Owerri Bongo

Owerri Bongo (Bongo/Igbo Bongo) is a style of Igbo highlife music that has its origins in the Igbo people of Owerri and spread around all Imo State, which is in eastern Nigeria. The musical style is

History#

The origins of Bongo music are not clear but it is believed that the sub-genre emerged during the 1980s and 1970s. The subgenre was popularised in the late 1970s by the Oriental Brothers International Band. Following the proliferation of pedal guitars in Nigerian music in the late 1970s the Oriental Brothers international band broadened the sub-genre by adding more complex guitar riffs with more emphasis on vocals.

Etymology#

Because of the heavy usage of drums in the sub-genre, it is believed that the term “Bongo” in Owerri Bongo got its name from the Bongo drum. In the Owerri dialect, bongos are known as “ogwe” (drum) which when hit makes a high-pitched sound.

Genre family: 20th-century music genres, 21st-century music genres
Region: Nigeria