by Sofiyah
A Sonic Tapestry: Africa’s Musical Reign
When global news-people are not sharing their concerns about Africa’s commitment towards birthing power-hungry politicians, they are equally agreeing to the fact that she is a forever overflowing dam of cultural diversity. Hence, it is not necessarily a surprise that this diversity is found in the genre of sounds put out to the continent and the world as a whole. Two genres, in particular, have made themselves known as the monarchs of African sounds: Amapiano and Afrobeats.
Amapiano and Afrobeats, the two capital genres heavily representing African music in the world today, continue to refine themselves in a way that everyone — locally and globally — wants to have a taste of their essence.
Amapiano’s Rise: From Township Beats to Global Grooves
In the townships of South Africa, the mid-2010s found House, Kwaito and Jazz forming a permanent alliance to carefully mold the Amapiano sound — a sound that no one, at that time, realized would take the African continent, and the world, by storm. The origin of the word ‘Amapiano’ can be traced to the native Zulu language and it simply means ‘the pianos’. That itself is an acknowledgement of the sound’s heavy fallback on piano melodies as Amapiano is not only known for its cadence and ‘can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head’ basslines.
When talking about the rise of Amapiano, social media platforms need to be awarded their well-deserved gold medals. Through these prestigious platforms, TikTok especially, lovers of Amapiano found a way to communicate their love for the sound to a curious audience. Amapiano being a dance-based sound meant that people could easily communicate that love through passionate dance challenges. So, Amapiano has been able to effectively capture many hearts by staying true to its distinct melodies and beats.
Afrobeats: The Nigerian Soundstorm Captivating the World
Afrobeats has a rich history that spans back to decades ago. The pioneer of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, needs to be credited for establishing the name and constructing a path for the next generation to follow. However, this discourse is focused on the emergence of Afrobeats, a distinct genre from Fela’s Afrobeat.
Afrobeats, the pride of Nigeria’s music industry, started making waves in the early 2000s. A lot of genres, like hip-hop, house, dance-hall and high-life, fused themselves to birth this sound. The genre is mainly characterized by its catchy hooks and its infectious ability to get people to lose their inhibitions on the dance floor.
Artists like Ayra Starr, Wizkid and Davido are propelling the genre to global consciousness. Afrobeats has managed to worm its way into mainstream pop, with many global songs utilizing various elements evident in the Afrobeats’ genre.
(International Afrobeats singer, Ayra Starr)
Crossing Borders: Global Collaborations Fueling Amapiano and Afrobeats
The assimilation of Amapiano and Afrobeats into the global music was not necessarily a piece of cake but through cross-cultural collaborations, they have been able to cross borders. In her recent album, The Year I Turned 21, Ayra Starr featured Brazilian singer, Anitta and American singer, Coco Jones, on her song, Woman Commando. In June, Asake featured British rapper, Central Cee, on his song Wave. Although there are more instances, the point is that the existence of cross-cultural collaborations has helped the injection of these sounds — Amapiano and Afrobeats — into the global media.
Festivals and tours have also proved themselves to be huge contributors in the assimilation of the genres into global music. In 2023, South African DJ, Uncle Waffles made history when she became the first Amapiano DJ to play at Coachella. Through tours to various parts of the world, Amapiano and Afrobeats have been able to transcend borders, cultural and language differences.
Amapiano DJ, Uncle Waffles)
Echoes of Success: Parallels with K-Pop and Reggae
The global journey of Afrobeats and Amapiano draws parallels with other indigenous sounds that have also left a significant mark on the world. The first one that comes to mind is South Korea’s K-Pop genre. Artists like PSY and Wonder Girls laid the foundation of K-Pop in global music. Then the main K-Pop sensation of this generation, BTS, built on that foundation.
The success of K-Pop, like Afrobeats, can also be linked to its energetic performances, addictive melodies and effective utilization of social media platforms like TikTok. K-Pop songs like FIFTY FIFTY’s Cupid, NewJeans’ Super Shy and BTS’ DNA made a resounding significance in global music.
Another regional sound that arrived on the global front and refused to leave is Jamaica’s Reggae. Reggae was birthed in Jamaica around the late 1960s and the international recognition of the Jamaican singer, Bob Marley, gave reggae the leeway to shine in the global audience. Bob Marley utilizing international platforms to promote reggae draws parallels to Afrobeats artists using the same tactic and even the death of Bob Marley did not stop reggae from getting its global recognition. Ini Kamoze’s 1994 Here Comes The Hotstepper has over two hundred million streams on Spotify and in 2024, YG Marley’s hit song, Praise Jah in the Moonlight is being used on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
(Reggae Act, YG Marley)
The Future is African: Embracing Diversity and Inclusivity in Global Music
The growth and global acceptance of Amapiano and Afrobeats show a grand picture of indigenous sounds going beyond their origins so they can build a significant space for themselves in the global media landscape. These sounds are deeply rooted in African culture but artists have recognized the importance of letting diversity and inclusivity to grow in global music in order to build a smooth path for future generations to come.