AFROBEAT: A MUSIC GENRE WITH SLEEK EXPRESSION AND FEEL
There exists a large number of music genres in the music profession such as Afro beat, Pop, Rhythm and blues, country, classical, reggae, rock, folk, gospel to mention but a few. These genres are much to the fact that often times, people find it hard to categorize songs into their respective genres correctly while listening to various songs.
The ability of legendary singer-songwriters to release hits after hits in a particular genre is what earns them so many awards and also earns them honorific nicknames by their colleagues and sometimes by their fans. These honorific nicknames forms part of their legacy when there (singers) are no more. Example of such nicknames includes; “king of pop”, “Queen of pop”, “Godfather of soul”, “king of rock and roll” “the voice of a generation” etc.
In this post we will look at AFRO BEAT, a music genre that is so special in itself, having some amazing elements embedded in it. It is a music genre that comprises of the skillful mix of the West African music styles namely Fuji music and high life with influences from the American funk and jazz. All thanks to the legendary Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, activist and band leader OLUFELA OLUDOTUN RANSOME-KUTI popularly known as FELA who coined the “afrobeat” name way back in the 1960s. Though the origin can be traced back to Ghana, Fela was credited with pioneering and popularizing it both within and outside Nigeria. Fela, alongside his band performed in many shows displaying the uniqueness of the afrobeat genre of music. Both his local and international fans enjoyed his performances with so much enthusiasm perhaps due to the fact that the song is usually lengthy, enveloped in thought-provoking lyrics, rich melodic sound, adrenaline-laced and brilliant arrangement. His songs are also notable for their length, a typical Fela song would last up to 15 minutes.
Unfortunately, Fela died in 1997 at a time when his fan base had quadrupled. However, the legacy of his style of music and activism lived on after him. New generation singers (since year 2000 to date) pay homage to him by releasing hit songs in the afrobeat genre thereby prolonging the life of the afrobeat genre and on a larger scale the beauty of the African culture.
The afrobeat genre of music is known internationally since the heydays of Fela. He lived up to the expectations from fans when he displays his vocal energy and music skills during stage performances in a handful of countries. His memory will linger on for years not just for pioneering and popularizing the afrobeat genre but also for the enthusiastic feeling Africans experiences when an afrobeat song is played anywhere they (Africans) are in the world.
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