VOA标准英语2013--Tribal Languages, Economic Woes Inspire Nigerian Music

Tribal¹ Languages, Economic Woes² Inspire Nigerian Music

Success in the arts may be a long shot, but in a country where most people live in poverty, Nigerian musicians say it could be their best and only shot. 

Ifeyinwa Samuel Ndukwu, known to her fans as Ify De Diva, is the lead singer with Heroes Band International, an Afro-Pop band in the Nigerian capital, where the impoverished³ live side-by-side with the enormously wealthy. She says young artists make guest appearances with her in order to pick up new gigs.

“As they are featuring with my band, maybe they are engaged on a show. Somebody may see them to engage them for a performance. Maybe people will give them something, a reasonable thing. But it’s better than to steal," she said. 

Like many musicians, bass⁴ player Olawale Akinduro needs a second job to survive. He plays with Heroes Band International using the name Waleman and says the music business in Nigeria is changing, with new role models emerging⁵ like the hip-hop Afro beat sensation⁶ 2Face Idibia. 

Traditionally, he says, Nigerian parents discouraged their children from going into the music business. 

“They don’t believe music is something you can make money with so they can put food on your table. Or that music is something that can make you achieve anything. Except these days that we now see people like 2Face, like the new guys that are coming up," he said. 

Other artists say modern music is dual-purpose in Nigeria. 

Babatunde Ayodare, known professionally as Dare Darela is one of Ify De Diva’s regular guests. He says his music, called "contemporary highlife/juju" is ethnic⁷ Yoruba with a modern Nigerian flare⁸. He hopes it will keep his ancient culture alive and may one day help his economy grow. 

“I want to use this music to help a lot of people, promote a lot of things and assist people even not from the music field," he said. 

These musicians say it’s not just about the money. With songs written in some of Nigeria’s hundreds of native languages, and dances said to be as old as Africa itself, these artists say, for them, it’s also about the love of music and their love for their country. 

1 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

2 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

3 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

5 emerging   

adj.正在不断出现的

参考例句：

• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。
• I saw the woman emerging out of a shop. 我看见那个妇女从商店里走出来。

6 sensation   

n.感觉，感知力，激动，轰动

参考例句：

• He lost all sensation in his legs through cramp.他的腿部因抽筋而失去知觉。
• Seeing him again after so many years was a strange sensation.那么多年以后又见到他，是一种不可思议的感觉。

7 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

8 flare   

v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发

参考例句：

• The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
• You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。