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Davido + The influence of Afrobeats in the U.S.
Davido + The influence of Afrobeats in the U.S.
By: Isaiah Smart
Music is truly one of life’s most versatile avenues of entertainment and expression. It seems like every year or so a new wave of sounds takes over and opens our ears to something we never saw coming. And in 2018, one of the biggest crazes of the year has been “afrobeats”.
Afrobeat is a growing genre that mixes jazz, soul, funk and African music. In the music, you hear a lot of congas, guitars, horns and drums. Whereas the pulsating rhythm of West Africa has been around for a while, it is finally making it’s way to America and many are loving it.
The music has been around more than some may notice. You’ve heard Afrobeat in viral dance videos, commercials and popular hip-hop songs like “Ganja Burn” by Nicki Minaj, “Guatemala” by Rae Sremmurd and “My Love” byWale.
One of the biggest names in this surge of sound is singer, songwriter and music producer, Davido.
Born Davido Adedeji Adeleke, Davido was born in Atlanta on November 21, 1992, but relocated to Lagos as a young boy. He returned to the states a few years ago and has been a budding star in the growth of Afrobeat in America. He and Wizkid may be two of the most familiar names for the time being but there are more to follow. Davido has been professionally a part of the genre for almost ten years.
In that short time, Davido has already collaborated with Meek Mill, Rae Sremmurd and Young Thug. As his name becomes more familiar, so does the influence and reception of Afrobeat. In 2014, Davido won 13 awards out of 45 nominations across the various music award shows and was nominated for a Kid’s Choice Award this year.
Davido’s three singles from this year, “Nwa Baby”, “Flora My Flawa” and “Assurance” have gained over 31 million views on YouTube. It’s safe to say his performance this weekend will be highly anticipated and very exciting.