Afro beats are one of the leading music genre in the world today due to its sounds that has gone beyond the African continent.
Afro beat is Nigeria music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife, American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting rhythms, and percussion. The style was pioneered in the 1960s by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and band leader, Fela Kuti, who is responsible for popularizing the style both within and outside Nigeria.
Afro beat was developed in Nigeria in ,1970 by Fela Kuti. Fela was one of Nigeria finest music star who use Afro beat to promote culture from Nigeria to the world. Afro beat was influenced by highlife, Fuji, and juju as well as Yoruba vocal instruments. Kuti went on to study music at the London music school which gave him an edge about jazz music. When he returned back from London he organizes a concert of hybrid jazz but the attendance was not encouraging. He then travels to America to learn more about music were he performed in shows organize by the afro Americans.
Kuti also sang his African songs to Smith when he was with him. But later became very reluctant because he started noticing that Smith doesn’t play Africa songs. From that moment he vowed not to play the style of Smith again. This was when he changed his pattern of music and the message he is passing.
On getting to Nigeria he changed the name of his music crew to called the Africa 70 it was hailed from a club he owned which is called the Afrika shrine, the band trend and became popular for five years that was from 1970 to 1975 the sound flourishes among Nigeria. Another person that promoted the afro beat was RAY STEPHEN OCHE who was making headlines in France with his matumbo orchestral in the 70s.
In 2006 a group of Nigeria finest musician set up the hottest alliance with Nigeria DJs around Nigeria. The artist mission was to take afrobeat beyond the borders of Africa and promotes it’s sound so the world will know what Africans has something to offer in terms of music.
Many artist supported the movement both those in Nigeria and those in diaspora this include artist like 2baba, D,banj, and P-square. This act came with element of electrical dance music set in Africa coalition as well as suggesting highlife, hip hop, and R&B. Origin traceable across the black people. It was another way of passing the message of Afrobeat to those craving for It outside Nigeria and it was use in other for them to remember home says by one of the member of the coalition DJ Neptune.
Over the years the kind of sound this memberwas promoting was Afrobeat which was one of the music that comes out of West Africa. Now this type of music genre has come to stay.artist from Africa are now reshaping this sound and structure of music. In his Quest for dominance Afrobeat continues its popularity by introducing afro nation. Afro nation was founded by Obi Asika and smade
In association with BBC and 1Xtra in 2013 it was produced by Live Nation event horizon smade entertainment and memories of 2morrow. This channel was created to bring Africa finest artist together to perform good Afrobeat, hip-hop, RNB, dancehall, amapiano, afro house and more interesting genres from the continent. This has given more fame, influence, popularity to Afrobeat in recent years it was also nominated for the best oversee festival of the year category at the UK festival award in 2019.
The festival that was held in Portugal his place of origin headlines many African stars like Davido, Wizkid, Burna boy, Adekunle Gold and many others. Despite been carried outside the country the show still gathers the crowd from all part of the world. and it has been a very save environment and the festival has record a lot of success since its inception.
Over the year’s Afrobeat has been drawing attention from the world through the electric performance of Afrobeat music through their streaming platforms across the globe which include audioMack, Spotify, boomplay, Applemusic and many more streaming platforms.this has helped many artists gain popularity and fame in the Afrobeat world.
Artist from Africa are taking over the world with their music, Afrobeat had its great year when Wizkid and Burnaboy take home Grammy award in 2019. Burnaboy won the award as the best music album of the year with his album twice as tall. Wizkid also won with Beyonce’s single brown skin girl as he won the best music video awards in 2019 all thanks to her collaboration. This year, Tems also set the record for the first Nigerian female indigenous artist to clinch the award during the 65 Grammy award held on 5th of February at the crypto. Com. at los Angeles California.
