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Sample Coursework 4

MIT 398: African Youth Media

Activism through Afrobeat: How a music genre has been a form of activism for the African youth

Spring 2022

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

Afrobeat (sometimes referred to as Afro-pop or Afro-fusion) is a very popular music genre that is a combination of west African musical elements as well as Jazz and funk influences. According to sources, this genre of music started to appear in the 1960s and was popular for its strong lyrics which are often political. It is also well known for its strong drum beat that originates from traditional drumbeats that are famous across the West African region.
Nowadays, Afrobeat is not limited to West Africa, it has popularized and reached several countries across the globe.
It’s not just music that is listened to for enjoyment, Afrobeat has also become a way of expressing thoughts and beliefs. It is a means of performing musical activism for several young artists. In Nigeria, young musicians have expressed their opposition and anger toward the government’s corruption through Afrobeat. Nigerian artists, Fela Kuti and Seon Kuti are among the best examples of this. They are well known for writing songs about the Nigerian government that used the country’s oil reserves for the political elite back in the day.
This topic is important to research and study because people need to understand how much of powerful weapon Afrobeat is and has been throughout history, especially for people in Africa. It wasn’t just music for so many artists but a means to reflect their thoughts as well as political stands in many cases. For many Africans, Afrobeat has also been a means to express and liberate themselves through music.

Therefore, this essay will analyze the significance of Afrobeat as a music genre, in the lives of the African youth and in what ways it has played a role in social and political activism by looking at the old and new generations of artists as references. In addition, this essay also analyzes different lyrics by carefully observing their meanings and significance to understand in what ways they have been prominent.

PART 2: INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS OF HISTORY

 From Roy Ayers to Randy Weston, several renowned artists have left a huge mark on the Afrobeat we know and love today. Among several artists that contributed to the popularity and significance of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti is by far the most important to analyze. Fela Kuti was an artist who had a major influence on Afrobeat and the music industry in general. He was a famous Nigerian political activist and pan-Africanist who released several songs that are streamed to this day. He is believed to be the developer of Afrobeat in the late 1960s by experimenting with different types of contemporary music. His music came at a heavy cost because it was through his music that he rebelled against the oppressive regime in Nigeria and he was punished for it. He used his talent for the benefit of his people by infusing his lyrics with social and political critique. His songs are said to have been inspired by the Black Panther Movement at the time, a revolutionary movement that fought for Black nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense against police brutality. He supported independence movements across Africa and he encouraged the youth to participate in the political movement (The Jazz History Tree, 2022).

Among his many albums, Sorrow, tears, and blood which was released in 1977 was a hit (Genius, n.d). In this album, Colonial mentality and Sorrow, tears, and blood were very political and critical in their lyrics, which is why at some point they were banned from being played in places like bars and restaurants.

The above lyrics is taken from his song titled “Sorrow, tears, and blood”, which mocks the Nigerian army by referring to them as a bunch of zombies. It further goes on to talk about how the government doesn’t do anything about it despite knowing how the army mistreats the citizen. Another important thing it talks about is the people’s fear to fight for what is right. The fear to fight for justice, freedom, or liberty but wanting to live in happiness and peace. The main takeaway from this song is that one doesn’t exist without the other, the people need to fight so that they can get the peace and happiness they long for.

Later after releasing the song, Fela Kuti experienced an attack when the army burnt down his house. But this didn’t stop him from releasing more powerful songs or taking further action like boycotting music festivals in order to show his resistance.

Colonial mentality, on the other hand, a song from the same album, talks about colonialism and the people’s colonial mentality. Colonial mentality is this idea that describes the desire to be white or prefer different components of the west (whether it is cultural or social) over one’s own. It has been a mentality that still exists among many victims of colonization. One thing that is important to note is the fact that this song was released 17 years after Nigeria gained its independence from British colonialism. The main idea of the song is how even though it has been years since Nigerians became free, and the country gained independence, the people are still stuck in psychological bondage to the mentality of the colonizers (Bondurnin, 2019).  Fela understood the effect of colonialism really well and he also knew that it was important for the people to decolonize their minds in post-colonial Africa and this song is a reflection of that ideology.

The above image is linked to a YouTube video that is about Fela Kuti’s influence and legacy. It discusses the amount of influence it has had in society as well as the struggles he had to go through for being an activist.

