By Chinazam Ikechi-Uko.
The world stood still on the 17th of August 1977. Memphis, Tennessee found itself on the cover of millions of newspapers across the globe. The city was next to the words, Elvis Presley found dead. At 42, his death had come as a surprise. There was great sorrow as the world lost the man known as the King of Rock and Roll or the Thief of Rock and Roll, depending on which generation you ask. Similarly, Tyla is viewed as either the face or the industry plant of Afrobeats, depending on whom you ask.
HOW DID ELVIS GET HERE:
Elvis Aaron Presley’s legacy is undeniable. He was one of the most successful musicians of all time; only third to Micheal Jackson and The Beatles. Presley was a figure larger than life, however, his beginnings in the music industry were lower. Elvis Presley was discovered by Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1954. He was scouted after he came in to record songs as a gift to his mother. Presley did not sound like anybody or so he thought. Philips heard his voice and knew he did not sound like any white man.
“I remember Sam saying, “If I could find a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could make a billion dollars,” The Guardian reports that Philips’ assistant, Marion Keisker said.
Philips had an acquired taste for black soulful music but avoided promoting it due to Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws were a system of state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the South.
Like Apollo guiding Paris’ arrow to Achilles’ heel, Presley had solved Philips’ career-long dilemma. By the 60s, Presley had become the face of the genre, Rock. Not the fault of Presley as he acknowledged the influence of black artistes like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Fats Domino.
THE PARALLEL:
Presley was an open fan and supporter of black rock acts. Elvis recorded Chuck Berry’s song “Memphis, Tennessee” in 1963. In 1972, Elvis and Sammy Davis Jr. attended a Chuck Berry performance in Las Vegas. Elvis was seen enjoying the show and even requested songs.
Presley was more marketable and better suited for a larger audience. A similar trend has emerged in the modern Afrobeats community. Tyla, a South African singer and dancer, has suddenly become a recognizable figure representing Afrobeats worldwide. Like Presley, Tyla is a more accessible version for a broader audience. However, unlike Presley, her classification within the diverse genre of Afrobeats is inaccurate.
Like Presley, Tyla has acknowledged the influence of Afrobeat artistes like Wizkid and Burna Boy. She is an avid lover of the genre, word to her TikTok account. However, every attempt at distinguishing herself as a South African representing Amapiano has been met with vitriol.
THE AWARD SHOW THAT BROKE THE EAGLE’S BACK:
Tyla has had a phenomenal run as an African pop star. She has won the Gramophone, Moonman, and three European Music Awards (EMAs). Two out of her numerous awards have been for Best Afrobeats Awards.
Nigerians for the most part have taken the high road to approach this controversy. But on the 25th of November, Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs) unveiled the nominees for Top Afrobeats Song, and all hell broke loose.
The nominees for the 2024 Top Afrobeats song read, “Move – Adam port & Stryv feat Malachiii, Me & U – Tems, Truth or Dare – Tyla, Water – Tyla, and Jump – Tyla, Gunna & Skillibeng.”
For a genre that Tyla does not classify under, she managed to snag three nominations in one category and that is not the only award she is up for. She was also nominated as Best Afrobeats artist.
A tweet which has amassed over 8000 likes expressed Everyone in Africa doesn’t do afrobeats!
A statement that even Tyla has echoed this year. While Tyla bears the brunt of this backlash, she is not the villain. The Grammys category that Tyla won was Best African Performance and as a South African, she qualifies. In other to obtain a Grammy nomination, one has to submit their body of work for consideration. The nomination process for the Grammys is the exception, not the rule.
So for the VMAs, EMAs, and BBMAs, Tyla learns about her nomination when everyone else does. BBMA nominees are based on performance metrics, such as sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring, and social engagement. MTV producers and executives decide the nominees for the VMAs. For the EMAs, Paramount International Networks (PNI) selects the nominees, runs the voting, and presents the awards.
THE CURSE OF A NEW GENRE:
“I know there is a tendency to group all African artistes under Afrobeats. Even though Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. It is more than just Afrobeats. I come from South Africa, and I represent Amapiano,” Tyla’s VMA acceptance speech for the Best Afrobeats award caused a stir on social media. Many saw this as her “denying Afrobeats”.
However, Tyla was right. Afrobeats is a popular music genre originating in West Africa, primarily Nigeria. Afrobeats is characterized by its energetic rhythms, catchy melodies, and often socially conscious lyrics.
Some of the most popular Afrobeats artistes include Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Rema, Ayra Starr and Tiwa Savage. Three-quarters of these artistes were nominated alongside Tyla’s Water for the Best Afrobeats award. Yet, it went to an Amapiano artiste.
Soundtrap defines Amapiano as “ A popular music genre originating from South Africa in the early 2010s. It’s a fusion of various musical styles, including deep house, jazz, kwaito, and afrobeat.” It explains that “The word itself comes from the Native tongue Zulu and means “the pianos”. It’s characterized by its tempo, repetitive piano melodies, and catchy basslines.”
Related: FASHION HAS A NEW IT GIRL, THIS TIME SHE IS AFRICAN AND SHE IS TYLA.
The classification of Amapiano under Afrobeats mirrors the industry’s approach to black artistes in the 1900s. In the 1980s, the American Music Awards (AMAs) added categories like Best Black Album, Best Black Single, Best Black Male Artist, Favourite Black Soul/R&B Album, and Favourite Black Single.
The latter was awarded to When Doves Cry by Prince. It was up against Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got To Do With It and Billy Ocean’s Caribbean Queen. None fall under the same genre but when you bear a similar skin tone, even your sound is mistaken as the same.
The “Black” category was scrapped in 1995 but the 2000s saw the rise of the Urban categories. “The notion of an “urban contemporary” approach to music dates back to the 1970s,” The New York Times writes. “By the 1990s and 2000s, however, “urban” had become an umbrella — and a euphemistic one, too — for black music, used to name departments at record labels, charts and awards.”
The Urban term exists beyond the music community. In 2019, the fashion industry was rattled when FENTY by Rihanna won the Urban Luxe award at the British Fashion Awards (BFA). It was FENTY’s first award and controversy.
THESE ARE GROWING PAINS:
The rise of artists like Tyla, Ayra Starr, and Tems showcases the incredible diversity of African music. However, like Black American artists, they often encounter barriers that limit their creative expression and commercial success
Like Elvis Presley was exploited as a means to build up a genre without its creators at the forefront. Tyla’s situation is a symptom of a larger issue: the music industry’s struggle to categorise and appreciate the rich diversity of African music.
Tyla may not be a true representative of Afrobeats, but she has still made a significant contribution to African music. Tyla isn’t the villain here. She’s a talented artist caught in a web of miscategorisation. By acknowledging the complexities of African music and empowering artists, the industry can celebrate the full spectrum of African sounds.
This isn’t a dead end but a growing pain.