Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the wordpress-seo domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/bcm/src/dev/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121 African music | Zikoko!
In the last decade, the documentation of Afrobeats has thrived on X posts and threads, Instagram reels, Prime Video and Netflix documentary series, published books, articles and podcasts.
Now, it’s time for our sacred genre to transcend beyond literature to a physical structure for its immortalisation. A museum people can visit to dive into Afrobeats’ historical, artistic and cultural journey.
To any true follower of Afrobeats commentary, this won’t be the first mention of the concept of an “Afrobeats museum”. Nigerian pop conversation often tilts toward preserving the artists and music we currently feel deeply, a yearning for what the industry may not know it needs.
Rock and Roll has its museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Hip-Hop, in the Bronx, New York. While its longevity may be called into question, in over 20 years of existence, Afrobeats has achieved global impact and maintained its deep roots in its home base.
Our artists perform to thousands of people from all over the world in local Nigerian languages at sold-out international venues like the O2 Arena, Barclays Center, Tottenham Stadium and Madison Square Garden. Afrobeats has bridged cultural gaps, from the U.S to the U.K, down to South Korea and India, collaborating with global superstars and mixing with foreign genres, like the Afro-swing of the U.K.
Afrobeats has integrated regions on our continent, from Ghana to South Africa, opened up more job opportunities for young people through the music industry. We have music pop schools like The Sarz Academy and Music Business Africa, powerhouse labels like Mavin Records, distribution companies like Dvpper Music and Notjustokdistro, and have attracted foreign music companies like Empire and UnitedMasters to establish their business in Nigeria.
Why shouldn’t this genre have a dedicated home?
The absence of an Afrobeats museum hits harder inside Hard Rock Café on Lagos Island, whose walls are filled with memorabilia of renowned western musicians like Madonna, John Lennon, Robert Cray and Eric Clapton. It’s inspiring, but it also puzzles the average Nigerian as to why Afrobeats legends are glaringly absent from the walls. An American franchise that’s made its name off all-American cuisine and live music — originally Rock and Roll — the café is a prime example of what successfully preserving music culture looks like on a global and diversified level.
X.com: @ENOCX
In June 2023, Alara, a Nigerian contemporary retail store, showcased West African fashion, design and art at the Africa Fashion exhibition in the Brooklyn Museum. Among the displays was an image of Asake’s Native Mag cover. The singular addition offered a glimpse of how impactful it would be to have a permanent showcase of our music — the visual and written stories of its top creators — for generations of aspiring musicians, listeners and tourists to experience.
Fuji Opera has achieved this to some extent for the iconic Nigerian genre. Dedicated to Fuji music and its history, this multidimensional platform, which includes a museum in London, celebrated the genre at The Africa Centre in August 2023, three years after its first independent exhibition in Nigeria.
Today, Afrobeats has garnered a wider appeal than Fuji. Every December, Lagos — the centre of excellence and Afrobeats — is abuzz with Afrobeats shows and festivals; Nigerians turn up in multitudes. Outside Nigeria, foreigners love Afrobeats and are interested in where the music comes from. Recent global accomplishments at awards shows, festivals and stages, publications, charts and streaming platforms are all the evidence we need.
Image source: Medium
Afrobeats concerts and pop-up shows are great social tools, but the impact of a museum will be generational. Imagine Terry G’s first bell, 2Baba’s original Grass2Grace album copy and Jide Taiwo’s “Efile Fun Burna” — the lives and works of our most prominent musicians of all time — all in one place.
This museum must come to pass for the preservation of the genre and its impact on the music industry, Nigeria itself and Nigerians everywhere. If we wait too long to immortalise Afrobeats’ history, accomplishments and memories, we may turn it into what the Yorubas call a snake that crawls on a mountain and leaves no trace.
American rapper, Swae Lee’s tweet went viral on July 11, 2023. But the Nigeria flag in his tweet didn’t help. South African thinks he gave credit to Nigeria.
Enraged South Africans virtually pounced on him and Nigerians for trying to rewrite history and not giving credit to the originators of the sound. It’s understandable, since they’re not wrong with their claims; Nigerians have been talking about the South African sound with ownership because several Nigerian artists have made popular hits with it.
woooooah I never said anything about who was the first guys I just said wait until y’all hear my amapiano songs 🧐 y’all reached for that one
Swae Lee tried to clear the air about the context of his tweet but no one cared.
You have always been confused, since the day you said you don’t have a type and then mentioned a type. Nothing in you has clarity. Your group name is “Ear Drummers” backwards and you are carrying that mentality into your thinking too. So, read this in reverse: Kesteov! Unusm! https://t.co/Ode8TzU48T
Imagine the audacity of Nigerians. Repeating Amapiano on a shit beat does not make a song Amapiano neither is rehearsing South African dance moves with flat backs make you part of the culture. The nerve.
