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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