Why Should You Care About Music In Nollywood? Our New Documentary Provides Answers

Sounds of Nollywood reaffirms the importance of film music composers in the Nigerian film industry and also calls for more expansion in the space.

The making and arrangement of sound in film remains one of the most under-reported parts of the Nollywood filmmaking process and we have teamed up with We Talk Sound to expand the conversation about it.

In a new documentary series that highlights the importance of sound production and design, we are taking the audience behind the scenes to help them experience the factors that influence the way music and sound are used in Nollywood films.

The documentary, Sounds of Nollywood, explores Nollywood’s soundscape like never before, especially the use of music in some of the industry’s biggest projects including Anikulapo, The Black Book, Jagun Jagun, Collision Course and Battle on Buka’s Street.

The project features some of Nollywood’s best and brightest music composers:

• Ava Momoh (Collision Course, Over the Bridge, Cake).

• Anu Afolayan ( Aníkúlápó, Swallow, Citation).

• Kulanen Ikyo (The Black Book, Blood Sisters, Lionheart, Okafor’s Law, October 1).

• Tolu Obanro ( Jagun Jagun, Gangs of Lagos, Battle on Buka Street, Brotherhood, King of Thieves).

• Clement ‘DJ Klem’ Kuponu (Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre, Halima’s Choice, Lady Buckit & The Motley Mopsters, Fishbone). 

With Sounds of Nollywood, we invite audiences to explore the intricate art of sound design and music composition in Nigerian cinema. Watching Ava Momoh talk about the sonic palette in film, Kulanen Ikyo explain the intersection of music and storytelling and  Tolu Obanro demonstrate his fascination with the sound in Niyi Akinmolayan’s House of Secret would make anyone begin to view the Nollywood soundscape in film in a completely new light.

From traditional rhythms to contemporary beats, our series delves into the diverse sonic landscape of Nollywood, showcasing the unique blend of cultural influences and artistic expressions that define the sounds in the industry’s most pivotal projects. For example, viewers are given a glimpse to Anu Afolayan’s process of making the sound in Kunle Afolayan’s Anikulapo cut across and impact viewers regardless of where they are from. They see how critical it was for the sound not to lose the essence of the original cultural element in the story while still appealing to a global audience.

Sounds of Nollywood also reaffirms the importance of film music composers to the industry and calls for more expansion in the space.

The documentary is currently streaming here.