Nigerian and African music has transitioned a great deal. Most African songs we listen to aren’t of one style; they aren’t typically just highlife or juju, which are originally African. They are mostly a blend of different cultures, both Western and African. And this is what afrofusion is: it takes the African amapiano, juju, or even highlife sound and mixes it with western R&B, hip-hop, jazz, etc. This afrofusion makes up the majority of Nigerian contemporary music.
The afrobeat sound coined by Fela Kuti could be a form of afrofusion as it is the combination of Nigerian Fuji and highlife music with the western jazz sound.
This genre of music has been around for a while, way back in the 1970s, but got more attention in 2022 after Burna Boy said his genre of music is not afrobeats but afrofusion, which is the combination of different sounds from different cultures.
Not all Nigerian musicians identify their music under the afrobeats genre, even though it is the umbrella term for most African contemporary music. Rema identifies his sound as “afro rave,” while Davido’s sound goes in the direction of “afro pop.”
Some other musicians whose sounds are inclined toward afrofusion are Black Sheriff, Tems, Ayraa Star, and so many others.
In conclusion, Afrofusion has done African music lots of good, as the blend with western music genres has created different, unique sounds and made the music more relatable to a vast number of audiences.
What are your thoughts? Kindly share in the comment section!
