Africa has a long and rich history of music and dances, which has given birth to widely acclaimed and highly honoured musicians who have created various music genres and dance styles, both unique and influential which the world has come to know and love. From Afrobeat to Hip-Hop, and most recently Amapiano, African music styles have been influential and widely appreciated. Other African music genres include Juju, Fuji, Akpaka, Sakara, Highlife, Soukous, Salsa, Zouk, among many others.
Afrobeat is a fusion of traditional African music with an eclectic mix of jazz, funk, and soul. It was created in the 1970s by the legendary Nigerian singer Fela Kuti and quickly rose in popularity across Africa and the world. Afrobeat is known for its powerful horns and percussion, as well as its political lyrics.
Hip-Hop on the other hand, also called hip-hop or rap music, is a musical genre and a culture developed by inner-city African Americans in the Bronx borough of New York City in the 1970s. It consists of stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech, street poetry, DJing and break dancing with lyrical content that often reflects the struggles of urban life.
Given the influences of Afrobeat and Hip-hop, the world has also witnessed the evolvement of Amapiano which has also become lovable. Amapiano is a relatively new genre of music that has been gaining popularity in South Africa in recent years.
Amapiano is a hybrid of deep house, kwaito jazz and lounge music which is a combination of Piano drums synthesizers developed in the Mid-2010s Gauteng, South Africa. It is distinguished by high-pitched piano melodies, Kwaito basslines, low tempo 90s South African house rhythms and percussions from another local subgenre of house known as Bacardi (The Zulus, Zulu isicathamiya singing and harmonic mbaqanga and jive dance).
In 2020, the African continent experienced a surge in the popularity of Amapiano. This was reflected in the increase in digital streaming and chart successes. This newfound love for the genre of music was spearheaded by young people dancing to Afro music on social media, who were drawn to its energy and vibrancy. They appreciated the way that it allowed them to express themselves and connect with others.
At the same time, previous genres including afro-funk, afro-pop and afro-jazz which incorporated traditional African instruments and rhythms into their sounds had become even more relevant. The success of afro music genres has led to it being embraced internationally with many songs from African artists and artists of African descent reaching the top spot including Davido and Wizkid. African American artists such as Jay-Z the first hip-hop billionaire and second hip-hop billionaire Kanye West have been making waves with hip hop culture for decades. The “King of Pop” Michael Jackson remains the most awarded artist in history even in death.
The love for Afrobeat is the vibrancy and energy of the music which is perfect for getting people moving on the dance floors across the continent but not limited to Africa – people all over the world are tapping into this sound, enjoying its infectious rhythms and melodies. The success of genre music in Africa has led to it being embraced all over the world.
How did Afro music become one of the most popular genre in the world? This is due in part to the rich cultural heritage of the African people that spans centuries. From traditional dance to tales by moonlight, African festivals were vibrant and colorful and were accompanied by amazing music.
Afro music is loved by people of all ages and cultures. There is something special about the intricate rhythms and melodies that come from Africa that resonates with people all over the world and keeps them mesmerized. It is often accompanied by dance, which is an important part of African culture.
However, due to Western influence, Urbanization, and the influences of social media, the centuries-old practices of tales by moonlight, festivals have witnessed a great deal of depreciation. In the upper class, hunting and fishing are popular pastimes. Board games are also enjoyed, as are swimming and boating in the many lakes and rivers. The lower class enjoys all of these activities as well as dancing and celebrating at parties and festivals.
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Some communities still carry on these practices. People still come together to enjoy music, food, drink, and dance. Also, elaborate hairstyles and attire are often seen at such events, adding to the festive atmosphere. The centuries-old African cultural dances and singing will see a group of Africans gather together around the village square and begin to chant and play their traditional instruments such as small shells as whistles, flutes, rattles, hand-held drums, bells, and harps. The sound of the clappers and drums filled the air, and the people will begin to dance. They moved gracefully across the ground, their bodies swaying in time with the music.
