Why Nigerian music didn't abandon reggae's roots—it just grew its own
I watched Buju Banton’s comment on Afrobeats, in which he criticized the
genre for its focus on money and mundane things. The video triggered a series
of profound thoughts in me. In the end, I concluded that it is wrong to feel
that Afrobeats betrayed Jamaican reggae’s ideology of promoting freedom, social
justice and, ultimately, the dignity of Africa.
However, I think that his conclusion was somewhat hasty, even though, as one
of the artists guided by that ideology, he is bound to feel betrayed.
Afrobeats rose naturally. There was no conference where attendees decided on
a new genre and the trajectory it was supposed to take. Afrobeats was shaped
like any other genre—by the circumstances of the locality where it was born. It
is an exposition of the lifestyle of the people who founded it. On the other
hand, reggae ideology is often summed up in the word “consciousness,” which
refers to awareness of the issues to which freedom is entwined.
In addition to recalling the dynamics that shaped the coloration of a genre,
Afrobeats reflects a reggae influence. In classical terms, the biggest name in
Nigerian contemporary music is Tuface. His greatest song—the one that made him
popular—is titled "African Queen." By the title alone, it is a song
that promotes the dignity of Africa. In the song, he uses a Jamaican slang, tingalingalin. This is why some
Jamaicans don’t even know that he isn’t one of them. Tuface himself insists
that his songs lean toward the reggae side. He was part of a trio called the
Plantashun Boyz. Eventually, the other two members took a reggae trajectory
that was even more mainstream than Tuface’s. Unfortunately, they never enjoyed
Tuface’s level of success.
Other Nigerian artists with Jamaican influences in their music include
Timaya and Patoranking, who both sing dancehall. In Uganda, for instance, many
music fans don’t even know that Timaya is Nigerian. Millions of fans there
actually believe he is Jamaican. In Patoranking’s case, even his name reflects
Jamaican dancehall colouration, inspired by Shabba Ranks, Cutty Ranks, and
others. His music is also dancehall in character, with examples like "Suh
Different" and "Girlie O." Timaya made history by becoming the
first African artist to perform at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in
2017.
In conclusion, I want to reiterate that the character of a genre is
influenced spontaneously and will always reflect issues from the locality in
which it was invented. Even though Nigerian artists may not have fully embraced
the ideology of roots reggae, they have ended up mirroring Jamaican musical
influence in Afrobeats. Therefore, claiming that Jamaican reggae was betrayed
or ostracized is taking it too far.
