What’s Afrobeats exactly?
Afrobeat music is a music genre which involves the combination of elements of West African.
Musical styles such as fuji music and highlife with American jazz.
Later soul and funk influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting rhythms, and percussion.
The term was coined in the 1960s by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti.
He is responsible for pioneering and popularizing the style both within and outside Nigeria.
The Sound
Afrobeat music gets its distinct sound from a couple of different influences.
The style is anchored in West African music styles, particularly highlife music.
American jazz and funk are also added to the mix, creating a hybrid sound from across continents.
You’ll know when you’re listening to Afrobeats from complex rhythms, heavy percussion, repeating vocals, and Pidgin English.
This combination make Afrobeat instrumentals very rhythmic and energetic.
The Artists
Afrobeat music is one of the most popular genres in the current worldwide music charts.
Because big artists such as Beyoncé and Drake use afrobeat instrumentals.
Wizkid became internationally known with “One Dance,” but his success as an artist goes far beyond that hit.