Musical Mediation, Social Integration and Peace Building in Nigeria: A Critical Analysis of Yemi Alade’s Stand Together
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Nigeria’s complex ethnic and religious landscape continues to generate tensions that demand culturally grounded approaches to peacebuilding. This study examines Yemi Alade’s Stand Together, a pan‑African collaborative song released during the COVID‑19 pandemic, to explore how contemporary popular music can contribute to conflict transformation and social integration. Drawing on theories of musical mediation, conflict transformation, and African cultural humanism, the study employs qualitative musical analysis supported by interpretive insights from three experts in African popular music, ethnomusicology, and music‑and‑society research. Their perspectives illuminate how stylistic hybridity, participatory aesthetics, and affective experience shape the song’s social meaning. The analysis shows that Stand Together weaves Afrobeat idioms, multilingual vocality, rhythmic interdependence, and transnational collaboration into a sonic narrative of solidarity, resilience, and collective responsibility. These musical strategies extend the song’s impact beyond entertainment, positioning it as an informal peace education resource that models inclusive citizenship and pan‑African cohesion. By demonstrating how musical structure and collaborative authorship can foster empathy and shared identity, the study contributes to scholarship in African popular music, peace studies, and music education. It highlights the strategic potential of contemporary musical practices to cultivate civic consciousness and support sustainable peace.
Authors: F., Ezeugwu, Agbo, B., Authority, O. A. U.
Subfield: Music
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7138944243