Afri-InLeo Initiative 24 - The Power of Music in Cultural Identity.

Checking back to this week's theme of the Afri-tunes initiative 24, I would say I love this topic which was created but the moderators and that is because music is a very versatile thing we do almost every day in our life, and it affects our daily activities one way or the other. On the aspect of culture, music really holds a big influence over culture and identity and this has spread across all the globe because a lot of people practice it in different ways which made it unique.

Music helps us to express ourselves and communicate our emotions and the core values we stand for. Although there are different kinds of beliefs which each culture has, day by making each culture stand out and having their own identity as music comes in between them to make it a stable one. In a country which has different states and citizens, each states as the culture and the way they practice their nouns and values which is done through music like the ceremony which they carry out seasonally depending on what this stand for.

For some culture for instance some parts of Nigeria we call them the Igbo, they are the eastern part of the country, they have some ceremony which they do to show their values and cultural identity through their lyrics and rhythms. These type of people in the eastern world of the country are known and are unique for this kind of music style, and music helps them to show a sense of belonging by allowing deep connections with the heritage and culture.

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Some part of the western part are known for their culture through music and ceremonies like the Ogun festival, sango and oya and many others which includes playing of music to showcase their prestige. Music would be so useless without our culture, and this is the best way we could show our identity. Imagine going to a place where they do a ceremony and without asking, you will be able to tell the culture and tribe they belong to. With that, music has helped to show our real identity.

Music helps us to blend into any culture we find ourselves, because you sometimes see that some white citizens aboard comes to Nigeria to witness some festival periods, especially the osun osogbo festival celebration which deals with singing and celebrating. Music inspires our life and helps provide a better understanding in every tradition.

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Like I said earlier, music can strengthen cultural pride, and also it can influence our social lives, and even shape our perception about life and why is that so, because for every song you listen to which has a real sense and meaning, they send a message across to everyone that listen to it.

In conclusion, in strengthening our personal identity and cultural heritage, that is why we travel from one place to another to celebrate our cultures together because we always love the music jamboree that comes with it. Sometimes it's not just about the celebration alone, but the music that promotes our culture and identity.

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