From the Djembe to the Kora, from the balafon to the Sodina, Africa, famous for its emblematic musical instruments with their authentic sounds, is slowly but surely making its way onto the international music scene. With a passion for music, Ezekiel Olaleye embarked on an adventure in 2005. To build an electric guitar made in Africa. His company, Instruments of Africa, is now one of the continent’s flagship musical instrument manufacturers.
Ezekiel Olaleye, with his haggard eyes and strained ears, seems to be lost in the notes distilled by Lagos, one of his first electric guitars that remind him of his native Nigeria. This young entrepreneur, promoter of Instruments of Africa set up in 2016, dreams of just one thing: to celebrate the diversity and identity of the African continent on the international stage not just through traditional musical instruments but through an industry capable of offering locally made contemporary gadgets.
“This started many years ago. I used to cut one by myself. The first one took me 2 months.I think for me it’s just knowing that all the music we play in Africa, all the instruments that we use to record some of this great music were not designed by Africans…So with this instrument we want to change the narrative of music in Africa and not just that but also to show that Africa has the innovation power and the creative mind to do things and to make things happen.”
Ezekiel Olaleye, CEO of Instruments of Africa – Nigeria
Inspiring and exciting, Africa, the cradle of humanity, has a rich and diverse cultural heritage. A wealth that, in the opinion of some experts, represents a niche of opportunity for the sustainable development of the continent. With this in mind, Ezekiel Olaleye, ennobled by his passion for music, left his job in the finance sector to start making musical instruments. Today, his collection of 9 electric guitars in the shape of Africa is one of the jewels in the crown of the music industry made in Africa.
“Initially we released 54 representing every country on the continent, so far we released 9 and subsequently we will release the rest and every country will have a copy. ”
Ezekiel Olaleye, CEO of Instruments of Africa – Nigeria
The advantage of these electric guitars designed and manufactured by Instruments of Africa is that they can be used for any musical genre: hip-hop, reggae, dancehall, afro-pop, jazz and many others. Today, the modernisation of traditional musical instruments is a fascinating subject that raises some important questions. Should traditional African musical instruments be modernised or not, given that they play an essential role in affirming Africa’s musical identity and are increasingly used in the compositions of the modern music industry?
