Global InformationAfrobeats information
 | This article may contain an excessive number of citations. (August 2023) |
| Afrobeats | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins |
|
| Cultural origins | 2000s Ghana / Nigeria |
| Derivative forms |
|
| Subgenres | |
| |
| Fusion genres | |
| |
| Other topics | |
| |
Afrobeats (not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing[1]) is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora[2][3] that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a style per se, and more of a descriptor for the fusion of sounds flowing majorly out of Nigeria. Genres such as hiplife, jùjú music, highlife and naija beats, among others, were amalgamated under the "Afrobeats" umbrella.[4][5][6][7]
Afrobeats is primarily produced in Lagos, Accra, and London. Historian and cultural critic Paul Gilroy reflects on the changing London music scene as a result of shifting demographics:[8]
We are moving towards an African majority which is diverse both in its cultural habits and in its relationship to colonial and postcolonial governance, so the shift away from Caribbean dominance needs to be placed in that setting. Most of the grime folks are African kids, either the children of migrants or migrants themselves. It's not clear what Africa might mean to them.
In his earlier book, The Black Atlantic, Gilroy rejects the notion that Black culture and music can be bound to one geographical region (Gilroy 16[9]). Afrobeats exemplifies this syncretism as a transnational genre that is now getting international attention. David Drake writes particularly about popular Nigerian music and notes it is "Picking up on trends from the U.S., Jamaica, and Trinidad, they reimagine diasporic influences and—more often than not—completely reinvent them" (Drake[10]).
Afrobeats began to experience widespread global mainstream acclaim in the late 2010s, with artists achieving success across Africa, Europe, and North America.[11] In response, it has been referred to as one of Africa's 'biggest cultural' or 'musical' exports.[12][13]
- ^ Dazed (26 May 2018). "Why African and Caribbean sounds are dominating British music right now". Dazed. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Khan-2017was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Drake-2014was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Evolution of Afropop". Red Bull. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ Adu-Gilmore, Leila (2015). "Studio Improv as Compositional Process Through Case Studies of Ghanaian Hiplife and Afrobeats". Critical Studies in Improvisation. 10 (2). doi:10.21083/csieci.v10i2.3555. ISSN 1712-0624.
- ^ "Afropop Worldwide | Jesse Shipley, Part 1: Pan Africanism and Hiplife". Afropop Worldwide. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Sound Culture Fest's Afro-Caribbean Rhythm Mission: 'This Goes Deep Into Roots'". www.villagevoice.com. September 2015. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ Hancox, Dan. "It's Called Afrobeats And It's Taking Over London". Vice. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019.
- ^ Gilroy (1993). The Black Atlantic. Verso. p. 16. ISBN 9780860916758.
- ^ Drake. "Pop Music's Nigerian Future". Fader. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- ^ Osha, Sanya. "2022 Grammys: what Fela Kuti has to do with West Africa's growing pop fame". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ Al Jazeera Staff. "Q&A: Afrobeats is 'one of Africa's biggest cultural exports'". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ "The story behind West Africa's huge musical export". Red Bull. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2023.