ODYSSEY documentary to show Yoruba music’s global dominance, its 100 years of evolution

Movie director Abba T. Makama is set to release ODYSSEY, a documentary film that chronicles a hundred years of Yoruba music history, from its emergence as a popular category in the 1930s to its current global domination with today’s Afrobeats.

“The documentary will present Yoruba music through its key people, moments, and genres, like Sakara, Apala, Ajiwere, Fuji, Juju, Highlife, Afrobeats and more,” the synopsis read.

Presented by White House Pictures, ODYSSEY will organise Yoruba music’s chronological history through two time periods, pre- and post-colonial, and explore the influences religion, particularly Christianity and Islam, have had on the evolution of Yoruba music.

Through insightful interviews with key intellectuals, influencers, promoters, band members, and artistes, the documentary will narrate entertaining stories that bring the force of Yoruba music to life for a global audience.

ODYSSEY aims to provide an artistic presentation of Yoruba music that resonates with local and international audiences in both critical and mainstream circuits; ultimately becoming a marker in time that celebrates Yoruba music and culture, while charting new paths for its growth and relevance for future generations.

The documentary’s director, Makama, is known for his feature film debut ‘Green White Green’ which had a world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival in 2016. The film was also screened at over twenty international film festivals including Stockholm International Film Festival, Berlin Critics Week, and Carthage Film Festival.

Makama is also known for ‘The Lost Okoroshi’ which also premiered at TIFF 2019 and subsequently screened at BFI London Film Festival and The Berlin Critics Week 2020. The Lost Okoroshi was released on Netflix in 2020.