Akin Nathan’s Ijama: the forgotten heroes of Nigerian Afro-Disco

(Credits: Far Out / Premier Records)

It might have risen from the urban nightclub scene of the United States, but the euphoric sounds of disco quickly proved itself to have something of a universal appeal. From the dance floors of Studio 54 to the grey drizzle of Northern England, few places were free from the glitz and glamour of the disco world. An often overlooked sub-genre of the disco revolution, however, arose from the vibrancy of the Nigerian musical landscape, of which Akin Nathan’s Ijama was an undisputed hero.

Nigeria has always had a prolific and innovative musical scene, going back hundreds of years. During the 20th century, amid a period of tumultuous politics and social change, many artists within the West African nation used music and art to either rebel against authoritarian governments or distract themselves from the growing presence of conflict and violence within their nation. This time saw the emergence of seminal artists like Fela Kuti, William Onyeabor and Celestine Ukwu, as well as unique styles of Igbo highlife and Fuji music.

With a wealth of prolific artists arising from Nigeria during the 1970s and 1980s, it was easy for certain figures to fall through the cracks. However, the entire style of Afro-Disco seemed to fall through the cracks, not affording the same beloved reputation as styles like Fuji. Nevertheless, the world of Afro-Disco is well worth a reappraisal, as it combines the distinctive groove of New York nightclubs with the celebrated sounds of traditional Nigerian music to create something particularly innovative and original.

Within Nigeria’s Afro-Disco scene, there were few musicians as capable and passionate as Akin Nathan. One of the greatest saxophonists in the entirety of West Africa, Nathan first appeared on the scene in the mid-1970s, playing on Afrobeat, highlife and funk records by artists like Sonny Okosuns or Dan Ian. His distinctive tenor tones can be heard on many notable Afrobeat albums throughout the decade, but his magnum opus arrived in 1982 on the only record released by his short-lived group Akin Nathan’s Ijama.

Entitled Sweet Country, the Polydor-released album is an undisputed masterpiece of the Afro-Disco age, yet it was left to rot in relative obscurity until recent years. Until 2023, the album had only received one pressing, exclusive to the Nigerian market, meaning that the world at large was mostly ignorant of the incredible music encased within its grooves. Thankfully, though, American record label Bring It Back reissued the album last year, over four decades after its initial release.

The recent reissue allows new generations to immerse themselves in the tenor sax of Akin Nathan, whose album remains as compelling, original and infectious today as it was back in the 1980s. Blurring the boundaries between 1980s disco and traditional Nigerian rhythms, the album is a particular highlight of the overlooked Afro-Disco movement and might just be one of the greatest disco records of all time.

Although Sweet Country was the only album ever released by Akin Nathan’s Ijama, it is difficult to envision how the saxophonist would have sought to improve upon the record. It allowed Nathan to build upon his many years immersed in the world of Afrobeat and highlife, modernising his performance and pioneering an entirely new musical style.

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Sourced From Nigerian Music