8
When Afrobeat
Was Born
The story of Fela Kuti and
the invention of a new sound
S E E F E L A! T H E C O N C E R T O N M A R C H 26 I N D E L L H A L L.
SPECTACLE
It's no exaggeration to say Afrobeat is
one of the most influential genres of
music in the last 100 years. Invented
in the 1970s through a combination of
African and American musical styles,
it influenced the musical landscape the
world over and continues to be heard
today in genres like hip-hop, R&B and
even modern pop, electronic and club
music.
In 1966 Fela Kuti—the founding father
of Afrobeat—was floored by the stylistic
innovation of James Brown's soul music.
Everybody was playing it, but he longed
for something more than just imitation.
A talented multi-instrumentalist in
his own right, it was through Kuti's
experiments combining pan-African
rhythms with other African-American
musical forms (such as jazz and funk)
that Afrobeat was born. A new and
exciting sound that remained distinctly
African, its influence can be heard in the
1970s and '80s music of Paul Simon,
David Byrne and Brian Eno, as well
more contemporary acts like Vampire
Weekend, Arcade Fire, Beyoncé and
Kanye West.
With a focus on chanted vocals and
percussive rhythms, Afrobeat bands
tend to be large and can include western
instruments like trumpets, saxophones,
trombones, guitars (bass, tenor and
rhythm), organs or keyboards, as well
as more traditional African instruments
like the conga, akuba and gbedu drums.
A typical performance is high-energy
and features long songs, extended
instrumental breakdowns, and of
course—plenty of dancing.
