Borrowing from jazz and African rhythms, he forged a singular style that helped define music in his native Ghana — and West ...

Ghanaian highlife musician Aka Blay has stirred conversation in the music space after stating that Nigerians are the true ...

The holy month of Ramadan has inspired yet another powerful musical collaboration as Tolibian enlists gospel tungba maestro Yinka Ayefele and Afrobeat sensation Badboi OML for a stirring remix of his ...

The people loved seeing an Englishman in Africa 70. They couldn’t believe it at first. Oyinbo (white man) drummer! They would come and press money on my forehead. It was a mark of approval. It would ...

Ekpenyong Otu felt adrift in Orlando. The Nigerian disc jockey, who'd spun for some of the biggest Afrobeat artists in his homeland, had moved to Florida in 2006 with the goal of developing a music ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Reporting on Africa, its diaspora, and hip-hop's class acts today. Following in the footsteps of his legendary grandfather Fela ...

On 18 February 1977 a thousand soldiers from the Nigerian army stormed a communal compound in Lagos that outlaw bandleader Fela Kuti had declared his own independent state: the Kalakuta Republic. They ...

Three occupants of a black Mercedes-Benz were heading to work on a good Friday morning. One was the driver, another was the aide, and their oga patapata. They came to crawling traffic on George Street ...

But Fela Kuti and his music were a revelation to the seasoned veteran. "It was like lightning," he says. "I thought, 'Why haven’t I heard this before? How did this escape me?!'" Afrobeat has elements ...

Afrobeat is no longer just a Nigerian or African genre—it’s a global phenomenon. With its infectious rhythms, vibrant beats, and universal appeal, Afrobeat has captured the hearts and dance floors of ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Byron Armstrong is a Toronto-based, CEMA award-winning journalist. Jibola Fagbamiye (left) signing copies of the graphic novel at ...