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It's wrong for Nigerians to claim ownership of Afrobeats -Beatz Vampire

Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News Nov - 01 - 2023 , 13:27

Ghanaian music producer Beatz Vampire says Afrobeats should not be exclusively associated with Nigeria as the genre's success has been a collective effort of artistes and producers from various African countries.

In a recent interview with Amansan Krakye on Property FM in Cape Coast, he explained that although Afrobeats had gained international recognition and popularity over the past decade with Nigerian artistesplaying critical roles, other African countries, including Ghana, had also made significant contributions to the genre.

He said artistes like Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale as well as other artistes from across the continent have also played a crucial role in shaping the sound of Afrobeats and should be given due credit.

"Let me explain the reason why I wrote on social media that there is nothing like Afrobeats from Nigeria but Afrobeats belongs to Africa. Afrobeats is not Nigerian music but rather a combination of African sounds, and that's how I see it."

The producer went on to clarify that his intention was not to discredit Nigeria's contributions to Afrobeats but rather to emphasise that the genre draws inspiration from various African musical traditions.

He acknowledged that Nigeria has played a significant role in promoting Afrobeats, both in terms of production and marketing, which has led to the perception that Afrobeats is Nigerian music.

"In terms of production-wise, they invest, including marketing, and they are fronting Afrobeats, so everyone says Nigerian music," Beatz Vampire added.