Their music is crisp, sleek and soothing to the ears. Their beats thrill fans while their lyrics express the richness of the African lifestyle. Afrobeat artists are the pride of Africa in the musical scene. We bring to you a list of some of the prolific Afrobeat artists driving the Afrobeat genre across the African continent and the globe. According to Vogue magazine, the genre of music is inspiring even American pop music.
Who are the top five Afrobeat artists?
Burna Boy
Burna Boy/ Courtesy
With a towering figure, a husky voice and several awards to his name, the Nigerian-born singer and music writer, Burna Boy is among the elites of Afrobeat music. He has chartered new grounds with his music and is among the dorminant musical figures in the globe. His music is a blend of Africa traditional music and modern music to produce beautiful Afrobeat rhythms. He has competed with the best of the best in the globe. Among the artists he has collaborated with are Stormzy, Damian Marley and Ed Sheeran.
His concerns are always sold-out concerts, while his energetic stage performances have earned him global admiration.
Burna Boy’s success is transatlantic, as he has collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, and Damian Marley. His distinctive sound and energetic performances make him one of the top Afrobeat artists in the world.
Tiwa Savage
Tiwa Savage/Courtesy
An award winner at at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards 2018, Tiwa Savage is one of the iconic female figures in Afrobeat music. The Nigerian born musician has represented the African continent at the global stage with several electric performances. When she made her debut in 2010 with her global hit “Kele Kele”, she was among the very female artists who were attempting their luck with Afrobeat music
Today, Tiwa Savage is savagely transforming the Afrobeat music scene with great perfomances across the globe. Her shows and concerns is a must-attend concert whenever she is perfoming in Africa or in the American continent.
Ayra Starr
Afrobeat sensation Ayra Starr/Courtesy
She is probably the youngest Afrobeat star. Just like her name Starr, Ayra’s musical star has been on a steady rise since she burst into the musical scene, aged just 19 years old. OkayAfrica notest the Afrobeat sensation is now a mainstay in the genre of music. The Benin-Nigerian-born star has performed in the US, Europe and Africa. Some of her songs, for example, “Rush” has millions of views on YouTube. The song is among the best-performing Afrobeat tunes in the globe.
Davido
Afrobeat star Davido/Credit: Davido
Born in Atlanta, Davido is one of the best singers who have perfected the Afrobeat tune. He is a Nigerian American-born singer, songwriter and record producer who blends the Western Africa culture with the African-American culture to produce music. According to Billboard, his smash hit “Fall” broke the record in 2017 as the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history. He has also done several collaborations with other international artists to help market the African lifestyle.
Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti/Credit: Fela Kuti
He is considered the pioneer of Afrobeat music. In Nigeria, he was a local hero in the musics front. In his personal life, Kuti was married to 27 wives. However, his contribution to Afrobeats is what has earned him international accollades. His music represented the African culture and highlighting issues taking place in the continent.