Abdalah AG Amano, Jude Brereton, Kolawole Ganikale, and Éliézar Oudbar at the AES 2023 Education Workshop, Hasselt,
Belgium.
2024, Paper Presentations:
Juju Music: Technological Identity of a Cultural Genre: Presented on 11th January 2024 at the British Forum for Ethnomusicology (BFE) and Royal Musical Association (RMA) Research Students’ Conference, Cardiff, UK.
Jùjú Music Performance and Innovation: Africanising Western Technologies. Presented on 14th February 2024 at the School of Arts and Creative Technologies Research Seminar, University of York.
From Tradition to Collaboration: Technological Innovation in Jùjú Music Performance. Presented in collaboration with Jordie Shier on 29th February at the Creative Coding Lab workshop, University of Huddersfield, UK.
Navigating Challenges and Embracing Resilience to Achieve Research Objectives in Academic Pursuits. Presented on 22nd March 2024 at the York Africa Research Network (ARN) on Dignity as De-colonial Research Method.
Juju Music Technology: Innovative Approach to Cultural Preservation of Sonic Identity. Presented on 25th March 2024 at the AFRINUM Symposium, at EHESS Condorcet in Aubervilliers, France.
Jùjú Music at York: A showcase of the progress of my PhD research in a live performance at the Jack Lyons Concert Series in fulfilment of my residency and scholarship award on October 16, 2024.
