Exploring the musical and cultural practices of Nigerian migrants in Lethbridge, Canada: a case study on community building

Abstract

Additional audiovisual examples are available from the author by request.This study investigated how Nigerian immigrants in Lethbridge, Alberta, use music to navigate questions of place, identity, and community in the diaspora. Given the nature of the study, an ethnographic fieldwork design was adopted. Fieldwork comprised participant observation at community events, including Ndi Igbo Day (Yam Festival), the Tehillah concert, Nigerian Independence Day, church gatherings, and birthday parties, along with interviews with five members of the Nigerian community. The study identified how music serves as a cultural pillar and adaptive mechanism. In response to challenges such as the unavailability of important traditional instruments and professional musicians, the community resorts to creative measures such as engaging and hiring members of the community to fill musical roles, and harnessing technology (e.g. loop pedals and DJ mixes) to aid in replicating the Nigerian soundscape. The study further highlighted how music establishes emotional well-being and intergenerational continuity, especially in religious and social events. Remarkably, events such as the Tehillah concert and Nigerian Independence Day celebrations reduce ethnic boundaries and divisions that exist back home in Nigeria and, therefore, give a common identity as “Nigerians” in Lethbridge. This study contributed to filling a scholarly gap in the study of Nigerian musical practices in the diaspora, addressing ways in which diasporic groups are negotiating culture preservation, cultural change, and integration. This study therefore advanced discussions on music, migration, and belonging by putting the voices of Nigerian immigrants at the centre