The Cavemen Is Reviving Highlife In Nigeria - Editorial

Forum 2 years ago

The Cavemen Is Reviving Highlife In Nigeria - Editorial

Last year, an album from a debutant music group in the Nigerian music scene claimed the Alternative Album of the Year award at the Headies award show in Lagos, Nigeria.

The album 'Roots', the debut album from The Cavemen shocked the entire industry when it was crowned the Alternative Album of the Year at the headies. "Roots", is a 16-tracks body of work filled with contemporary highlife tunes. The Highlife album by The Cavemen was released on 21 August 2020 was written, vocalized, and produced by The Cavemen. Lady Donli served as the executive producer.

Kingsley and Benjamin Okorie who are best known as The Cavemen, from Lagos, are on a mission to bring Highlife back to a new generation. “Highlife is back! And he's back on steroids, ”Kingsley enthuses me during our zoom call. The band reminds us of the greatness of our past. With each song, they show us that there is no better time than now to embrace the legacy of those who have walked the path before us.

They are literally occupying a vacuum left by the likes of Osita Osadebe, Bright Chimezie, etc. They perform highlife music not only for the old but for teenagers who were probably not born when the highlife legends whee still doing music. The Cavemen is gradually getting young lads to fall in with highlife again.

Back in the day, highlife was a music genre that was most appreciated by people in their late 50s to 90s. Young college and university students were unable to connect with the sound. Today, that is not the case. The Cavemen have been able to get even young teenagers to appreciate their Roots album.

In my opinion, they are reviving highlife in Nigeria.