Afro beat Music.edited

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Kenyatta University *

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Nov 24, 2024

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1 Afrobeat Music Student’s Name Institution Affiliation Instructor’s Name Course Date

2 Afrobeat Music The music genre that I found most fascinating is the afro-beats music genre. This genre is urban popular music that originated in West Africa in the late 1960s and features percussion rhythms, jazz and funk elements, and lyrics that are frequently strongly political. This music genre combines African music with Black American influences to create a compelling cultural and sonic hybrid. The genre was largely created by West African artist Fela Kuti, who, with his music group of 70 Africans, crafted a rhythmic blend of West African beats and American jazz, funk, and soul, infused with a powerful streak of political consciousness. Afrobeat emerged in the early 20th century when Ghanian musicians fused West African ethnic music with Western calypso and jazz. The resultant sound was dubbed highlife, and it continued to incorporate more Western influences into its potent mix over the next decades. There are three common characteristics of Afrobeat music. However, before the mid-late twentieth century, neither topic received much attention from academics. Unlike Afrobeat, which is a distinct genre, afrobeats is a catch-all term for modern West African pop songs. The term was coined to encapsulate these disparate sounds into a more readily available label, which was foreign to UK listeners at the time ( Masterclass Staff, 2022). Since the topic's revival, the main point of contention has been divided into three categories: whether afro-beat music began as a form of the proto-language that led to language; whether music is a spandrel that resulted from language; or whether music and language both inferred from a common precursor. This music genre enthralled me because of the modifications in interactions between ethnicities, and the desire to hear and encounter something new. Despite the world's problems, we are living a more progressive period than the universe has ever known, which influences our perspective of other cultures. Afrobeat captivates listeners by conversing with their humanity in a

3 manner that other genres do not. It has an old and new sound to it. It's adaptable, lively, and non- repetitive. If you haven't heard an Afrobeats song before, try "Ginger" by Wizkid featuring Burna Boy, "Injure Me" by Teni, and/or "Damages" by Terms. You will not be let down. Afro-beat music is especially significant to Africans and black Americans since it has profoundly affected important contemporary musicians like David Byrne and Brian Eno, both of whom credit Fela Kuti as an important influence. Both contributed to Talking Heads' 1980 album Persist in Light, which introduced percussive Afro-beat impacts to Western music. This music was played by the African Americans who were oppressed by their colonies, and the white who were protesting against the inhuman treatment by the whites which make it a historic tradition. During the early 20 th century, Afrobeat was majorly played by the African Americans as slaves to condole themselves of the possibility of the end of slavery. Some of these songs were directed to the while in form of a plea toward the abolishment of slavery ( Copsey, 2020). The quality of this genre of music in the contemporary world continues to stand as the music is played in various places and enjoyed by various people either for enjoyment purposes among varied ethnicities or during cultural events, especially among Africans and African Americans. Fela Kuti, a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader, pioneered this music genre in the 1970s and is credited with popularizing it both within and outside of Nigeria. The music has become very popular over the years and is currently played by different ethnic groups. It has grown its popularity as a result of its drum beat rhythms and its political lyrics that motivate listeners to take action by highlighting governmental and societal issues. The contemporary afro- beat artists are treated with respect and love as they are considered patriots as a result of their political lyrics in their performances. The artists of afro-beat music wear African attires such as;