The celebration will continue late into the night, the chants and music were infectious. The energy was palpable as the dancers spun and leaped around the circle. The chanting and clapping of hands echo through the air, adding to the festive atmosphere. The dancers move in unison, their bodies swaying back and forth hypnotically.
When it comes to hip-hop, the music was raw and real. It reflected the struggles and experiences of African Americans in the inner city. The beats were funky and soulful, and the lyrics were gritty and honest. Over time, however, hip-hop has continued to grow and evolve, it has branched off into multiple subgenres. Each with its own specific sound, aesthetics, slang and rhythms. This has allowed for countless visions and scenes to spread throughout the world. This growth and expansion is mainly attributed to technology, the exchange of ideas and rhythms, and the coming together of like minds to produce good music.
As the hip-hop genre gained popularity over the years, its origins have been somewhat lost in the shuffle. But before it became a global phenomenon, hip-hop originated from neighborhood block parties thrown by the Black Spades in New York City. This African-American group residing in the Bronx were described as being a gang, a club, and a music group all rolled into one. Looking back, it highlights a significant cultural shift in the way Black culture is perceived and celebrated.
Brother-sister duo Clive Campbell, a.k.a DJ Kool Herc, and Cindy Campbell additionally hosted DJ parties in the Bronx and are credited for helping to popularise the genre. Particularly as a result of poverty, segregation, and racism, hip-hop or rap music was used as a mode of expression, rebellion, and communication. During this period, it gave birth to renowned African American rappers such as Tupac Shakur and Biggie among others in the early 90s.
Tricia Rose, a professor of Africana Studies who also pioneered scholarship on hip hop, in her latest book, “Black Culture and the World”, argues that black culture has always had an outsized impact on the world. She also higlighted in an interview that hip hop is one of the most powerful expressions of black culture, and has written extensively on the subject. Also adding that it is a measure of the richness and dynamic of the traditions of African American music, it has an infectious energy that engages participants.
It’s often said that rap lyrics offer gripping tales of loss, sorrow, exploitation, rage, confinement, hopelessness, and despair about conditions that are denied in the larger society. But sometimes, these lyrics tell stories that are all too real for the people who live them.
The first major hip-hop deejay was DJ Kool Herc DJ Kool Herc and other pioneering hip-hop deejays such as Grand Wizard Theodore, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash The major pioneers of rapping were Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Kurtis Blow, and the Cold Crush Brothers, and extended the breakbeat Contests developed in which the best dancers created break dancing, a style with a repertoire of acrobatic and occasionally airborne moves.
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Hip-hop became the best-selling genre of popular music in the United States in the late 1990s. Dr. Dre has been a crucial figure in the music industry for over two decades. He’s mentored some of the biggest names in rap, including Eminem and 50 Cent.
Other popular figures in the Hip-hop genre include Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G., Biggie, Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, building on the social consciousness of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message”, De La Soul, Queen Latifah and Salt-n-Pepa, DJ Jazzy Jeff Will Smith, 2 Live Crew, M.C. Hammer, N.W.A, Ice Cube, Eazy E, Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, Schoolly D, Wu-Tang Clan Sean “Puffy” Combs, Puff Daddy, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, and Kirk Franklin, Juvenile, 8Ball & MJG, and Three 6, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and the Neptunes, T.I. Lil Wayne, Ludacris, LL Cool J, Jay-Z and Kanye West among others.
When Jay-Z released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996, it quickly became a classic and helped solidify his reputation as one of the most influential figures in popular culture. One producer who helped him on this journey was Kanye West. Kanye also emerged as one of the most fascinating and polarizing characters in hip-hop following the success of his 2004 debut album The College Dropout.
It is amazing how two vastly different genres of music, Afrobeat and Hip-hop, both have their roots in Africa. Both styles are full of soul and flavour, and continue to grow in popularity all over the world. While they may sound different on the surface, they share a common heritage that is uniquely African. Music lovers can expect other genres of music to emerge as more African and Black artists continue to improve their talent, most importantly, through their growing collaborations.
