Q&A: Afrobeats is ‘One of Africa’s Biggest Cultural Exports’ 

Afrobeats seems to be taking the world by storm with sold out concerts and festivals popping up all over the globe. Spotify’s head of Sub-Saharan Africa provides the answers for everything you want to know about the origins of the music genre and the key drivers of its popularity.The African diaspora and the desire to connect with some part of home has played a part in how this genre has spread, but its popularity also has a lot to do with its feel-good nature. Most of the music classified as Afrobeats is up-beat and is associated with good times and celebrations – think weddings and clubs. The genre is also constantly evolving and its fusion with other genres from across Africa and around the world – like trap, UK garage, reggae, among others – means that it appeals to people across the world, growing its audience even further. Collaboration is another important driver of the genre’s growth – we’ve seen Afrobeats artists collaborating with big international names like Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Selena Gomez to name a few, which, coupled with the power of streaming, is allowing Afrobeats artists to connect with audiences across the globe.

AL JAZEERA