Alhaji Waziri Oshomah begins his sermon before a dancing crowd. His lyrics warn about the vice of jealousy—how it causes hypertension, and even kills—but the congregation is here to get down. We’re in a small part of Edo State in southern Nigeria called Afenmailand, which is known for being a harmonious region where Muslims and Christians live—and dance—together. The atmosphere is one of enjoyment, excitement, and pleasure, because to see Waziri perform is to be addressed, body and soul.
A devout Muslim and a pillar in his local community, Alhaji Waziri Oshomah makes a unique form of dance music that’s fused with local folk styles, pan-Nigerian highlife and Western pop, creating a singular sound that epitomises Afenmailand’s ethos of togetherness. His lyrics are reflective and philosophical—they draw on Judeo-Christian and traditional imagery to speak of piety and reverence, conveying Islamic values such as humility and modesty in a way that everybody, no matter their belief or religion, ca
The Muslim Highlife of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah is the third volume of Luaka Bop’s World Spirituality Classics series, originally initiated to offer some form of positivity. It follows the acclaimed releases of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda’s ecstatic music, and private press gospel soul compilation The Time For Peace Is Now in spreading a global message of musical togetherness. Both were awarded Best New Reissue in Pitchfork, with the former described by the New York Times as “sacred.”