Navigating Cultural Identity: Nigerian Music, Technology, and Social Integration in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Navigating Cultural Identity: Navigating Cultural Identity: Nigerian Music, Technology, and Social Integration in Lethbridge, Alberta. This study examines music among Nigerian immigrants in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It addresses the challenges faced in Nigerian music-making within the community, explores how alternative solutions were used to overcome these challenges, and investigates the role of music in daily life. Furthermore, it considers how music fosters connections among individuals in the Nigerian Canadian community—including between people of distinct ethnic groups—and links this community with other local groups. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted for my master’s thesis, the study argues that Nigerian immigrants in Lethbridge utilize technology, DJing, and the participation of amateur musicians to cultivate a sense of home and community among all Nigerians. The findings indicate that, in Lethbridge, technology has largely supplanted the traditional instruments used in live performances in Nigeria. Additionally, DJing has emerged as an alternative to live music, providing another means to imitate a live performance, given the challenges in replicating authentic musical expressions from Nigeria. These challenges include difficulties in obtaining traditional instruments and hiring professional musicians who represent Nigerian music. This is the first study to investigate the musical lives of Nigerian migrants in Alberta and aims to bridge a gap in research by expanding on current literature related to migration issues while creating opportunities for further exploration of the relationship between music, culture, and migration in this underrepresented region.