An introduction to modern Afrobeat

In the mid-1950s, a man by the name of Fela Kuti left West Nigeria behind to train as a doctor in the grey climes of London. Now there is no question that Kuti had a sizeable intellect, but there are some folks you’d just rather not let wade into your flanks with a scalpel… and for the next four decades of his manic life, the trailblazing eccentric would prove why. Thankfully, his music made up for his med school drop-out.

Kuti was coming at music from a different perspective than most. He was proficient on the drums, keyboard, guitar, saxophone and singing and could jive about like a Lemur behind a jackhammer. However, he was far from the only multi-instrumentalist with character on the scene. What made him stand out was the wavering path of his eventful life and the views he had collected along the way. 

His music was invigorating and astoundingly different, concocting the eponymous Afrobeat from the heady mix and West African rhythms, American jazz, and a whiff of rock ‘n’ roll. “Jazz was the beginning of rhythm music, which developed into rock and roll,“ Kuti once said, “But what the jazz musicians lost because they were so far from their homeland was the intricate rhythms of African music.” He was determined to join them back in the middle.

Kuti took elements of all the various folk off-shoots in Africa and created a blend that he invigorated with adrenaline and political potency. “The rhythm, the sounds, the tonality, the chord sequences, the individual effect of each instrument and each section of the band,“ he said. “I’m talking about a whole continent in my music.”

Now, his legacy lives on, and the genre is experiencing a boom. Given the nature of the music, it lends itself well to genre meddling, which has pushed it towards the forefront of modern eclectic music. As Femi Koleoso of the Ezra Collective told PAM: “I do not consider myself an Afrobeat artist. I am a musician that loves Afrobeat. A lot of my records have been jazz records, influenced by hip-hop and other genres. The reason I gravitate towards Afrobeat is because I believe that if there was a music genre that captured my identity, it would be Afrobeat.”

He continued: “Being Nigerian and growing up in London, it is very similar to the story of Afrobeat and Nigerian music. So many iconic moments happened in London. If you remember, some of Fela Kuti’s records were recorded in Abbey Road, London. For me, Afrobeat gives me a sense of identity far more powerful than any other type of music I do. As much as I love jazz, it is still American. I am not American. I love other forms of music, like hip-hop, grime, and so on, and they are definitely in me. However, by way of my identity, Afrobeat encapsulates it the best.”

The genre is also thriving in Kuti’s homeland. Wizkid is a new Nigerian mega-star. The 33-year-old has coupled hip hop with the traditions that surrounded him, essentially modernising folk rather than assimilating the other way around. This prompted Stormzy to proclaim: “The greatest music on Earth is coming out of Africa. Even that is just inspiring: be your black self and look! It’s got the world on fire.”

We have assorted an introductory snippet of that music in a curated playlist below, beginning with the forefather and working its way to the present revolution, from new Afro-Brazilian off-shoots to jazz-inclined variations.

An introduction to modern Afrobeat:

• ‘Water No Get Enemy’ – Fela Kuti
• ‘Malunguinho’ – Abayomy Afrobeat Orquestra
• ‘Grito de Paz’ – Bixiga 70
• ‘Crache La Douleur’ – Fanga
• ‘Kumasi Walk’ – Ikebe Shakedown
• ‘Mas O Menos’ – The Budos Band
• ‘Karina’ – Menahan Street Band
• ‘Sankofa’ – Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra
• ‘Trouble’ – Les Frères Smith, Milo
• ‘Life Goes On’ – Ezra Collective, Sampa the Great
• ‘Dorcas’ – Yemi Alade
• ‘Healing’ – Sampa the Great
• ‘Point and Kill’ – Little Simz, Obongjayar
• ‘Pressure’ – Wizkid
• ‘Africa is Home’ – Joe Mensah
• ‘The Scarab’ – The Shaolin Afronauts
• ‘The Force’ – Lettuce
• ‘Adwa’ – Kokoroko
• ‘Koroba’ – Tiwa Savage
• ‘Come on Home’ – Lijadu Sisters
• ‘Theme for Isaac Kirya’ – The Boogoos
• ‘Jing Bong Wah’ – Albino
• ‘Starlight’ – Dave
• ‘Okay’ – Adekunle Gold
• ‘Last Last’ – Burna Boy
• ‘So Mi So’ – Wande Coal
• ‘Let Me Down’ – Jaz Karis
• ‘U Say’ – GoldLink, Tyler, The Creator, Jay Prince
• ‘Lemonade’ – Ria Sean
• ‘Avoid Things’ – Tems
• ‘Just Cool’ – Obongjayar
• ‘Tanganica’ – Luis Carlos Vinhas
• ‘Rose Rouge’ – Jorja Smith
• ‘I’ll Be There’ – Mádé Kuti
• ‘New Improved Elephants’ – Lagos Thugs
• ‘Don’t Go Away’ – Bucky Leo, Black Egypt
• ‘Mo Se B’ólá Tán’ – Dele Sosimi, The Estuary 21, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
• ‘Afrofunk Revolution’ – IFÁ, Okwei V. Odili
• ‘Organise’ – Asake
• ‘Kingdom of Life’ – Tony Allen