It’s safe to say that wherever you live in the world especially as a music lover, you’ve heard the term “Afrobeats”. The popularly referenced genre used loosely to categorise music coming out of Nigeria and to some extent Africa. The uprising of this sound from Beyoncé’s Afrocentric “The Lion King” Music Project, to Davido teaming up with Chris Brown and Burna Boy’s noteworthy performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live – which have all achieved overwhelming levels of reception – the month of July re-established why Afrobeats is largely recognised as THE African Sound.
At the recently concluded TEDx Lagos which held on August the 3rd 2019 with the theme: Spring, I got to experience Afrobeats in the literal sense of the word like never-before with a drumming band; Sights and Sounds de l’afrique (a Subsidiary of Drumsview concept). An ensemble of gifted and spirited Africans (pun intended), cladded in African Attires and displaying the beauty of African sounds. Just as the name translates to in French.
A breakdown of the performance:
- At least 20 Different Types of African Drums on Stage….
- The Adrenaline rush of the beats…
- The Flare for the Art…
- The “theat-tricks” of [Drum]Sticks…
- A Complex but perfect blend of Rhythm….
- A Fusion of Creativity and Dance….
……And….
2 Female Frontline Drummers that were just a vibe!
Whew! It was a mind-blowing!
If you’ve ever watched a Drumline of any HBCU (Historically Black College and Universities) such as Beyonce’s Coachella Performance, then you may have an inkling as to what this was about. However, with a very African and original style of delivery.
Kudos to Isioma Williams and his team for that captivating performance!
Another amazing performance was by a band called “The Cavemen” who perform a genre called Highlife Fusion, which combines Afrobeats, Highlife, Jazz and Soul. Their rendition of a track titled ‘Osondu’ alongside a medley of other pulsating Highlife and Afrocentric vibes, was indeed a refreshing sound to many in the hall. And yeah, we [the audience] got to sing along and chant “Underground Spiritual Vibes” as coined by the King of Afrobeat: The Great Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
At this point, I’d like to state that this is no way a sponsored post or a summary of the event; TEDx Lagos but just a personal experience.