Miriam Makeba was the first African to win a Grammy, but only when she partnered with a US star, Harry Belafonte.
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African artists with major US industry support have the advantage - now more than ever.
Davido has gone back to work after the death of his young son.
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The album doesn’t live up to the hype - but features some decent collaborations.
AKA performing in 2015, at the height of his fame.
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A cold-blooded shooting is a common trope in gangsta rap - but a disturbing new development in South African hip-hop.
Nigerian star Tems performs at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK in 2022.
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Afrobeats truly conquered the globe, influencing music styles, packing out stadiums and lifting awards.
Asake live in Atlanta in the US in 2022.
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The album Mr. Money With The Vibe, with its amapiano influences, is just 30 minutes long but it speaks volumes about Asake’s talents.
Burna Boy promotes his new album Love, Damini in the US.
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With his new album Love, Damini he has conquered the world. But how much of his creative soul does he have left?
Burna Boy performs in Glastonbury, England, 2022.
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Afrofusion is a music style that existed even before Burna Boy was born.
Nigerian musician Fela Kuti and his band in Harlem, New York, 1989.
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Nigerian popular music - Afrobeats - is storming the world’s stages. But it’s just the latest stage in a vibrant century of recorded music in the country.
Made Kuti performs in Lagos in 2021.
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Of a record nine nominees, seven are from West Africa. The global rise of Afrobeats music owes its soul to Nigeria’s iconic star Fela Kuti.
Tems performs in London in 2021.
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Afrobeats emerged when West African pop music became cool. It has been boosted by the diaspora, big name collaborations and American culture.
The cast of Fela! performs during the 64th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in 2010 in New York City.
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How do elements of Fela Kuti’s music get reproduced by today’s pop musicians?