After the war, music became a vehicle of recovery. Igbo highlife merged indigenous rhythms, call-and-response singing and instruments such as the ogene and udu with brass sections and electric guitars, and was influenced by Ghanaian highlife and Congolese styles.
Pioneers include Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, whose 1984 hit “Osondi Owendi” became an anthem of Igbo philosophy, and Oliver De Coque, famed for intricate guitar work and hits like “Biri Ka Mbiri” (“Live and Let Live”). Their legacy continues in contemporary Nigerian popular music, including artists such as Flavour N’abania and Phyno.