Similarly, Fela Kuti’s son, Seun Kuti, took over his father’s legacy and started leading his father’s former band named Egypt 80. And just like his father, he was known for his political Afrobeat songs that gained popularity among the youth (Holgerson, 2020). Seun was also a social and political activist and almost all of the songs he released were about important issues that needed attention.

The above image gives an idea of the type of music Seun produced and the topic he sang about. “African dreams” one of the songs from “Black Times” album is about the youth’s hope for a better future and the ups and downs behind that. Pype’s reading, titled, “Opening Up the Country: Christian Popular Culture, Generation Trouble, and Time” is related to this in some ways. The reading talks about how Christianity and its practice have given the youth in Kinshasa some sort of purpose and structure in their lives. Even though it seems unrelated, Afrobeat has been instrumental in the lives of the youth as well in the same way, in terms of giving the youth reassurance or purpose that things will change in the future. The reassurance that economic, social, and political problems in their country can change in the future. And at times, it’s exactly what the youth needs when the country they live in continuously oppresses them and doesn’t give them enough opportunities to change their lives.

PART 3: AFROBEAT ARTISTS OF THIS GENERATION

Nowadays, Afrobeat has gained listeners all around the globe as young singers showcase their talent through their lyrics and unique beat. Musicians like Burna Boy (African Giant), Tiwa Savage, Davido, Tecno, Ayra Starr, and Diamond Platinumz are popular examples among the youth of this generation.

Among these, Burna Boy has become very influential to the point that he got the nickname African Giant from his young audiences. One of his songs titled, “want it all”, featuring Polo G, talks about generational trauma and the stakes that come with being a successful black musician. This song got over 7 million views on youtube within 6 months of its release and fans were really happy about the representation the lyrics gave them, especially the African youth.

Music has become a form of entertainment with little to no meaningful lyrics nowadays. Young artists are caught up with this trend where a lot of songs are about superficial things like money and designer clothes. As a form of entertainment, it is not problematic but when musicians make meaningful songs that are entertaining at the same time, they gain a lot of followers. And in some ways, Burna Boy has placed its mark on identity formation through his music. In relation to this, an article by Mugai titled, “Made in Riverwood: dislocating identities and power through Kenyan pop music” discusses Kenyan pop music and the role it plays in creating identity or identity formation. This is a similar thing to what these young artists are doing because, in so many ways, they establish a path toward this notion of identity whenever they talk about their country or culture.

Another well-known artist of this generation is Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbeis commonly known as Ayra Starr, who is a 19 years of old girl who has recently become a famous star around the globe. Her career set off when her songs were constantly being used on TikTok, a platform that has become the source of popularity for so many artists nowadays. Her new song, Bloody Samaritan, released in 2021 is among the most popular song that is trending on TikTok right now. The song has been used on over 464,700 videos on this same platform as of today (TikTok,2022). What makes it really interesting is the fact that these videos are equally distributed around the world which shows how people are embracing the music genre and appreciating it. And on Youtube, the song received over 20 million views in only 8 months.

When we take a closer look at the lyrics, it is mostly about thriving and succeeding despite growing up with hard living conditions. Due to this, the artist has gotten appreciation and support from a high number of the African youth population. One interesting fact about this song is also how the artist has added a bible verse to it.

“She sings; “Na my pastor say I be my healer
Everythin’ I desire, I go receive”

The artist mentioned how it was based on a verse from Mark, in the bible that talks about praying, and if anyone prays about what they want, God will give it to them. For so many people, Christianity or faith is a huge part of their identity and it gives them hope in their lives, this song is a reflection of that.

“The religious present restores their dignity and speaks to them of
a future that already exists. Religious movements are attractive not only
because they offer modes of being and belonging, but also because they
construct new imaginations of the community and the individual” (Diouf, 2003). This text that is extracted from Diouf’s research article talks reflects on the importance of religion, specifically Christianity in the lives of the youth and Africans in general. As mentioned above religious practices give the youth a future to look up to and dream about, and sometimes that’s what people need, so they can live their life with hope. And it is interesting how this is incorporated in modern-day Afrobeat songs although these songs are seen to be worldly (non-spiritual). Ayra Starr has been an inspiring star for so many young Africans because she received international recognition and popularity at a very young age. This is particularly significant as there aren’t many female young artists that make it to this level of success. According to the artist, Bloody Samaritan has opened many doors for her in terms of her career in music.

