A quick look at Afrobeats

The word Afro is not so hard to run into. It is generally used to identify and celebrate African culture and ideas. In this case, it names a musical culture unique to West Africa, particularly Nigeria and Ghana. 

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Afrobeats style developed as a fusion of the musical genres of the early 70s like juju music, Highlife, Hip hop, Dancehall and Afrobeat. It emerged in the 2000s and again in the 2010s in Nigeria, Ghana and the UK. Of course, the pioneers of this sound in the Uk are of African origin. 

It is not to be confused with Afrobeat (without the s), a genre that came up in the 1960s and 70s pioneered by Fela Kuti and his drummer, Tony Allen. 

Afrobeats is also referred to as Afro-pop, and some artists have voiced their preference for the latter. The daughter of the legendary Fela Kuti, Yeni Kuti, prefers Nigerian pop. It affirms the origin of the style as purely Nigerian.

Since its emergence, Afrobeats has grown from a street experiment to being a global sound with ever-growing interest all over the world. And it has remained the chief genre of the Nigerian music industry. On the international scene, Afrobeats songs have continued to feature on top music charts around the world.

The rhythm of the Afrobeats follows the traditional African dance-centred beat with a fusion of light western influences. It is often followed by unique dance styles that are usually named after the songs. Some of the dances are Shoki name after the song Shoki by Lil Kesh. There is also Zanku, Shaku shaku, Shakiti Bobo, Sekem and list goes on.

The language features pidgin often mixed with local languages and with a heavy presence of slang. It is also not unusual for it to be entirely in a local language. Its language style has not limited its audience in any way as the beat does the heavy lifting.

Big names in the industry such as Wizkid, Burnaboy, Davido, and Flavour all belong to this genre. And they have gone on to receive international recognition for their music. The ladies are not left out. Tiwa Savage is a leading female Afrobeats artist. Her growth in the male-dominated industry and genre has helped pave the path for other female artists. 

International acts such as Kanye West, Akon, Drake, Chris Brown, and Beyonce have also shown interest in the genre. And they have had collaborations with top Afrobeats artists over the years. In 2014, Michelle Williams, an American artist released the song Say Yes. The song was based on the famous Nigerian chorus When Jesus says yes.