Afrobeat Music Genre 2019

Music is a form of art that brings peace to the soul. All the elements of music along with its different styles and types make it a unique cultural activity, that has made its way into people's hearts. Although the purpose of music is always constant, the genres of music are all different. These genres can be further divided into subgenres that are more specific. Some of the most popular genres include classical, pop, rap and country. But the one we are going to highlight today is called Afrobeat.

There are different African music styles and one of them is Afrobeat. This genre of music is very chilled out, yet groovy. In this article, you will get to know about the specialty of this unique African music genre. But first, let's take a closer look at its details. 

Elements
Afrobeat is a music genre which involves the combination of Fuji music and highlife with American funk and jazz. These are originally the elements of West African musical styles that mainly focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting rhythms, and percussion. This combination of elements is what makes this music genre so special and different from other similar genres. 

Origin
This genre was first discovered in Africa in the 1920s. To be very specific, its origins are from Ghana. In the 1970s, it became popular among the people of Nigeria. And that is
when the term Afrobeat was used. It was invented by a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti and since then, its popularity has been increasing. By the early 2000s, it had gotten quite popular among all the other African countries and even worldwide. Many different artists created songs based on this genre after that and some of them are even specialized in it. 

Instruments
This music genre includes a lot of instruments along with vocals as it has a jazzy and groovy touch to it. Songs of this genre are usually played with different types of guitars such as tenor, bass, rhythm. Drums, congas, saxophones, trumpets, horns, shekere, organ keyboards are also used commonly to spice up the music. 

From the 1970s, many jazz musicians have been attracted to Afrobeat. Famous musicians such as, Roy Ayers and Randy Weston were very successful to make collaborations that resulted in the creation of some of the most popular music albums in the 1990s.

The new generation in the 2000s who loved jazz music was even more attracted to Afrobeat. Musicians and DJ’s created remixes of Fela Kuti’s songs and those made a very big hit. This reintroduced the Afrobeat music genre to the African New generation. They soon became fans of this genre and the popularity spread worldwide.

Afrobeat made great influences on Western music. Contemporary producers and musicians like Brian Eno and David Byrne also worked with this genre, influenced by Fela Kuti. Some Afrobeat influences can also be found in the music of Vampire Weekend and Paul Simon, around the year 2008.
Broadway musicals were produced based on Afrobeat, which showcased Fela Kuti’s great works along with his life story. This show was a huge hit and many celebrities were spotted attending the shows such as Denzel Washington, Madonna, Sting, Spike Lee, Kofi Annan, and even Michelle Obama. 

Afrobeat is a special musical genre that has made a profound impact on the musical industry. The fusion of jazz and funk makes it even more unique and creative. Although it originated in West Africa, it made its way to the other parts of the world real quick. And as we speak now, hundred of new musical pieces of this genre are being released.