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Afrobeat is a combination of traditional Nigerian, Ghanaian, jazz, highlife music and chanted vocals,[1] fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularised in Africa in the 1970s. It was named by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who is responsible for the creation of the style and spreading the genre outside of Nigeria.[1] Fela Kuti invented the famous music genre name Afrobeat in Accra, Ghana in 1968. Afrobeat, which is currently seen as the most popular form of music in Nigeria, Ghana, some parts of Africa and the world, 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 the comparison to James Brown.[1]. Fela used it to revolutionize musical structure as well as the political context in his country, Nigeria. Afrobeat features chants, call-and-response vocals, and complex, interacting rhythms.[1]

The new sound hailed from a club that he established called the Afrika Shrine. Upon arriving in Nigeria, Kuti also changed the name of his group to Africa '70. The band maintained a five-year residency in the Afrika Shrine from 1970 to 1975 while afrobeat thrived among Nigerian youth. Afrobeat is now one of the most recognizable music genres in the world and has influenced as many Western musicians as it has African ones with its exuberant style and polyrhythms.


Afrobeat originated from Fuji, heavy Nigerian drumbeats and highlife.[2][3] It was later exported to the southern part of Nigeria in the 1970s, Fela Kuti, experimented with many different forms of contemporary music of the time.[4][5] 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.



  • Chorus vocals (may include horn players)
  • Rhythm guitar(s) (plays funk strumming pattern)
  • Tenor guitar (plays a finger-picked ostinato groove)
  • Bass guitar
  • Drum set, generally in the form polyrhythmic percussion
  • Saxophone(s)
  • Trumpet(s)
  • Trombone(s)
  • Organ/keyboards
  • Rhythm conga #1
  • Rhythm conga #2
  • Solo (lead) conga

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.[7]



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


Afrobeats (a term also sometimes used to denote popular Nigerian and Ghanaian music, hiplife, or Afropop) is an emerging genre: drawing from broad continental and diasporic sounds.[8][9] The new genre seeks inspiration from Afrobeat, hiplife, house music, Jamaican dancehall, as well as various local musics.[10] According to David Drake, the eclectic genre “reimagines diasporic influences and—more often than not—completely reinvents them.”[11] However, some caution against equating Afrobeats to contemporary pan-African music, in order to prevent the erasure of local musical contributions.[12]

Afrobeats is primarily produced between Lagos, Accra, and London. Paul Gilroy, of The Black Atlantic, reflects on the changing London music scene as a result of shifting demographics:

"We are moving towards an African majority which is diverse both in its cultural habits and in its relationship to colonial and postcolonial governance, so the shift away from Caribbean dominance needs to be placed in that setting. Most of the grime folks are African kids, either the children of migrants or migrants themselves. It's not clear what Africa might mean to them"[8]

Many first and second generation African immigrants follow - and produce - Afrobeats music. Fuse ODG, a UK artist of Ghanaian descent, coins #TINA or This is New Africa as a means to change perceptions of Africa:

"This movement will shed light on Africa in a positive way and focus on how we can improve Africa. It’s not about just plying your talents in the Western world; it’s about going back home and helping Africa."[8]

Notable afrobeat musicians[edit]



Modern afrobeat bands/artists include:

See also[edit]


  1. ^ a b c d e f Grass, Randall F. "Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: The Art of an Afrobeat Rebel". The Drama Review: TDR. MIT Press. 30: 131–148. doi:10.2307/1145717. JSTOR 1145717. 
  2. ^ Chris Nickson. "Ghana Soundz: Afrobeat, Funk and Fusion in the 70's - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. 
  3. ^ "The Infectious Songs of Ghanaian Afrobeat". 
  4. ^ Clyde Macfarlane (2012-07-18). "Album Review: KonKoma". Think Africa Press. Retrieved 2015-03-22. 
  5. ^ "Radio: AfroBeat Airwaves". Rhapsody. 
  6. ^ David McDavitt (21 April 2006). ""Lead Congas" in Afrobeat". The Afrofunk Music Forum. Retrieved 2010-01-30. 
  8. ^ a b c Dan Hancox, "The rise of Afrobeats", The Guardian, 19 January 2012.
  9. ^ Guide to Nigeria's Afrobeats stars. By DJ Edu, BBC Radio 1Xtra, 29 March 2014.
  10. ^ "It's Called Afrobeats And It's Taking Over London | Thump". Thump. Retrieved 2015-11-30. 
  11. ^ "Pop Music's Nigerian Future". The FADER. Retrieved 2015-11-30. 
  12. ^ "At the crossroads of BET, Afrobeats, and #BlackLivesMatter". Africa is a Country. Retrieved 2015-11-30. 
  13. ^ "Stylistic analysis of afrobeat music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti" (PDF). Retrieved 1 August 2010. [dead link]

External links[edit]