Musician Rema has advised his colleagues in the music industry to preserve and celebrate the country’s Afrobeat tradition rather than amapiano.
Rema emphasized the significance of continuing Afrobeats’ effect on the African music landscape, citing the growing influence of amapiano in the Nigerian music industry.
Rema recognized amapiano as a fantastic genre in a recent interview with Apple Music but underlined the importance of keeping afrobeats’ distinctive sound and influence.
Rema revealed that he was inspired by great Afrobeat singers such as Don Jazzy, Mo’hits crew, 2Baba, Olamide, P-Square, and Timaya for his sophomore album, ‘HeIs’.
He shared that these artists had a significant impact on his music career and highlighted their contribution to the Afrobeat genre. In particular, he praised the unique production style of these Afrobeat icons, which has shaped the sound of Afrobeat music over the years.
He commended the distinctive production style of Afrobeat, which he believes can dominate African clubs, and encouraged his fellow artists to continue producing high-quality Afrobeat music.
In his words:
“I had to go back [while creating my new album]. I took a lot of inspiration from Mo’hits. For the first four seconds, when a Mo’hits’ song comes in, you already know it’s a Mo’hits’ song. Don Jazzy just goes crazy on the beat.
“The times when Olamide used to drop crazy songs, he still drops crazy songs. At the time when an Olamide song comes on you still know. P-Square, 2Face, or Timaya. There used to be times when the beat just.
“Amapiano is great, it is fire but there used to be a time when Afrobeats production used to be so insane that nothing can survive it in the clubs in Africa. I’m not saying we’ve lost that but I’m just saying that we need more of that. I don’t want us to go too far away from that. We need to sustain it.”
Rema’s statement has sparked a conversation about the future of Afrobeat music and the importance of maintaining its unique sound while embracing new influences. His call to action has resonated with many fans and fellow artists, encouraging them to continue creating and celebrating Afrobeat music.
