Afrobeat

The Sound

• Chanted vocals
• Driving drumbeat rhythms
• Complex percussion
• Influenced by West African folk rhythms, Yoruba, and highlife styles
• Contrasted with American jazz and funk
• "The Endless Beat"

Geography of Afrobeat

• Originated in Ghana in 1920s
• Popularized in 1960s-70s Nigeria
• Spread to other parts of West Africa
• Brought to U.S. population centers influencing modern jazz and new wave musicians

Afrobeat: A Cultural History

• 1920s- Early Ghanaian musicians incorporated foreign influences like calypso and foxtrot with their own African rhythms
• Late1960s- Nigerian, Fela Kuti, experimented with different contemporary music ie. funk, jazz

Fela Kuti

Fela Kuti & Politics

• In 1969, Kuti and his band visited the U.S. where he met Sandra Smith, a singer and former Black Panther
• Smith introduced Kuti to the writings of civil rights activists like:
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Angela Davis
• and his biggest influence, Malcolm X

Kuti and Afrobeat Cultural Legacy

• Politics are ESSENTIAL to Afrobeat music
• Kuti openly criticized Nigeria's corrupt and abusive government
• Kuti used social criticism to pave the way for social change
• Themes often centered around anti-colonialism and self-determination
• Kuti's music and others who followed continued the call for social justice

Afrobeat became closely associated with the political situation in Nigeria and the African-American experience of the 1960s

Femi Kuti

Other Notable Afrobeat Pioneers

• Amakye Dede
• Tony Allen
• Yinka Davies
• Manu Dibango
• Dele Sosimi
• Sonny Okusun

Instrumentation

• "Big Band" 15-30 pieces
• Multiple brass pieces including saxophone, trumpet, and trombone
• Rhythm, tenor, and bass guitars usually in repeating grooves
• Organ/keyboards
• Multiple percussion instruments

Shekere

Akuba

Congas

The official language of Nigeria is English, so most artists prefer to sing lyrics in English, Pidgin English, or mix in their own local language.

Contemporary influences

• David Byrne and The Talking Heads
• Paul Simon
• TV on the Radio
• Vampire Weekend

FELA! - The 2009 Broadway Musical garnered 11 Tony nominations