No culture grows if you gatekeep it. But the failure to give due credit to its roots is a disservice to it. Which is why Zikoko has come to do what’s right with a peace offerings to reconcile us with our dear Mzansi family.
First of all, stop all the lies
Amapiano didn’t start in 2021, nor did it start this year. These are bold claims; we shouldn’t engage cap like these
Asake did wonders with Amapiano as a whole and elevated it globally
There is evidence that amapiano didn’t start in Nigeria and it has been around the world before it got popular here.
Dissolve the “Afropiano” title
What does afropiano even mean other than a shameless way of appropriating the amapiano culture? Let afrobeats be Nigerian and keep amapiano South African. Both can lovingly coexist.
Or South Africa can have Asake
His two album’s sounds are dominantly amapiano. He even titled a recent single of the same name. Maybe it’s a cry for naturalisation. Who knows?
In fact, they can have afrobeats too
If all afrobeats credits are given to South Africa for a year, I’m sure Nigerians won’t be annoyed . Music crosses borders, right? After all, we’re all one; African brothers and sisters.
The biggest Nigerian artist right now literally has a song called Amapiano and credit wasn’t given. That’s appropriation right there. This is about the Nigerian music industry in general, and credit can be given in the form of working with SA producers, collaborating with SA artists, or even shooting videos even in the country. Need I say more?
Focus on Nigerian sounds
Before Nigerian artists started facing the same direction, they explored a variety of sounds. The craze for amapiano-hits is shifting focus from motherland sounds.
Our ears are so used to Amapiano sound that we’ve become numb to good music. Reekado Banks dropped a good song with Adekunle Gold and Maleek Berry and the song ain’t even charting in the country. Having these artistes on a song should make everyone buzzing about it on a norm but…
A hall of fame solidifies the iconic work a person puts into their craft.
We should have an African music hall of fame, a museum to highlight the impact of its music on society and honour the significant contributors to the industry. But since we don’t have one yet, we can only imagine it would feature these greats.
Miriam Makeba
Mama Africa wrote, sang and performed music, acted in movies like “Come Back Africa” and campaigned against the apartheid — even got exiled from South Africa as punishment. While on exile in the U.S, she performed at the birthday party of US President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden in 1962. Due to her exile from South Africa, she moved around a lot, eventually holding nine passports and honorary citizenships from ten countries — her situation is the grace japa warriors pray for. Her discography boasts nine albums, including the Grammy-Award winning “An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba”.
E.T. Mensah
The Ghanaian “King of Highlife”, E.T Mensah championed Highlife with his Tempos Band throughout the 1950s. In 1940, he joined the Tempos Band originally created by the European soldiers stationed in Accra. Soon, Mensah became the leader of the band which disbanded and was reshaped in 1946 to consist of only African musicians. Mensah’s popularity grew worldwide when he performed with Louis Armstrong in 1957.
Angelique Kidjo
The Beninese singer-songwriter, actress and activist was born into a family of artists. Her father was a musician; mother, a theatre director and choreographer. She first gained success as a teenager with her version of Miriam Makeba’s “Les Trois Z”. She performed as a backup singer for local groups and as a lead vocalist for Pili Pili, an Euro-African jazz and rock band in 1985. In 1991, she signed to Island Records and made four albums. Since then, she’s gone on to record 11 more, with five Grammy Awards to her name.
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti
Abami Eda, as Fela’s also called, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, instrumentalist and activist. His music is robust, endures in relevance, and his lyricism is unapologetic in delivery. He sang in Pidgin English, Yoruba and didn’t cater to the Western audience. As his music grew popular, the ruling class were not having it because of his political messages, and raids were launched on his Kalakuta Republic — his iconic home. Under military rule, Fela’s music grew too political for labels to publish and his commentary brought him at loggerheads with the soldiers. He was in jail for 20 months under Muhammadu Buhari’s first government. After his release, he continued to make and perform music until his death in 1997.
Brenda Fassie
She was the IT babe of her era and went by nicknames like MaBrr, Queen of African Pop, The Black Madonna, Madonna of the Township — titles that capture her brilliant musicianship and closeness to the grassroot. Due to the consistent anti-apartheid lyrics in her music, she enjoyed massive popularity. Among her multi-platinum selling albums is “Memeza”, South Africa’s best-selling album of 1998. Brenda’s impact earned her the 17th spot among the top 100 Great South African according to public vote, and the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award at South African Music Awards.
