Sustaining Private Entertainment in Rural Nigeria: A Case Study of the Fabulous Orchestra and Community-Based Cultural Management

Abstract

This study investigates the management strategies and sustainability practices of the Fabulous Orchestra, a grassroots live music ensemble based in Araromi-Obu, a rural agrarian community in Ondo State, Nigeria. Founded in 1980 by a group of untrained farmers and performers, the Orchestra has evolved into a culturally embedded entertainment brand without access to formal funding, government support, or digital publicity tools. The research aims to understand how such informal cultural enterprises achieve longevity and social impact in underserved environments. Drawing on Peter Drucker’s management theory—particularly his emphasis on decentralised leadership and human-centred innovation—the study also engages with the concepts of cultural entrepreneurship and informal cultural administration. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with band members and community stakeholders, alongside survey questionnaires administered to a sample of 30 audience members. The findings reveal a management model rooted in shared leadership, traditional marketing methods, and a sponsorship-based revenue system sustained by community elites and diasporic patrons. The group’s commitment to youth mentorship and cultural preservation emerged as a key pillar of sustainability, reinforcing its role as both an entertainment provider and a cultural institution. This research contributes to discourses on rural creative economies, non-urban cultural production, and the informal arts sector. It advocates for greater policy recognition of rural-based cultural enterprises and argues that sustainable cultural development must incorporate indigenous knowledge systems, community participation, and locally responsive management practices.