On a warm evening in Lagos, Nigeria, a crowd gathers in anticipation. As the first notes of the saxophone plays in the air, the audience moves into dance, their bodies moving in accordance to the complex rhythms. Afrobeat is a musical force so powerful it can move people to tears, action, and unity. Created by the legendary Fela Kuti, Afrobeat is more than just music it is a weapon of resistance and a voice for the voiceless. Afrobeat was seen differently by so many people, some saw it as a means to cure depression, means of happiness, while some musicians saw it as passion, or a way to pass messages.
Afrobeat started in Lagos during the late 1960s, a period when nigeria faced so many challenges and people couldn’t speak out for themselves. Fela Kuti, a visionary musician, merged traditional African rhythms with elements of jazz, funk, and highlife to create a sound that was both unique and revolutionary. Influenced by his studies in London and the civil rights movement in the United States, Kuti returned to Nigeria with a mission to create music that would reflect the struggles and aspirations of his people. The people loved him, as he got so many people to love the new sound, and became the voice to the voiceless and hope to the hopeless.
Fela Kuti’s influence on Afrobeat is so unique. His band, Africa ’70, was the backbone for this new genre. With Tony Allen on drums, the band crafted unique music that was both deeply moving and irresistibly danceable. Kuti’s lyrics, often sung in Pidgin English, were sharp critiques of Nigeria’s corrupt government and social injustices. His music became an anthem for resistance, earning him recognition as both a musical innovator and a political dissident.
Afrobeat is characterized by its rich, layered rhythms, extended instrumental sections, and socially conscious lyrics. The music typically features a powerful horn section, call-and-response vocals, and a driving bassline. This fusion of African musical traditions with Western genres creates a sound that is both distinctive and universally appealing, capable of resonating with audiences around the world.
Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat remained influential throughout his life and beyond. His children, Femi and Seun Kuti, have continued to champion Afrobeat, blending traditional elements with contemporary sounds. Artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Asake, and Davido have brought Afrobeat to a new generation, infusing it with hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music. These artists have not only maintained the genre’s essence but also expanded its reach, making Afrobeat global .
According to Yaro, a student of Prince Abubakar Audu University, Kogi who’s a final year student of the department of Library and information science , said he’s so happy about the growth of Afrobeat in recent years, as he listens to the genre of music because it talks more about his environment and things he can relate with. He further stated that he listens to music in other to pass time and relieve stress.
Adeniyi from the department of economics stated that Afrobeat helps him relax his nerves. He also said that the genre puts him into dancing moods especially when he feels bored, and wants to while away time. He further stated that Afrobeat is therapeutic to him.
Babalola Omoniyi Olayinka a music enthusiast noted that he can’t do a day without listening to Afrobeat. According to him, he gets motivated, inspired and escapes depression by listening to this genre of music. This is because most lyrics can be related to by him.
Recently, afrobeats have been given a category of it’s own by the Grammys. Artists like Burna boy, Davido, Asake, Tems, Ayra Starr where all nominated. Rema on the other hand, became the first Afrobeat artist to come across a billion streams on Spotify with his album rave and Roses, and spending weeks on the world chart.
There has been a growing list of Nigerian nominees for the prestigious Grammy Awards since 2020. And for many music enthusiasts, the nominations are a testament to the heartwarming global recognition that is being accorded to Afrobeats.
Burna Boy’s 2019 album, “African Giant” paved the way for Afrobeats at the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020 through a nomination for “Best World Music Album”. Afrobeats eventually had its big moment in 2021 when his fifth studio album, “Twice as Tall” clinched the Grammy’s “Best Global Music Album” award. The nomination of Wizkid’s 2021 “Made in Lagos” (deluxe edition) album for the same category in 2022 made it the third time in succession that Afrobeats was recognised at the Grammys. His “Essence” with Tems also received a nomination at the 64th Grammy Awards for “Best Global Music Performance”.
In 2023, Burna Boy, for the third time, snagged a nomination in the “Best Global Music Album” category with “Love, Damini” (2022). He was also nominated in the “Best Global Music Performance” category for his “Last Last” single. Tems was nominated in the “Best Rap Song” and “Best Melodic Rap Performance” category as a featured artist on American rapper Future’s single “Wait For U”. The single won the latter category. Tyla was also nominated for the Grammys, alongside Asake, Davido, and Ayra Starr. Which Tyla won the category for best African song with her hit song “water”. On the other hand, Rema won the billboard awards with his hit song “calmdown” featuring Selina Gomez. He also broke boundaries as his song topped charts in India, china and some Arab speaking countries. It is recorded that his song, is the biggest song to ever come out of Africa.
Among Afrobeats’ growing audience is the United States thanks to the high-profile collaborations with U.S. artists. There’s plenty of evidence that Afrobeats is connecting in the U.S. In October 2021, Burna Boy became the first African solo artist to headline the Hollywood Bowl and in 2022, he sold out New York’s Madison Square Garden, the first headlining performance for a Nigerian musician. Afrobeat also dominated the European charts, world charts. Wizkid was the first Afrobeat artist to headline his show at the 02 arena , followed by Davido, Rema and Asake. In recent years, Afrobeat artists now headline world festivals, host shows in big arenas and stadiums.
“Calm Down’s” hit remix collaboration between Selena Gomez and Rema has topped multiple Billboard charts like U.S. Afrobeats Songs, Pop Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay and Global Excl. U.S., while peaking at No. 3 on the Hot 100 — becoming the highest-charting hit from an Afrobeats lead artist in the chart’s 65-year history. To date, “One Dance”, an Afrobeats song by Drake with a cameo from Wizkid is the seventh most streamed song of all time – it has surpassed two billion streams on Spotify.
The global relevance of Afrobeats is further signposted by the launching of America’s first-ever Afrobeats charts to rank the top 50 Afrobeats songs in the U.S. based on streaming, airplay and physical sales by Billboard in partnership with a music festival company Afro Nation last year. This is a reflection that Afrobeats has soared in popularity and is gradually becoming the fastest-growing genre in American pop culture. Just like Nigerian singer-songwriter Ckay said, “Afrobeats is the new pop.”
In 2023, Wizkid have been able to sell out an 80 thousand seaters capacity stadium in the UK, Burna boy sold out the London stadium, Rema sold out the 02 Arena becoming the youngest afrobeat artist to do so at age 23, Asake also sold out the 02 Arena being the fastest to do so in the space of one year and some months. Rema in the space of five years in the industry have been able to gather close to 40 billion streams across all platforms, charging one million dollars per international shows, 37 awards, and he is a two times Guinness world record holder.
“Everything Nigerian music has right now took generations of insane work. We earned every win with our blood. Every inch we took, we paid for it in coin, tears and broken dreams,” music journalist Akan noted. Hence, Afrobeats, with its heavy percussion, repeating vocals, energetic melodies and a blend of English language and pidgin English, will continue to reverberate a
round the world.