Afrobeats fuses traditional African sounds with contemporary elements to create a sonic landscape that is surging in global popularity.
Nigerian artist Wizkid on his Made in Lagos tour in 2021 which sold out in two minutes. Timothy Norris, Getty Images. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
While the last decade or so saw genres like K-Pop and Reggaeton take the world by storm, the most recent culturally specific music genre to take over the charts is Afrobeats. With artists like Burna Boy and Wizkid selling out international tours, the unique flavor of a genre once limited to West African clubs is now enjoyed by audiences all over the world. Afrobeats is a medley of various Sub-Saharan musical styles fused with modern production techniques that together have defined the most recent musical evolution across the African continent. Despite its modern methods, the genre draws inspiration from decades past and has a rich history that dates back almost a century.
The first iterations of modern Afrobeats can be traced all the way back to the early 1920s in Ghana, when musicians began to mix foreign genres like calypso and the foxtrot with local styles like Ghanaian Highlife, a type of music commonly associated with higher classes of African society. It was not until the 1970s, however, that a Nigerian artist by the name of Fela Kuti formally invented the Afrobeat genre, revolutionizing African music by drawing inspiration from politics and the civil rights movement to lace his songs with strong social commentary and critique. Hailed as the father of Afrobeat, Fela combined jazz influences with Highlife and traditional African music to create a unique sound which would inspire dozens of artists and musicians in later decades.
The late Nigerian artist Fela Kuti, the father of Afrobeat, pictured performing on stage. Daily Trust. CC BY-SA 2.0
It is important to make a distinction, however, between Afrobeat and Afrobeats — although they share musical history and are closely related, the two are distinct sounds and should not be conflated. The former refers specifically to the distinct sound created by Fela Kuti that draws a much stronger influence from jazz and funk than the latter, and brands itself as being much more socially and politically conscious music. Afrobeats, on the other hand, refers to a much more recent adaptation of Fela’s genre that became prominent in the late 1990s and mid 2000s and describes the unique brand of pop music that emerged in West Africa at the time.
Afrobeats certainly has its roots in the former, with many artists nowadays aiming to combine Western and African styles in the same way that Fela and his contemporaries did, but modern Afrobeats has certainly carved out its own path and evolved into an independent style with its own subgenres. Most notably, Nigerian artist Burna Boy’s 2019 album “African Giant” made history as the first Afrobeats album to be nominated for Best World Music Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards, just one year before his next album “Twice as Tall” won the award in 2021. This, along with the nomination of fellow Afrobeats artists Wizkid and Tems in 2021, have led the Grammy Committee to consider adding a new category altogether specifically for Afrobeats artists and music.
Nigerian artist Burna Boy performing at a pre-Grammy party in 2020.
Given the sheer diversity of peoples and cultures across the African continent, it comes as no surprise that there is a wide variety of Afrobeats music as well, each subgenre drawing influence and inspiration from the musical traditions of each region and country. Amongst the most well known is the Yoruba-inspired music performed by Nigerian artists such as the aforementioned Burna Boy and Wizkid, in addition to other celebrity names such as Davido, Asake, and Rema. The strong spirituality of the Yoruba people translates impressively into the music, as does the Yoruba’s drumming tradition, which morphs into heavy percussion and deep basslines. Many if not all of these modern artists have also embraced the Yoruba language in their music and often choose to write and perform their songs in mashups of Yoruba and English.
The South African duo Major League DJs performing their record breaking 75-hour set. Lennon Cihak. CC BY-SA 2.0
Another subgenre that takes on a very different sound comes from South Africa and emerged in the early 2010s. Amapiano, a word that translates roughly from Zulu to “the pianos,” is characterized by a much more electronic sound as it combines jazz and regular afrobeats with deep house and synthetic bass. All of this is set to traditional Zulu rhythms, which are typically slower and more melody-focused than other Afrobeats styles, which tend to emphasize the vocals. Artists including Major League DJz, Lady Du and DJ Maphorisa have been carrying the torch for this South African style, although Amapiano has also become increasingly popular among Nigerian artists like Asake and LoJay, who have released chart-topping singles in the genre as well.
Beninoise Afro R&B artist Ayra Starr has released two well received albums and a number of popular singles. Vanguard News. CC BY-NC 2.0
It would be remiss not to mention the many artists who have combined Afrobeats music with contemporary R&B to create another subgenre, one with a much slower and more melodic feel, comparable to the more mainstream R&B music coming out of the US and the UK. Aptly known as Afro R&B, the term is still finding its footing as newer artists seek out and develop their sounds. Some find it difficult at times because their music still struggles to be accepted as “real” R&B given the heavy African influences, while at the same time being at risk of exclusion from the Afrobeats conversation because many are unable to distinguish between it and regular Afropop. This is further exacerbated by the fact that each of these subgenres overlap and mix into each other, with most artists dabbling or even specializing in multiple, blurring the boundaries even further. Notable Afro R&B artists include Ayra Starr, Muni Long, and Omah Lay, although as mentioned, the lines are not yet concretely drawn between these subgenres.
With its infectious rhythms, rich cultural heritage, and infectious energy, Afrobeats has emerged as a vibrant and influential genre that has captivated audiences worldwide. It has provided a platform for African artists to showcase their talent and share their stories, while also paving the way for collaboration and cultural exchange. Not only has it allowed for a crucial reshaping of the global perceptions of Africa, but it serves as a celebration of African identity, highlighting the continent's rich history and diversity, and empowering African artists to assert their well-deserved place on the global stage.
Tanaya Vohra
Tanaya is an undergraduate student pursuing a major in Public Health at the University of Chicago. She's lived in Asia, Europe and North America and wants to share her love of travel and exploring new cultures through her writing.