Afrobeats - The African Mirror

Mar

2024

Tyla releases debut album after Grammy win

SOUTH African singer-songwriter Tyla releases her self-titled debut album, fresh off her win at the Grammy Awards last month. The 22-year-old found success last year, reaching the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart and top 5 in Britain with amapiano hit "Water", a genre fusing house, jazz and log drums that emerged in South Africa. She describes the 15-track "TYLA", which features collaborations with the likes of U.S. rapper Travis Scott and Nigerian singer Tems, as "a melting pot of all the influences" she had growing up. "Pop, R&B and then obviously amapiano and Afrobeats because that's…

Feb

2024

By LISA RICHWINE

Music from Africa rising on global charts, with help from TikTok

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

WHEN the biggest names in music gather for the industry's top honours at the Grammy Awards, they will hand out a new trophy for best African music performance. The prize reflects the growing popularity of Afrobeats, and other music from the continent, which is gaining a global audience with help from social media platforms such as short-form video app TikTok. Afrobeats originated in West Africa, primarily Ghana and Nigeria, though the term is often used as a catch-all for various music styles coming from Africa. It features percussion rhythms mixed with various genres from rap to jazz, R&B and others.…

Jan

2024

By KATE OKORIE, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Doosuur Tilley-Gyado helped launch the careers of some of Afrobeats’ biggest stars. Now she wants to do the same for women creatives

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE year was 2011, Ice Prince had already released his chart-topping song, "Oleku," featuring industry newcomer Brymo, and plans were underway for a music video. This would be a star-studded affair, featuring appearances by Wizkid as well as M.I. and Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince's label mates at Chocolate City, a Nigerian record label. But before plans were finalised, the music label received an unusual request. "Even though the Chocolate City crew members were scattered across the world, Ice Prince wanted all of us to be present for a cameo appearance," said Doosuur Tilley-Gyado, who had assumed dual roles as Talent…

Dec

2023

By The African Mirror

Afrobeats and Nollywood are shaping Africa’s gaming industry

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

GAME developers are blending music soundtracks from the continent and replicating narratives from African films in a bid to increase their cultural appeal among gaming enthusiasts. Popular West African music genres, Afrobeats, and the Nollywood film category are emerging as favourites, with game developers from the continent and beyond looking to tap into their extensive consumer appeal to drive downloads and revenues. A new report by Nigerian gaming studio, Maliyo, explains that this could fuel the gaming industry in Africa because “entertainment and culture are closely knit factors that influence social behavior and norms." “Over a relatively short period of…

Nov

2023

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Afrobeats dominate the 2024 GRAMMY nominations

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

NIGERIAN artists are taking the spotlight in the upcoming 2024 GRAMMYs, dominating the inaugural 'Best African Music Performance' category. The new category, announced in August, is one of three new category additions aimed at making the GRAMMY Awards process "more fair, transparent and accurate," according to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. An uproar over unfair allocations of spots in past awards for African artists compelled the inclusion of this category. The new category has seen household names in the Afrobeats world dominate nominations for what is set to be a historical award. Asake, known for his charismatic stage presence,…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Afrobeats and the lure of Cape Town: Basketball’s spotlight on the continent returns

SPORT, BASKETBALL

SILALEI SHANI, BIRD STORY AGENCY THE early February announcement by Zaire Wade, the son of NBA Legend Dwayne Wade, that he had signed to play for the Basketball Africa League's (BAL) team, the Cape Town Tigers, in the 2023 season, has made waves in both basketball and sporting circles, across Africa. The 6'1 guard, who has been plying his trade with the NBA's G-League team, the Salt Lake City Stars, participated in the BAL Combine in Paris. The 2-day scouting event, which took place in January, drew 30 players from Africa, Europe, and the U.S., aspiring to play in Africa's…

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

African music craze sweeps YouTube as artists rack up millions of views

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY MORE African hits are reverberating far beyond the continent's borders, amplified by the African resounding global music reach on YouTube and other streaming services. Growing smartphone adoption and the penetration of affordable and fast internet in Africa also drive the local consumption of music on YouTube. From the catchy Afrobeats and the soulful sounds of Afro-soul to the energetic rhythms of Afropop and the traditional melodies of African folk music, the diversity of African music is captivating listeners worldwide, thanks in part to YouTube. To most African musicians, YouTube has revolutionised how music is consumed,…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

2022 Grammys: what Fela Kuti has to do with West Africa’s growing pop fame

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THERE are a record number of African nominees for the 2022 Grammy Awards and they are almost all from West Africa – Angelique Kidjo (Benin), Rocky Duwani (Ghana), Femi Kuti, Made Kuti, Wizkid, Burna Boy and Tems (Nigeria). Most of these artists are also proponents of Afrobeat(Femi and Made Kuti, following the musical and political form defined by Fela Kuti) or new breed Afrobeats (Wizkid, Burna Boy and Tems). Kidjo, too, has admitted to being influenced by Fela. Author SANYA OSHA, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Humanities in Africa, University of Cape Town As with Afrobeat, Afrobeats is music characterised…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

From Nigeria to the world: Afrobeats is having a global moment

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ANOTHER Grammy Awards season and there is a growing list of African nominees. For African music enthusiasts, it is heartwarming that recognition is being accorded to practitioners in the Afrobeats space. Afrobeat and Afrobeats, although related, are quite distinct. Afrobeats is the genre that emerged when West African pop music became cool. Its origins coincide with the media liberalisation that accompanied the “final” wave of democratisation in Africa from 1999. More than this, it is a convenient term for Europe to refer to music coming out of Africa, distinct from Euro-American pop. Author GARHE OSIEBE, Research Fellow, Rhodes University Afrobeat,…