Through music, dance, and sometimes great visuals, Afrobeats is showcasing its global success, captivating audiences from across the world.
Rabat – Afrobeats, also known as Afropop, has gone viral across the world, with many people from all continents joining in on trendy videos and dance challenges.
This music genre, deeply rooted in Western Africa, emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s, specifically in Nigeria and Ghana.
Afrobeats is a mix of hip-hop, R&B, and dancehall – a genre that has become one of Africa’s biggest cultural exports. Artists that lead the Afrobeats movement include Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Tems, and Yemi Alade.
One solid proof is BBC, which has recently shed light on Afrobeats and the international exposure and visibility it has across the world.
For the media outlet, the music genre dominates playlists, and its fans cram into huge stadiums to enjoy music of Nigerian superstars for example, including Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy.
Another example of the power of this music is photographer Oliver Akinfeleye, known as “Drummer,” who documented Afrobeats artists extensively since 2017 by capturing quieter moments of reflection as well as strutting stage performances.
“I remember my first project with Wizkid like it was yesterday – Echostage Washington DC, 2017,” Drummer told the BBC. “The feeling was exhilarating. It was my job to tell the visual story of how it all went down.”
Gradually, the audience started to increase in numbers, with Afrobeats becoming more international. Throughout the last couple of years, these artists have been active in Morocco’s biggest festival “Mawazine” in the capital, Rabat, and from the notable Afrobeats Performers we have: Wizkid, Lojay and Yemi Alade.
