Introduction
Afrobeats have gained global popularity in recent years has been around since the 90s. This is due to a combination of factors, including the rise of streaming services that have made it easier for international listeners to access music from around the world, as well as the genre’s unique blend of African rhythms and foreign songs. Music platforms like Talkmusics has aided in the rise of afrobeats which is the proof of the strengthened ties between Africa and the diaspora. Afrobeats have grown to the extent that it even has to compete with foreign songs in clubs in the diaspora.
In this article, we’ll explore what afrobeats is about, its origin, and how it went global.
The roots of Afrobeats in Nigeria
Afrobeats has its roots in Nigeria. It surfaced when West African pop music became fashionable. The origination of Afrobeat coincided with the liberalization of the media which accompanied the final wave of democratization in Africa in 1999. However, it is a convenient term for Europe and other foreign song artists and listeners to use when referring to African music as distinct from Euro-American pop.
Afrobeat, on the hand, is a musical genre that originated in Nigeria. The word “afrobeat” was coined by Fela Kuti, who described it as “Africa’s answer to jazz.
Afrobeat and Afrobeats though related are a bit distinct from each other. Where afrobeat is directly related to Fela’s work from which today’s Afrobeats emanates. Afrobeats is a Nigerian song style that gets its distinct sound from different influences. It combines highlife music, American jazz, and funk. Afrobeats are usually hard to miss when you hear them. The heavy percussion, repeating vocals, pidgin English, and energetic melodies make people want to keep dancing to it. You could dance joyfully to it before you come back to listen to the lyrics.
Notable Afrobeats Musicians In The Naija Entertainment Industry
Several artists are creating magic hip-shaking, and soul-lifting Afrobeats songs in the Nigerian music industry. Naija Entertainment news has lots of records of these artists as well as the particular jam they have created. Here are some of them;
Tiwa Savage: Tiwa Savage is one of the leading female Afrobeats singers. Despite how difficult it was for her in a male-dominated scene, she won and became one of the most prominent Afrobeats artists today. During the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards she won Best African Act.
Wizkid: Wizkid is another Afrobeats singer who has made waves in the Naija Entertainment news as well as become internationally recognized. Other popular artists, whose music has become a force to reckon with even in the international marketmarket are Davido, Burna Boy, Tekno, and 2baba.
How Afrobeats Went Global
Afrobeats Influence on Foreign Songs.
Amongst other notable successes, which Nigeria has recorded in the international or global market, the Nigeria Music Industry has brought Nigeria to the limelight. Afrobeats is a major contributor to Naija’s recognition globally.
Billboard also notes that Afrobeats has had several pivotal moments that have pushed the genre forward, including collaborations with international artists and recognition at major music awards shows. Today, Afrobeats is dominating the global music scene, with internationally acclaimed artists flocking to blend their tunes into the genre.
Early adopters of Afrobeat outside Nigeria
The collaboration by Nigerian Afrobeats artists with popular foreign songs artists has been a major propeller of the afrobeats genre of music in the global world. America as the world’s entertainment capital means acceptance there is tantamount to global recognition. US star Beyoncé enlisted the services of Afribeats stars including Burna boy and Wizkid in her For The Lion King: The Gift(2019). She also featured Wizkid in her Brown Skin Girl, a song that won Best Music Video at the 2021 Grammys.
2016 saw the launch of the UK’s first Afrobeat radio music station; The Beat London, 103.6 I’m which propelled Afrobeats ad a major genre rather than a side offering.
Beyonce, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Drake, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Future, Nas, and several others are among notable foreign song artists who have incorporated afrobeat in their songs.
How Afrobeats Penetrated the Global Market
Social media and technology is a major driver of Afrobeats’ genre of music on the global stage. This went on to prove that music itself is a language as the acceptance of Afrobeat by the world despite the language or locality. Both Afrobeat artists and their listeners are cut across these places.
With the advent of social media and streaming platforms, Nigerian songs are being played and streamed globally. In as much as within the Nigerian economy, the unemployment rate and other economic problems pose a drawback in the rate of streaming these songs. Nigerians in the diaspora bridged this gap as they have access to stream these songs out of the joy of being reminded of their roots as well as familiarity with the song style.
Conclusion
The quest for global relevance of the Afrobeats movement is further signposted by the holding of The Headies – awards show dedicated to celebrating excellence in Afrobeats in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Afrobeats is a genre of music that keeps growing daily and has pushed Nigeria farther beyond its borders with the help of social media and technology. It is a genre of music that oozes everything fun and relaxation. Recently on Naija entertainment news, Davido’s new album- Timeless which was released on the 31st of March, 2022 is currently making waves on the internet. It has become the only afro eats album to debut all tracks in the Top 100 Appke Music UK Too songs chart with ‘Unavailable’ being the highest-ranked song on the chart at number 18.
This goes to proves how much Afrobeat is taking the global stage and competing with foreign songs. Meanwhile, what do you think about Afrobeats in general? Drop a comment and share your thoughts. If you’ve also listened to Davido’s recent Afrobeat release, tell us what you think about the album and which song was your favorite.
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