Afro beat also made a global recognition in the bet award which is called the black entertainment television network it was establish in 2001. It mission was to celebrate black entertainers in music, film, and sport. it is broadcast live on bet. There was a need for Africa to be featured in this award with its Afro beatrhythm which has become a sensational music globally. the first to grab the award was 2face Idibia 2011 as the best international act. that same year D’banj clinch the award to as the best international act.
They were the hottest artist in the continent.after their breakthrough many artists like Wizkid, Burnaboy, Davido, Ice Prince respectively. Recently, Tems grab the award as the best international act and the first Nigerian female to win the award at the bet award 2023.
This is to show the world that the Afrobeat is one many voices the globe want to hear and it has transit from Nigeria to the world which has made it a popular sound. Another record was set when Ckay’s loven wantiti single climb to 40 in the billboard hot 100and went onto become the most Shazam song in that period and stayed in Tiktok for months. Afrobeat made the greatest coverage. The coming ofstreaming farms has made music to reach places that we didn’t imagine, streaming platform like Apple music, Spotify, audioMack, boomplay. and other music platform. These music platformshave helped artist to share their music to people of different tribes and culture and the world at large and Nigeria music has started getting to the world stage with single songs and collaboration songs like Wizkid one dance with drake that was number one in the Billboard hot 100 and spent 10 weeks in the Billboard it also brought more fame and recognition to the Afrobeat.
With this and other notable record that has been created recently, Rema’s calm down featuring Selena Gomez has taken both artist to the peak of their career the music got to no 3in the ultimate billboard hot 100which was Rema first in the top 10 and Selena 9th time on the top 10 chart that lasted for one week, it was indeed a groundbreaking achievement for Afro beat artist for taking our soundto an unimaginable height in global music.
Afro beat has continued to travail in terms of music and culture and it has become a notable strength in the United States. In years the American people are accustom to their beats but hearing another sound especially Afro beat which they have not heard before so there is an urge for them to hear new sound outside what they have been hearing because it is easy to gather crowd in the US than other countries of the world. Whenthe sound of afro beat enters the international music there will be no turning back let’s take the idefiliable sound of essence by Wizkid and Tems for example the music was released in 2020 the song got an extra press in 2021. As if it wasn’t enough the song went on and it was making it way to to the billboard hot hundred that was when Justin Bieber was feature in the remix with Tems and Wizkid that song sent Afro beat to the ears of Americans and the world. Aside that African artist are taking the world by storm just recently Burnaboy became the first single artist to headline the Hollywood bowls this year this means that the Afrobeat has gone beyond Africa but the world.
For the pass years many Afrobeat musician has been breaking record in the UK and US by pulling unimaginable crowd in the in concert and shows, the first artist to sold out the legendary 02arena which is a 20,000was Wizkid on 18 may 2018, he also sold out the iconic accor arena which is France largest indoor arena with the capacity of 20,300 and other notable placed which he sold out without a seat left definitely Afrobeat has made its way to the heart of people all over the world burnaboy also sold out the iconic Madison Square Garden .when he singles handedly sold out UKs biggest stadium of 90, 000 capacities with edsheran creating a large milestone for an African artist. Davido is also on the list of those that had sold out shows in the UK like the sold out show in 02 arena and other notable places in the UK with this I can prove to you that many African artist has scale through to the world with the help of Afrobeat coupled with their electrifying performance in the world stage African music can be heard in everypart of the world and has top charts in many continents like Asia, America, Europe and far east.this just prove that the emergence of Afro beat has taken the world by storm and Afrobeat is here to stay. Music platforms now has offices in Nigeria like AudioMack who has an office in Nigeria Spotify is on his way to Nigeria so this movement has brought many sponsors to the sound and style and the style had promoted the Nigerian and Africa culture to the world through the message it sending through language and culture and music.
This is to say Afro beat does not just rely on its origins Afro beat is ready to make the world turn to Africa because African music is one of the best music of all time with his culture mix with hip hop, juju, Fuji RNB.this means that African artist has made great impact through their music by preaching Afrobeat to the world.
– Emmanuel Ataguba
Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba, Koi State.
