Afrobeat Pop
tagStarted 1970sPeak 1975-1985Last big hit still active
The singular 'Afrobeat': Fela Kuti's fusion of Yoruba rhythm, funk and jazz into long, horn-driven, polyrhythmic grooves with tight guitar tele, organ vamps, chanted call-and-response and political lyrics. Pop-leaning descendants trim the sprawl into hookier songs but keep the driving drums, brass stabs and insistent, hypnotic groove.
History
Fela Kuti and drummer Tony Allen forged Afrobeat in late-1960s/1970s Lagos, merging highlife, funk and jazz with anti-establishment protest. Sons Femi and Seun Kuti modernized it with soul and hip-hop touches, while Brooklyn's Antibalas carried the banner abroad, keeping the brass-heavy, groove-locked sound alive for new audiences.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Wikipedia: Fela Kuti
- GRAMMY.com: The Kuti-Verse
- NPR: Fela Kuti
- The Music Origins Project