Afro

Afrobeats – The New Sound of West Africa That’s Going Global

Afrobeats is a West African style of music making waves internationally, it is distinct from Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat sound. Scene’s biggest names include D’Banj, Atumpan, Wizkid, May7ven and R2Bees.

Step into any of the countless nightclubs in Lagos and you’re bound to find yourself immersed in a sonic journey of pulsating beats, groovy samples and hip-hop kicks.

In a megacity where everybody loves to dance, the tone is set by the infectious sounds of Afrobeats — a growing music movement that’s struck a chord with youth in West Africa and outside the continent.

Although its name sounds similar to Afrobeat — the eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary sounds pioneered by firebrand multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti — Afrobeats is a new genre on the Anglophone West African music scene.

Back in late 1960s, Kuti, one of Africa’s biggest music stars, used his electrifying grooves and sharp-tongued lyrics as a political vehicle to oppose Nigeria’s military governments.

Afrobeats, however, tends to steer clear from politics. Its mission, says well-known Nigerian music promoter Cecil Hammond, is to make people forget their everyday troubles and have a good time.

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Zambian Top Music Producers

By admin on Mar 11, 2016 in African Music Beats , Afro , Afrobeats , Highlife , Hip Hop Beats , Zambia - 0 Comments

Zambian producers are becoming versatile. They’re producing different genres of music, which is why Zed Beats, the modern Zambian music, is a combination of several types of influences and sounds.

The modern Zambian sound is not so different from other international genres, what distinguishes it from the rest is mainly the language that Zed artists use as they sing.

With the growing competition in the music industry, artists need good producers to survive the heat.

As a continuation to our Introduction To Zed Beats: The New Zambian Music, here’s a list of some of the noteworthy producers working in Zambian music.

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Do Your Research – Music Madison Square Garden

By admin on Mar 08, 2016 in African Music Beats , Afro , Afrobeats , Beats - 0 Comments

“Making the transition from your mother’s basement to Madison Square Garden can be extremely difficult in this current climate of the music business. Most labels won’t take a chance on an artist—especially a rapper without any traction. When I say traction, I mean trackable data about you or your brand.

This data can be in the form of BDS [Broadcast Data Systems] orMediabase radio spins, a huge buzz on a mixtape (thousands of on-line downloads, independent sales, or write ups and praise from notable publications) presence on key websites and blogs, significant views on YouTube with a music video or blogs, touring, endorsement from established artists etc.

Many ask how this can be achieved when the competition has more money, contacts, management, etc. Getting signed or becoming a huge independent artist takes a plan!”

Summary of African Popular Music

By admin on Jan 27, 2016 in Afro , Highlife , Jit , Juju , Kasongo , Mbaqanga , Soukous - 0 Comments

During the 1980s, the West rediscovered the folk music of Africa. Afro-rock started with commercial groups based in the west, such as Osibisa.

The cross-pollination took place in both directions: western popular music adopted elements of African music, while African music adopted elements (particularly the studio techniques) of western music.

During the 1980s, the styles and genres of the various African countries, such as South Africa’s “mbaqanga”, Zimbabwe’s “jit”, Zaire’s “soukous”, Nigeria’s “juju” and Ghana’s “highlife”, had a chance to develop and proliferate around the world.

African music of the 1950s
African music of the 1970s
Afro-pop of the 1980s

During the 1950s, when they experienced rapid urbanization and a relatively booming economy, the two French-speaking colonies of the Congo area (capitals in Brazzaville and Kinshasa) witnessed the birth of an African version of the Cuban rumba played by small American-style orchestras (called “kasongo”, “kirikiri” or “soukous”) with a touch of jazz and of local attitudes: Joseph “Grand Kalle” Kabasselleh’s African Jazz (that counted on vocalist Tabu Ley, guitarist “Docteur” Nico Kasanda, saxophonist Manu Dibango), Jean-Serge Essous’ O.K.Jazz (featuring the young Franco), Orchestre Bella Bella, etc. Each orchestra became famous for one or more “dances” that they invented. So soukous (as Ley dubbed it in 1966) is actually a history of dances, rather than one monolithic genre (Ley’s definition originally applied only to a frenzied version of rumba). A guitarist named Jimmy Elenga introduced “animation”: instructions yelled to the crowd in order to direct their dances. Animation eventually became part of the dance, delivering both the identity of the dance, the (ethnic) identity of the band and a (more or less subtle) sociopolitical message. As dictators seized power in both Congos, musicians emigrated to other African countries, to Europe and to the USA, thus spreading soukous around the world, while in Zaire (Congo Kinshasa) soukous bands were used for Maoist-style propaganda purposes (“l’animation politique”).

A key figure was “Franco” (Francois Luambo Makiadi), the guitarist who in 1958 evolved the O.K.Jazz into the 20-member T.P.O.K.Jazz (including saxohpnist ‘Verkys’ Kiamanguana Mateta) and was largely responsible for the relaxed, sensual, languid version of soukous that became predominant, before the 1967 arrival of guitarist Mose Fan Fan led to a more lively sound. His collaboration with Tabu Ley, Omana Wapi (1976), contained only four lengthy dances. The other star of the TP OK Jazz band, hired by Franco in 1984, was vocalist and composer Jean “Madilu System” Bialu.

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Dr. Dre Releasing New Material In 2015

By admin on Mar 07, 2015 in Africa , African Music Beats , African Popular , Afro , Afro Beat , Afrobeats , Apala Beat , Azonto , Beats , Beats Producers , Cuba , Disco , Don Jazzy , Ghana Music Beat , Hip Hop Beats , Juju , Kukere , Makossa , Music , Music Beats Makers , Music Software , Naija Music , Nigeria , Rumba Beat , Song Writters , US - 0 Comments

Exclusive: “People are going to be surprised,” DJ Speed says of Dr. Dre’s forthcoming material. “He got some shit coming out.”

DJ Speed, who worked with Dr. Dre in the 1980s when they were both affiliated with Ruthless Records, says that Dr. Dre will be releasing new material in 2015.

“Right now, he’s really motivated,” DJ Speed says during an interview that premiered in the DX Daily today (November 5). “People are going to be surprised. He got some shit coming out. NotDetox. You guys can let that go. Detox has been dead for two years. But he’s definitely been in the studio. He’s definitely releasing music. Not this year.”

DJ Speed, who appeared on Eazy-E’s “Radio” single, says that several other N.W.A members will also be releasing music next year.

“I think next year’s gonna be a big N.W.A year,” DJ Speed says. “I think Cube’s kind of even pushing his album to next year ‘cause he doesn’t really talk about it too much no more. At first it was really hot, but then I think he’s going to push his ’til next year, too. Ren has an album coming out next year. Yella’s working on something.”

DJ Speed says that he has a few unreleased songs that he will be releasing in 2015. “I got an N.W.A, the song ‘Just Don’t Bite It,’” he says of the 1990 N.W.A song about fellatio. “I got the original version that we couldn’t get cleared. It was a Herbie Hancock sample. That’s the funniest story. They called him, wanted to get it cleared. He said, ‘No’ literally two seconds into the song.”

DJ Speed says he has another song he did approximately two years ago with MC Ren called “Super West Coast.” -Soren Baker-

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