For the country’s creative industry leaders, the dominance
of Afrobeats stars like Burna Boy and Ayra Starr at music’s biggest accolade is
recognition of Nigeria’s growing “soft power” influence — and not just in
music.
From Paris hotel lobbies to Mexico City nightclubs, the
Afrobeats sounds of Nigeria’s hottest stars get played far from the streets of
Lagos, as “Naija” culture — slang for Nigeria — crosses increasingly into the
mainstream.
Even before the Grammys, Nigerian stars were already selling
out London’s O2 Arena and collaborating with global names like Selena Gomez and
Drake.
“Some people think it is a wave, I think it is the beginning
of the future. What has happened is the soft power has kind of evolved on its
own,” said Obi Asika, a record executive recently named director of the
National Council for Arts and Culture.
“Music is the driving force, but with the music comes what I
call Afrobeats culture, so you get the fashion, you get the dance, you get the
attitude.”
‘Long time coming’
With his blend of Nigerian pidgin and Yoruba lyrics, Burna
Boy, who already won a Grammy, is nominated for four awards this year.
Artists Asake and Olamide are nominated for “Amapiano” —
referring to South Africa’s own popular genre.
Davido is nominated three times, including for his African
award title “Unavailable”. Female singer Ayra Starr is up for her title “Rush”.
“African music has been dominant for years, if you are
asking me if we should have gotten recognition since? Definitely. Things take
time,” Davido told France24 in an interview about the Grammys this week.
“I always knew that if we were given the opportunity to be
heard, I always knew people would love it. The culture as a whole. Not only
music, food, fashion, and the list goes on.”
Nigerian music executive Motolani Alake said the Grammy
category was a “long time coming”, not just for Nigeria but for Africa.
“It can’t be anything than a blessing for Africa,” he told
AFP.
“It’s Nigeria now, but very soon it will be another country.
It doesn’t mean Nigerian music will fall off completely but the spotlight will
be on another.”
Diaspora power
Afrobeats is not new — more than a decade of work is behind
its growth as a genre — but interest from abroad has exploded in recent years.
Much of the overseas interest in Nigerian music traces back
to Fela Kuti, the 1970s Afrobeat star who won applause for his new sound and
stage presence.
Nigeria’s large diaspora in Britain and the United States —
which helped develop the early music scene in the 1960s — has also been key in
its wider popularity, said music historian and documentary maker Ed Keazor.
With a population of around 200 million — 20 million in
Lagos alone — and most Nigerians under the age of 30, demographics also have a
part.
Siya Metane, at South African music publication
SlikourOnLife, said Nigeria’s proximity to London, large diaspora and
especially the work, investment and collaborations with global stars paid off.
“All of those things are ingredients for a genre to really
start spreading out and reaching the whole world,” Metane said.
Abuchi Ugwu, chief executive of one of Nigeria’s largest
labels Chocolate City, said the Grammy category is “acknowledgement” but argued
African musicians should be competing head-to-head with other stars.
“Africa is not just Afrobeats,” he told AFP.
Prolific movie making
Music is not the only area where Nigerian creativity is
gaining visibility — Nollywood, its prolific movie industry, is reaching a more
global market.
Editi Effiong’s crime thriller “The Black Book” topped the
global lists on Netflix last year, including being No. 1 in South Korea.
“This still feels so surreal. More South Koreans watched The
Black Book than Nigerians. Wow!” the producer wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The Oscars Academy last year invited a group of Nollywood
directors, writers and an actor to its membership, including CJ Obasi whose
film “Mami Wata” won a prize at Sundance.
National arts director Asika hopes that will expand into
other creative industries, such as gaming and films beyond streaming.
“One thing we will have is an unending pipeline of talent,”
Asika said. “In the next five years what I am hoping to see is more mainstream
connections.”
Afrobeats nominee Ayra Starr is already preparing for the
best.
“I have my speech. I have everything done already,” she told
Cool FM Lagos radio, according to local media. “I already know my walk and my
outfit.”
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