Nigerian music superstar, David Adeleke, better known as Davido, has spoken candidly about his undeniable contributions to the global success of Afrobeats.
He boldly stated that his name was inextricably linked to the rise of Afrobeats.
Speaking in the latest issue of TheBeatJuice magazine, Davido declared: “Afrobeats can’t be brought up without my name. Impossible”.
Davido is widely regarded as one of the three biggest artists in the genre, alongside Wizkid and Burna Boy.
Together, they have elevated African music to unprecedented global prominence.
However, like his contemporaries, Davido has previously expressed mixed feelings about the categorisation of African music under the “Afrobeats” label.
In an appearance on the Business Untitled Podcast, Davido criticised the tendency to group all African artists into the Afrobeats genre, regardless of their distinctive musical styles.
Also, he clarified that while he appreciates the significance of the genre, he personally identifies his sound as “Afro-fusion”.
“I don’t get offended when we’ve been categorised as Afrobeats. I mean, we need a genre. It could be R&B or Afropop,” he explained.
“I call my music Afro-fusion, but I’m not big on saying, ‘Oh, put Afro-fusion on my song.’ I know how long it took for African music to become mainstream.”
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Davido’s comments underline the complexity of categorising African music in an industry that often simplifies diverse sounds into singular labels.
While the term “Afrobeats” has undeniably played a key role in introducing African music to global audiences, artists like Davido are calling for broader recognition of the various and evolving styles within the continent’s music scene.
