Afrobeat

Afrobeat (not to be confused with afrobeats) is a music genre which involves the combination of elements of West African musical styles such as fuji music and highlife with American funk and jazz influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting rhythms, and percussion.[1]

This article is about the 1960s/1970s genre made by artists such as Fela Kuti. For 21st century genre and overarching term for West African pop music, see Afrobeats. For the British genre pioneered by J Hus, see Afroswing.

Afrobeat
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins1920s Ghana −1970s Nigeria
Typical instruments
Derivative forms
Regional scenes
  • Ghana
  • Nigeria

The term was coined in the 1960s by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who is responsible for pioneering and popularizing the style both within and outside Nigeria.

Distinct from Afrobeat is Afrobeats – a sound originating in West Africa in the 21st century, one which takes in diverse influences and is an eclectic combination of genres such as British house music, hiplife, hip hop, dancehall, soca, Jùjú music, highlife, R&B, Ndombolo, Naija beats, Azonto, and Palm-wine music.[2][3][4][5][6][7] The two genres, though often conflated, are not the same.[3][4]

Origins

Afrobeat began in Ghana in the early 1920s. During that time, Ghanaian musicians incorporated foreign influences like the foxtrot and calypso with Ghanaian rhythms like osibisaba (Fante). Highlife was associated with the local African aristocracy during the colonial period and was played by numerous bands including the Jazz Kings, Cape Coast Sugar Babies, and Accra Orchestra along the country's coast. Nigeria later joined the Afrobeat wave in the late 60s led by Fela Kuti who experimented with different contemporary music of the time. Upon arriving in Nigeria, Kuti also changed the name of his group to Africa '70. The new sound hailed from a club that he established called the Afrika Shrine. The band maintained a five-year residency at the Afrika Shrine from 1970 to 1975 while afrobeat thrived among Nigerian youth.[3]

Although the term Afrobeat was coined as early as 1968, after making a trip to the United States, Kuti wasn't really making music in the category of Afrobeat. The name “Afrobeat” shows the significance of groove to the music, as opposed to Afrofunk.

In 1969, Kuti and his band went on a trip to the U.S. and met Sandra Smith, a singer and former Black Panther. Sandra Smith (now known as Sandra Isadore) introduced Kuti to many writings of activist such as Martin Luther King Jr., Angela Davis, Jesse Jackson, and his biggest influence of all, Malcolm X.[3]

As Kuti was interested in African American politics, Smith would inform him of current events. In return, Kuti would fill her in on African culture. Since Kuti stayed at Smith's house and was spending so much time with her, he started to re-evaluate his music. That was when Fela Kuti noticed that he was not playing African music. From that day forward, Kuti changed his sound and the message behind his music.[8]

The name was partially borne out of an attempt to distinguish Fela Kuti's music from the soul music of American artists such as James Brown.[9]

Prevalent in his and Lagbaja's music are native Nigerian harmonies and rhythms, taking different elements and combining, modernizing, and improvising upon them. Politics are essential to Afrobeat, since founder Kuti used social criticism to pave the way for social change. His message can be described as confrontational and controversial, which can be related to the political climate of most of the African countries in the 1970s, many of which were dealing with political injustice and military corruption while recovering from the transition from colonial governments to self-determination. As the genre spread throughout the African continent many bands took up the style. The recordings of these bands and their songs were rarely heard or exported outside the originating countries but many can now be found on compilation albums and CDs from specialist record shops.

Instrumentation

Big band (15 to 30 pieces: Fela-era afrobeat) and energetic performances

Fela Kuti included the traditional Gbedu drum in his ensemble, with a percussionist pounding out a thunderous rhythm from a 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) drum lying on its side.[11]

Influence

Many jazz musicians have been attracted to Afrobeat. From Roy Ayers in the 1970s to Randy Weston in the 1990s, there have been collaborations that have resulted in albums such as Africa: Centre of the World by Roy Ayers, released on the Polydore label in 1981. In 1994 Branford Marsalis, the American jazz saxophonist, included samples of Fela's "Beast of No Nation" on his Buckshot LeFonque album. The new generation of DJs and musicians of the 2000s who have fallen in love with both Kuti's material and other rare releases have made compilations and remixes of these recordings, thus re-introducing the genre to new generations of listeners and fans of afropop and groove.

Afrobeat has also profoundly influenced important contemporary producers and musicians like Brian Eno and David Byrne, who credit Fela Kuti as an essential influence.[12] Both worked on Talking Heads' highly acclaimed 1980 album Remain In Light, which brought polyrhythmic afrobeat influences to Western music.

The horn section of Antibalas have been guest musicians on TV On The Radio's highly acclaimed 2008 album Dear Science, as well as on British band Foals' 2008 album, Antidotes. Some Afrobeat influence can also be found in the music of Vampire Weekend and Paul Simon.

In 2009 the music label Knitting Factory Records (KFR) produced the Broadway Musical FELA! As said on the musical's website, the story showcased Fela Kuti's “courage and incredible musical mastery” along with the story of his life. The show had 11 Tony nominations, receiving three for Best Costumes, Best Sound and Best Choreography. FELA! Was on Broadway for fifteen months and was produced by notables such as Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett-Smith. Many celebrities were noted on attending the shows such as, Denzel Washington, Madonna, Sting, Spike Lee (who saw it eight times), Kofi Annan, and even Michelle Obama. Michelle Williams, former singer of girl group Destiny's Child, was cast as the role of Sandra Isadore.[13]

Artists
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See also

References
  1. Grass, Randall F. "Fela AnikulaThe Art of an Afrobeat Rebel". The Drama Review: TDR. MIT Press. 30: 131–148.
  2. Laura Khamis. "8 Afrobeats collaborations linking the UK with Africa". Red Bull. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  3. Scher, Robin; ContributorWriter (6 August 2015). "Afrobeat(s): The Difference a Letter Makes". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  4. Lakin Starling. "10 Ghanaian Afrobeats Artists You Need To Know". The Fader. Archived from the original on 4 June 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  5. Phillips, Yoh. "WizKid Affiliate Mr Eazi's Journey From Tech Startup to Afrobeats Stardom". DJBooth. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  6. Khan, Ahmad; writer, ContributorFreelance (21 September 2017). "A Conversation with the Queen of Afrobeats: Tiwa Savage". HuffPost. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  7. Smith, Caspar Llewellyn (23 June 2012). "I'm with D'Banj". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  8. Stewart, Alexander (2013). "Make It Funky: Fela Kuti, James Brown and the Invention of Afrobeat". American Studies. 52 (4): 99–118. doi:10.1353/ams.2013.0124. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018 – via Project MUSE.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. David McDavitt (21 April 2006). ""Lead Congas" in Afrobeat". The Afrofunk Music Forum. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  11. Michael E. Veal (2000). Fela: the life & times of an African musical icon. Temple University Press. p. 3. ISBN 1-56639-765-0.
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. Brantley, Ben. "About | FELA! On Broadway". FELA! On Broadway. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  14. Grass, Randall F. "Fela AnikulaThe Art of an Afrobeat Rebel". The Drama Review: TDR. MIT Press. 30: 131–148. doi:10.2307/1145717. JSTOR 1145717.
  15. Denselow, Robin (4 September 2014). "Orlando Julius with the Heliocentrics: Jaiyede Afro CD review – rousing new set". The Guardian.

Further reading
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