By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

Nigeria and South Korea have strengthened cultural and creative industry ties as Korean music producers and Nigerian artistes staged a live collaboration concert tagged “K Music Production x Afrobeats” in Abuja.

Hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria, KCCN, on Thursday, the event featured Korean vocal coach Seo Yena, Korean music producer and composer Lee Haneung, and Nigerian artiste FirstKlaz, who worked on a collaborative song performed live.

Seo Yena said her first connection with Nigeria was in 2024 when she came as a vocal teacher for Nigerians in the KCCN programme.

She said the experience made her more interested in Afrobeats.

She said, “I had first connection with Nigeria in 2024. Actually, I was the vocal teacher for the Nigerians in this KCCN in 2024.

“I got more interested in Afrobeats. So I did the researches and I also wrote that this is about Afrobeats music.

“I got to feel that I really likes this Afrobeats music and wants to connect the Korean people with Afrobeats music,” she said.

On the sound, the Korean team said they intentionally blended Afrobeats and Korean pop.

“For the Afrobeats, I felt it’s more like a chill, and having not very big range of the pitch. However, for the Korean music, it’s all about more being clear, and also having more powerful, and the climax.”

Producer Lee Haneung described the partnership as a major opportunity.

He said, “The partnership with Nigerians is a big challenge for me. And it also feels like a challenge.

“These days Afrobeats music in the world music market is gaining more and more popularity. And also that’s why we can find in K pop music, there’s a lot of Afrobeats music. But right now, it’s more about like loaning them, like borrowing them.

“I wants to feel the sincerity of the real Afrobeats music. And I wants to make the fair ecosystem for both K pop music and Afrobeats music ecosystem.”

Nigerian artiste FirstKlaz said he embraced the collaboration because of his interest in Korean music.

“I’m a lover of K pop music, so when I got the email about the collaboration, I was happy to do it,” he said.

He described the studio experience as positive, adding: “It was great, like the energy, so pure… it was nice, and I enjoyed doing it.”

FirstKlaz said: “I wrote and I sang.”

On the release timeline, he said: “It’s not mine, so I don’t know the dates… we have to have that discussion first before we get to it.”

KCCN said the collaborative song is targeted for commercial release, adding that more partnerships with Nigerian artistes are expected.