How Indigenous Record Companies Contributed to the Development of Nigerian Music Industry

The Nigerian music industry witnessed a dominance of recorded music from foreign labels in the 1960's to the 1970's. Some of these recording companies include Philips West Africa limited which later metamorphose to Polygram and currently Premier Music, The British owned Electric and Musical Industry popularly called EMI which is currently known as Ivory Music and Decca West Africa or Afrodisia Records.
These companies were later joined in the early 1980's by CBS later called Sony Music.
Together, these foreign owned companies were responsible for the recording and release of the major musical works of Nigerian artistes as well as the marketing of foreign music in Nigeria .

 

However in the late 1970's, Popular Apala musician Chief Haruna Isola had established Phonodisk Limited which had a record pressing factory in Ijegbu Igbo and employed ace producer as the production person there. Phonodisk innovated and recruited some of the top selling acts then including Kris Okotie, Bongos Ikwe,Amas Grill,Chief Sunny Ade, George Ema, Eric Kol among others.
 Kris Okotie in particular was a musical revelation of some sort who created adequate impetus for the positioning of the Indigenous Recording companies.

Following in the footsteps of Chief Ishola, Prince GAD Tabansi floated Tabansi Records which was responsible for the careers of Felix lebarty,Jide Obi,Ace in house produce Jake Sollo, Esbee Family and others. in the later part of the 80's, Tabansi records produced another in the Nigerian music industry in the person of Majek Fashek with the release of his debut 'Prisoner of Conscience'as well as 'save the masses' by Andy Shurman.
 Other indigenous Record companies of note will include Shanu Olu Records another Ijebu based company that released Terra Kota's debut 'lamentation for Sodom', Chris Robinson Recordings that released Chris Mba's debut 'Love Everlasting', Aba based Top Rank that launched the careers of Daniel Wilson and Alfa Kuffa, Time Records that introduced Oby Onyioha, Rogers All Star that brought to us some of the highlife greats including Prince Nico Mbarga, Supreme Disk that brought out Terry Mackson.
Several other imprint labes existed and together provided a rich catalog of hit songs that were recorded and produced by our indigenous record labels.