King Sunny Ade
KSA performs juju music crafted out of ancient oriki — poetic lyrics to praise-singing people in high places. He ushered the steel pedal guitar into the Nigerian pop music scene and is the first juju musician to accompany the music with tenor guitar, clarinet, synthesizers and vibraphone in an effort to imitate the traditional juju instruments that were hard to carry on the road. His 1983 album, “Synchro System”, earned him a Grammy nomination — the first for a Nigerian artist. In 1998, he bagged another nomination for his album, “Odu”. Although he’s never won a Grammy, he’s regarded as one of the world’s greatest band leaders. KSA’s elite musicianship shows in his guitar prowess and impeccable dance moves when he comes alive on stage.
Oumou Sangaré
She’s considered the queen of Wassoulou, a region in Mali that heavily inspired her music, which advocates for women’s low status in the society. Oumou has recorded ten albums and received awards like Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters of France (1998), Ambassador of Food and Agriculture Organisation (2003), Artist Award at WOMEX 2017, all for her music and women’s rights advocacy.
Hugh Maskela
Dubbed the Father of South African jazz, Hugh Maskela was highly recognised for his beautiful compositions that addressed South African apartheid. While touring Africa in the 1970s, he worked as a teacher for a year in Guinea, played with Fela Kuti’s band and recorded five albums. He has over 45 albums to his name today.
Umm Kulthum
Umm Kulthum’s career spanned over four decades, from the 20s to the 70s, and her emotive performances captivated audiences across Africa and beyond. Her vocal range, mastery of maqam (Arabic musical modes) and improvisation made her an unparalleled artist. Her songs explored themes of love, patriotism and social justice, resonating deeply with the Egyptian masses and elevating her to a symbol of cultural identity and national pride. Umm Kulthum passed away in 1975, but her legacy as the “Star of the East” lives on.
Sir Victor Uwaifo
A multidisciplinary artist born in Benin, Nigeria, Victor Uwaifo started playing music in secondary school. He played at St. Gregory’s College, in Lagos, and with Victor Olaiya’s All Stars band before moving to E.C Arinze’s highlife group. At 24, he released his popular track, “Joromi”, in 1965 — the same year he founded his Melody Maestros band. The song won him the first gold record certification in Nigeria and Africa, courtesy of Philips, an old British record label. Throughout his career, he experimented and developed sounds like Akwete, Shadow and Ekassa.
Ali Farka Toure
Regarded as one of Africa’s most important musicians from Africa, Ali Toure is the creator of desert blues — a fusion of traditional Malian music and African-American blues. Many of his songs have featured in films and documentaries like the geo-quiz segment of The World PRI-BBC, the short film titled “L’Assedio”, 2018’s “Black Panther”, Nintendo’s Animal Crossing games and more. He passed away in 2006, but till today, he’s on the list of 100 greatest guitarists of all time, as seen on Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine.
Mahotella Queens
Talent scout and music producer, Rupert Bopape, formed Mahotella Queens in Johannesburg in 1964. Originally a band of five South African women, the supergroup, famous for their unique harmonies, guitar-led mbaqnaga music and fast-paced dance, now has three — Hilda Tloubatla, Nobesuthu Mbadu and Amanda Nkosi. Since the group’s inception, they’ve made hundreds of recordings, mostly for the international audience. Their music has been recognised and sampled by new generation artists like Cassper Nyovest.
Dorothy Masuka
https://youtu.be/9owfn3ljW-g
Dorothy Masuka was a renowned Zimbabwean musician known for her powerful voice and versatility in blending jazz, traditional African rhythm and afro-pop. Her music career began in the 1950s when she moved to South Africa and established herself as a prominent jazz singer. Her 1993 hit song “Hamba Nontsokolo” addressed migrant workers’ struggles and catapulted her to fame. Masuka fearlessly tackled political and social issues through her music, collaborating with notable artists like Miriam Makeba.
Mounira Mitchala
She’s a Chadian musician known for her soulful voice and captivating performances. She blends traditional Chadian melodies with contemporary African and global influences, creating a unique and eclectic sound. Her lyrics are a blend of local languages — Arabic, Sara and French — showcasing her commitment to promoting the language diversity of her country. Mounira has released several critically acclaimed albums, including “Talou Lena” (2010) and “Tchad” (2014). Her music addresses social issues and promotes unity and resilience, elevating Chadian music.
Khaled
Algerian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Khaled, has been active in the industry since he was 14. His 1986 album, “Kutche”, shot him to the limelight and introduced rai music — an Algerian genre characterised by its folk music, Western influences and elements of pop, reggae, and funk — to a broader audience. Khaled’s bold voice and charismatic stage attracted audiences across continents to rai. His music has influenced artists like Rachid Taha, Acid Arab and Soolking.
