The Global Reach of Afrobeats

Here’s a fascinating documentary video from Quartz about the Nigerian phenomenon of afrobeats and how it’s influencing musical trends worldwide:

Musical movements start in a city or territory (hip hop = The Bronx, grunge = Seattle, techno = Detroit/Chicago, etc), encouraged by a scene that is mutually supportive and feeding off itself. Afrobeats is interesting as its spread is energized by a Nigerian diaspora — ex-pats enthusiastically supporting the scene from other countries. As you see in the video, the most influential afrobeats radio show is based in London, after all — not Nigeria.

Musical movements now are subtle, flavoring existing styles rather than replacing them. This won’t satisfy those hoping for the sudden arrival of a radical new genre, but it is evidence of music trends shifting in a constant, globalized state of flux.

🔗→ Quartz Obsession: Afrobeats