PART 4: AFROBEAT, THEN AND NOW

Afrobeat has evolved through the years and has grown in scale from being a west African thing to the music of the world. The transformation this genre went through has mostly been positive but there are also some negative additions that have been angering the audiences usually audiences from the older generation. One is the influence of the western world and the influence of other music genres “polluting” it. The influence of the western world goes hand in hand with globalization. This influence has gradually made Afrobeat a song that’s all about western trends as mentioned above like showing off money(diamonds and designer clothes), sexualizing girls, and so on (which is very much a western rap and pop music trend). But is it true that Afrobeat has lost its authenticness just like some people say? This is a hard question to answer, as the answer is subjective. If we compare and contrast the style and lyrics of old Afrobeat songs, it is clear that there is change. But it is also important to understand that through time, different things are adjusted and molded to the liking of the popular audience. But then just because one thing changes, it doesn’t mean it has lost its taste or it’s not original anymore.

Change and evolution are inevitable but it’s still important to remember the origin and history of this genre in order to protect its good assets. It’s also about preserving and keeping traditions because the more things become westernized, the more they will lose their presence/influence in African society. The reading by Mamadu Diouf better highlights this aspect by describing it as follows:

“ like every human society, the African society also had its flaws, its excesses, and its weaknesses. It’s up to you, young men and young women, adults of tomorrow, to let abusive customs disappear, all the while preserving positive traditional values” (Diouf, 2003).

Preserving traditional values has always been an important aspect for many Africans and it should be. This responsibility falls on the youth as they are the ones who take over when the older generation is gone. And eventually, this continues to the next generation as well. In general, it is safe to say that Afrobeat is still authentic to its origin, the youth might have adjusted it to their time which is understandable.

PART 5: CONCLUSION

People listen to music for different reasons. For some, it is because it’s relaxing, for others it is a form of art that has other types of significance. This essay argues that Afrobeat, as a music genre, has benefited the African youth by being an art form for activism. A genre to bring people together in terms of their common struggles and unique social and cultural experiences. It continues to work as a glue that connects Africans with each other and Africans with the rest of the world. In some cases, Afrobeat also acts as a form of inspiration that advises and instructs people to do certain things like fight for their rights, decolonize their minds, go vote, and so on.  This is usually done through the use of metaphors within the lyrics but sometimes it’s by using direct words to instruct people.

In this day and age, the fact that it is easy to reach a large audience makes it easy to create movements and achieve change. By using the necessary platforms artists can connect with people, more effectively than the older generation. This idea is reflected in Ndyiaye’s reading titled “Hip-Hop, Civic Awareness, and Antiestablishment Politics in Senegal: The Rise of the Yen á Marre Movement”.

“Contemporary young African artists benefit from more accessible and flexible media platforms, which allow them to share politically charged messages with a national as well as a transnational audience” (Ndyiaye 2021).

In conclusion, Afrobeat has had a huge influence on the lives of many young Africans and it has inspired change in different ways by encouraging people to speak up on important topics.

 REFERENCES

Afrobeats: 1970. Jazz History Tree. (n.d.)  https://www.jazzhistorytree.com/afrobeat-1970/

Colonial mentality. Fela Kuti – COLONIAL MENTALITY Lyrics | Lyrics.com. (n.d.)https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/964438/Fela+Kuti/COLONIAL+MENTALITY

Diouf, M. (2003). Engaging Postcolonial Cultures: African Youth and Public Space. African Studies Review, 46(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.2307/1514823

Fela Kuti – sorrow tears and blood. Genius. (n.d.)            https://genius.com/Fela-kuti-sorrow-tears-and-blood-lyrics

Katrien Pype (2016): Dead Media Objects and the Experience of the (Once) Modern. Ethnographic Perspectives from the Living Rooms of Kinshasa’s Old Aged, Ethnos, DOI: 10.1080/00141844.2015.1119177

Mbugua Wa Mungai (2008) ‘Made in Riverwood’: (dis)locating identities and power through Kenyan pop music, Journal of African Cultural Studies, 20:1, 57-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13696810802159263

Pettas, M. (2012, May 22). Fela Kuti and the legacy of Afrobeat. Culture Trip.  https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/articles/fela-kuti-s-afrobeat-legacy/

Ngazolo, B. (2020, November 4). Fela’s stories: Sorrow, tears, and blood. PAM – Pan African Music. https://pan-african-music.com/en/felas-stories-sorrow-tears-and-blood/

Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 – afrobeat music. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. (n.d.).  from https://www.seunkuti.net/

Ugor, P. (Ed.). (2021). Youth and Popular Culture in Africa: Media, Music, and Politics. Boydell & Brewer. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1jpf259