Afrobeat History
Just thought I’d help y’all with some afrobeat history.
Afrobeat is a music style which developed in the 1970s out of a combination of traditional Nigerian and Ghanaian music, highlife, and American funk and jazz, with a focus on chanted vocals and percussion. It was during the days of the 1970s, a decade or so after Nigeria’s Independence did the term or music genre called afrobeats evolve and become more popular. This wonderful afrobeats music genre was created and made more popular by non other than the legendary crooner himself, Fela Anikulapo Kuti – The baba himself.
Fela started the afrobeats genre with his Egypt 80 band, after he returned from his sojourn/studies abroad, where he went to learn music. He came back and mixing his musical experience with the local music genres found in some parts of West Africa, including Ghana and Togo, to form afrobeats genre.
Due to the Harsh military government then in the 1990s, Fela was later to form the kalakuta republic AKA African Shrine, where men from all works of life were free to come express themselves and their rights to freedom from all forms of repression. Fela died in the 1990s from the dreaded AIDS syndrome.
Afrobeats has Fuji, heavy Nigerian drumbeats and highlife infused into it. And has been having lots of variations of recent including afro hip-hop and even afro carribean. Afrobeats makes great soul music when mixed with the right lyrics and instrumentals. There you have it, a lil afrobeat history for y’all to digest and know where it all started.
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[…] Afrobeat is a mixture of traditional Nigerian music, Ghanaian music, jazz, highlife, funk, and chanted vocals, coined with groovy percussion and vocal styles, popularized in Africa in the 1970s. It was named by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who is responsible for the creation of the infectious style and spreading the genre outside of Nigeria. Fela Kuti invented the popular music genre name Afrobeat in Accra, Ghana in 1968. Afrobeat, was born out of Fela’s dislike for late American music star James Brown and also because he wanted to distinguish his name from soul and comparison to James Brown. Fela used Afrobeat to revolutionize musical structure as well as the political context in Nigeria. Afrobeat, when played at its best, enjoys orchestrated music coming from a wide range of instruments including Saxophones, Rhythm guitars, Trumpets, Tenor Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drum set, Trombone, Organ, Rhythm Conga (1 &2, Solo), Akuba, Sticks/Claves, Shekere, Gbedu Drum, Lead and Chorus Vocals etc. […]
[…] Mixing Afrobeat music is just the same as mixing every other genre of music. Only that there are a few different steps to take to achieve that sleek retro “Fela kinda Afrobeat music feel. Whether you want to churn out a Wizkid / Davido track kinda mix. This tutorial should come in handy. […]
Afrobeat is something that has improved my emotional life and move me out of mayhem.