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4 the Kyla caftan, omi romper, Gania Bralette, and shorts to portray the theme of the message portrayed in their music. Afro-beat music genre combines West African musical styles like traditional Yoruba music and highlife with influences from American funk, jazz, and soul, with a concentrate on chanted vocals, intricate intersecting rhythms, and percussion. Afro-beat is distinguished by long instrumental solos melodies, big bands, and complex jazzy rhythms. Afro-beat is an incredibly happy song with a tempo of 114 Beats/min. It can also be employed half-time at 57 beats per minute double or 228 beats per minute. With an A key and a minimal mode, the track lasts 2 minutes, and 49 seconds. With a rhythmic pattern of four beats per bar, it has energy value and is very danceable. The emphasis of this music genre should be placed on chanted vocals, intricate interconnecting rhythms, and percussion. A lot of afrobeat harmony is inferred rather than explicitly defined. It gives its performers a certain amount of leeway. In most cases, the harmony remains simple, allowing performers to freely navigate the Dorian magnitude of a specific minor key, evoking more chromaticism during solos. The rhythmic ideas, on the other hand, tend to differ much more, allowing all of the rhythmic instruments to dance around the stationary harmony with courage and vigor, any one of the mentioned rhythmic adornments given the freedom to rise to prominence at any time ( Shey., 2021). Because rhythm, rather than melody, is responsible for much of afrobeat's distinct feel and identity, the drums and syncopation are frequently in charge of propelling the music forward — a prevalent tenet in the genre. Even when improvising, note choices frequently remain diatonic to the founded minor key. The Dorian mechanism of the minor key rules supreme and that main sixth is put to good use! It's difficult to locate afrobeat music that doesn't use that spectrum degree at a certain point.

5 At any point, improvisation can deviate into more avant-garde atonality, but it never feels disconnected from the song's intent. This music is particularly relevant to Africans as it depicts the African culture and way of life. The music is played by African instruments with its lyrics containing the political aspects of African lyrics. The main feature of African music is its social function of uniting the blacks. This occurs especially through the political lyrics of the music genre and their costumes which appreciate the African culture and promotes a sense of belonging among all Africans. People come from diverse backgrounds to enjoy the Afro-beat music band. This brings together the audiences hence strengthening social bonding. African music is a complete art form that is inextricably linked to dance, gesture, and dramatization. It pervades African life and serves a purpose; music is used for rituals and religious ceremonies, to teach and guide, to share tales, to indicate the stages of life, and to offer political guidelines or express discontent. Afrobeat sounds and influences became more popular in the United States during the 2010s, thanks to artists like Beyoncé and Drake, and the genre has now produced some of the greatest hits of the young decade, including songs like Wizkid's "Essence" featuring Terms, CKay's "Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)," and Fireboy DML's "Peru." ( Aniftos, 2022). It also serves to entertain, and it is used in ceremonial carnivals and masquerades to elicit enthusiasm from both spectators and participants. Singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments ensure a lively event. The African drum commonly known as the "heart of the community" is the most important instrument because it conveys people's emotions and moods, and its rhythm keeps dancers together.

6 Figure 1 Figure 1 above shows the drum, a musical instrument used in the Afro-beat music Musical instruments vary from region to region within nations, but all have a common source of musical expression. Music, for example, is passed down from generation to generation in Botswana and plays an important function in the Batswana community. Tswana music is a popular form of folk music in Botswana. Unlike a typical African tribal song, this is a showcase of voice without drums; instead, the key part of the rhythmic component is clapping hands. Wind instruments, such as whistles and lepatata (made from Kudu horn), are occasionally used, particularly in male groups. Other musical instruments used to play afro-beat music include the Bass guitar, Sakara, drums, guitar, horns, Hammond organ, and Ogene saxophone among others. Generally, afrobeat music has continued to gain fame even after the death of its pioneer, Fela Kuti. The music content remains relevant and continues to gain fans all over the globe. The use of various musical instruments such as the drums depicts the mood and message of the music hence making it universally relevant all over the globe although the language used in the music lyrics is not universal.

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8 References Aniftos, R., 2022. U.S. Afrobeats Chart: Billboard Teams Up With Afro Nation – Billboard . [online] Billboard.com. Available at: <https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/billboard-us-afrobeats-songs-chart- 1235046800/> Copsey, R., 2020. The rise and rise of Afrobeats: a timeline . [online] Officialcharts.com. Available at: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/everything-you-need-to-know- about-afrobeats-a-timeline__30220 Masterclass Staff, M. (2022). Guide to Afrobeat Music: A Brief History of Afrobeat. Retrieved 14 July 2022, from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/afrobeat-music-guide#what-is- afrobeat Studios, S., 2021. 4 Facts About Afrobeats Dance You Need To Know . [online] Sheydancestudios.com. Available at: <https://www.sheydancestudios.com/post/4-facts- about-afrobeats-dance>

Afro beat Music.edited

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