When the debut album “Born in the Wild” was released by Tems in May, it seemed an anticipated event, especially considering that two years prior, this 29-year-old singer-songwriter was the first African to reach the top spot in the US Billboard singles chart.
Notable is her collaboration with globally recognised artists such as Beyoncé for her Renaissance album, Drake for Future’s 2022 album “I Never Liked You” (which earned her a Grammy), and Rihanna for the Oscar-, Grammy-, and Golden Globe-nominated “Lift Me Up”, a track from the movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”.
Temilade Openiyi, known as Tems, is among the rising African artists breaking into mainstream music and affirming the unique identity of African music in the Global North, a realm where it was traditionally categorised as “world music”.
The prominence of African music has been ascending since the early noughties, with the previous year witnessing even more progress. Just last month, Wizkid, a fellow Nigerian artist of Tems, performed to an audience of 60,000 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. Meanwhile, the first-ever Grammy for the best African music performance was awarded to South African singer Tyla for her successful track, “Water”, in February.
Increasingly, collaborations between African and Western artists are seen, including colossal hits like “Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez, which became the first song fronted by an African artist to reach a billion streams on Spotify last year. The track has now soared to almost 1.5 billion streams and nearly a billion views on YouTube.
Several factors contribute to the growing prominence of African music, including a baby boom resulting in Africa having the planet’s youngest and fast-expanding population. Predictions suggest that the continent’s total population will almost double to 2.5 billion within the next quarter of a century, making Africans a quarter of the world’s population.
This surge is referred to as a youthquake that will redefine Africa’s global relations. The New York Times describes the impact of this enormous shift as already evident in the entrepreneurial zeal of the young Africans, their struggle for employment, and the music that the world enjoys.
Nigeria, Africa’s most densely populated country, has a population exceeding 200 million inhabitants. Remarkably, over two-thirds are under 30, with approximately half less than 20 years old. Millions of these young individuals, urged by the necessity to steer the country out of its economic predicament, registered for the previous year’s presidential vote.
Plantain Papi, an Irish artist born in Nigeria, discusses the role Nigerian music plays amidst the societal difficulties such as hyperinflation, unemployment, and rigged elections. He explains, “Nigerian music provides as an escape through its humour and joy, offering a distraction from the harsh realities.”
Stars like Rems and Rema have a knack for engaging and communicating with young Nigerians, who form the majority of the population. Their significance in shaping the music industry and promoting artists to global fame surpasses even that of the youth in the Global North.
On an international level, the rapid growth of Nigerian music has been boosted by TikTok. The platform promotes the use of snappy hooks, compelling lyrics, and easy-to-imitate dance routines. Plantain Papi shares, “Even without it, the music would proliferate, but TikTok certainly expedites the process.”
According to Munyaradzi Jonas, a Zimbabwean-Irish rapper also known as God Knows, “African music thrives on collaboration.” He explains that growing up in Africa opens you to music from across the continent, creating a sense of unity. Drawing a parallel between Ireland and the UK’s close artistic relationship, he sees neighbouring African countries in the same light.
The significant collaboration within the African music scene often happens during the end-of-year festivities, also known as Detty December, which predominantly takes place in Ghana and Nigeria, according to Sampa Tembo, a well-known artist from Zambia, also known as Sampa the Great. He is set to be the main act at the 10th Another Love Story Festival in Co Meath, next weekend. These events are an opportunity to interact with various cultures, stay up dancing until the early morning, and enjoy some good food.
Comparatively, it’s quite similar to Fashion Week, only instead, we assemble to get involved and fuel our creativity,” shares Plantain Papi. He amusingly brings attention to the fact that Nigerians are generally quite loud people, not only in their voices but also through their music. However, there are many unsung heroes in the African music scene, such as the originators of amapiano, a blend of different music genres from South Africa, or sebene, a crucial component of Congolese rumba music, he adds.
God Knows argues there are countless more reasons contributing to the growing identity and status of African music. African artists’ impact on the current cultural climate has been key. However, he believes the contribution of the diaspora is a fundamental factor. African music lovers globally have supported these artists, filling stadiums even before they became part of mainstream tours. God Knows says, for example, if Davido were performing in the US, fans would book flights to attend his concert because there might not be another chance. He emphasises that this is true for a large number of African music fans. These artists had a substantial following for a long time; it’s only now that people beyond the continent have begun to truly pay attention.
The current global surge in the popularity of African music can be likened to earlier trends of hip-hop in the ’70s and K-pop in the 2010s. Various music streaming platforms, Spotify and Apple Music included, have been instrumental in championing African music through popular playlists like ‘African Heat’ and ‘Africa Now’. The international visibility these playlists provide is driving the growth of diverse African music genres, including Kenyan gengetone, Ghanaian drill, and Ethio-jazz. Radio personality, Plantain Papi posits that widespread popularity follows an initial period of gestation in all music genres. The increase of fanbase is also propelling a growth in resources, thereby enhancing the quality of music produced.
This current global recognition did not happen in a flash. The foundation was laid decades ago by musicians like Fela Kuti, the late Nigerian musician considered the godfather of Afrobeat. Plantain Papi lauds Kuti’s major influence on African music with his innovative fusion of classical African music with jazz from the 40s and 50s. Famed Senegalese-American singer and producer, Akon, is also credited for his significant role in promoting African music. Akon’s collaborations with international artists like Lady Gaga and his advocacy for African artists made him a pioneer in this global embrace of African music.
African music continues to solidify its global identity. This can be clearly seen in its recent acclaim, with the introduction of the Billboard Afrobeats chart in the US in 2022 and the UK’s official Afrobeats chart in 2020. The UK also experienced its first Afrobeat entry into the wider British top 10 in 2012 following the release of ‘Oliver Twist’ by singer/rapper D’Banj. This marked the beginning of the international success now enjoyed by Nigerian artists like Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy who have embarked on stadium tours.
Burna Boy’s list of accolades also contributes to recognising the emerging global presence of African music. He clinched Billboard’s inaugural best Afrobeats artist award and dedicated it to “Africa and every African artist on the rise.” He was also in the running for the debut Grammy for the best African music performance, mimicking Tyla’s nomination. Besides, he’d had several earlier nominations for the Grammys’ best global-music album and best global-music performance, including when these were referred to as best world music awards.
Some contemporaries celebrate the shift in attitude from viewing African fusion as merely ‘world music’. As Sampa the Great comments, it’s a touchy subject to condense Africa’s musical contributions into a generic ‘world’ label, which understates the significance of African music genres. She points out that various types of music enjoyed today actually take their roots from Africa. Currently, African artists are able to categorise themselves internationally, something they’ve been doing in their own countries for a while.
Sampa observes that African performers can now assert their narrative, equating it to their first-time leadership roles. “The Grammys focusing on our homeland is a first. Consequently, we get to determine our representation, setting a unique precedent for global perception of African music.”
When asked about her feelings as a proud Zambian artist amid this rising genre, she replies, “There’s no need to alter my narrative for people to grasp it. Interestingly, for the first time, we’re not being required to modify our songs and incorporate more English. I can sing in my dialect without any controversy. It’s a wonderful yet startling and liberating experience to witness diverse audiences singing in our languages for the first time.”