In the groove: African music making waves on the global stage

By Fred Zindi | Mar. 3, 2024

Songs from the continent have become megaphones amplifying voices against repressive governments and societal injustices.

There is vast potential in the growth of African music throughout the world.

This year, at the Grammy stage, the new Grammy category titled: “Best African Music Performance” has shown the world that African music is experiencing a transformative breakthrough, overcoming longstanding structural challenges.

Only last week, former Oliver Mtukudzi’s Black Spirits lead guitarist, Clive Mono Mukundu flew to Kingston, Jamaica to showcase his African musical skills. He approached Caveman, Sizzla’s producer who he had met in Zimbabwe when Sizzla Kalonji came here to perform. Mono came up with a concept to create a ‘riddim’ solely using the mbira instrument, deliberately leaving out bass, keyboard and guitars in order to give a laid-back mbira riddim with mbira, ngoma and drums only as the instruments churning out a reggae riddim.

Mono called this the Mbira-Huru Riddim, showing that he was in charge of the goings on. He then brought on board two Jamaican vocalists, Rico Banton and I- Zeez- I. who added their magic to the riddim.

To me, Mono has found himself on the precipice of a new chapter which I hope will take him to international levels.

I had the privilege to listen to the finished product, courtesy of Steve Chigorimbo, who is involved in this Arts project. It was indeed an enjoyable and passionate experiment. The outcome was electric. As we all know, Mono has been a salt-of-the earth man who seems unflappable when it comes to music in Zimbabwe.

Radio DJs in Zimbabwe should check this product out and give it a spin. After all, charity begins at home. We do hope that Mono with his Jamaican collaboration will make an entry into the Grammy Awards ceremony next year as there seems to be a world-wide interest in music from Africa.

The African music industry, the continent’s diverse genres and talents are not only conquering global charts but also earning a place on the prestigious Grammy stage. (Remember US based artiste, King Isaac was possibly the first Zimbabwean artiste nominated for the prestigious Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album titled Isaacs Meets Isaac in 2010 when he collaborated with the late Reggae icon Gregory Isaacs.) Despite being nominated, King Isaac did not make it to win the category. Instead the award went to Buju Banton.

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Only a few weeks ago on the 4th February, we noticed that the African music industry, the continent’s diverse genres and talents are not only conquering global charts but are also earning a place on the prestigious Grammy stage.

The new Grammy category, “Best African Music Performance,” symbolises a significant acknowledgment of regional musical traditions. This recognition encompasses “recordings that utilise unique local expressions from across the African continent,” reflecting the richness and diversity of African music.

New genres like Afrobeats and Amapiano, which blend distinct West African styles and South African kwaito, respectively are gaining momentum throughout the world. With increasing attention from major record labels and a commitment to developing local talents, the industry is poised for further growth.

This year, on Sunday 4th February at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, several African acts who included Davido, Whizkid and Burna Boy, all netted a nomination at the Grammy Awards ceremony.

However, South African Singer, Tyla won the inaugural “Best African Music Performance Category’’ at The 2024 Grammys.

What does Tyla’s win mean for African music on the global stage? While Afrobeats and Amapiano are certainly crossing over in America, Tyla’s win reflects how Western influence is often necessary for African music to transcend the continent. There is a mixture of Western pop beats in both Afrobeats and Amapiano.

The 22-year-old outshone notable Nigerian contenders, including Davido, Asake, and Burna Boy. Tyla’s chart-topping track Water emerged victorious over songs by Davido, Asake, Burna Boy, and Ayra Starr. In the past 10 years notable Grammy entrances were from West Africa, but this year it is South Africa that has made it.

It marks the inaugural year of the Best African Music Performance category at the Grammy Awards.

South Africa has had the largest number of Grammy wins since the inception of the Grammys with Miriam Makeba being Africa's first Grammy winner and the country’s solo female vocalist to win prior to Tyla.

Streaming platforms play a pivotal role in pushing African music beyond borders. Afrobeats streaming on Spotify alone has witnessed a remarkable growth of over 500% since 2017. Hit tracks like Nigerian artist Rema’s Calm Down and South African sensation Tyla’s Water exemplify the global success and impact of African artistes.

As the industry gains global recognition, there is optimism among industry insiders who see the vast potential of African music.

Only last month a Samy Ben Redjeb, a music producer from Germany whose label is called Analog Africa was in Zimbabwe looking for African music from the 1970s. His previous job was a flight attendant for Lufthansa Airways. He flew to Lagos in Nigeria, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, and Accra in Ghana, on a monthly basis in which countries he fell in love with indigenous African music.

This is his story:

“I am a flight attendant who turned record label owner. I started having connections who were looking for records for me and then every time I was going, they had already prepared stuff that I just listened through and then selected what I wanted and then flew back with that,” he says.

Ben Redjeb made about a thousand trips to Africa while working for Lufthansa and took back to Frankfurt countless pieces of music.

“That’s basically how I really managed to get all (this) record collection which is now the base for my label,” he says.

Ben Redjeb runs his label, Analog Africa, out of a packed apartment in Frankfurt. He selects tracks from his many rare records to create new compilations.

The most recent release, Afrobeat Airways 2, focuses mainly on Ghanaian music from the ‘70s. One of the tracks from the band, Complex Sounds, showcases some of the horn-heavy ‘highlife’ style that was so huge in Ghana. Ben Redjeb got turned on to this music scene on one of his visits to Accra.

“While I was there, I was looking for records and talking to musicians and to collectors and they were telling me about how vibrating the music scene was there,” Ben Redjeb says. “It was difficult for me to picture really what was going on but, then, I found the stamps of a photo studio in Accra.”

Accra’s Modern Photo Company was located next to one of Accra’s hottest clubs in the 1970s, the Tip Toe. So, Ben Redjeb went to the photo studio to see if he could track down one of the old photographers. He wanted photos of the Ghanaian musicians to accompany his music compilation.

His latest release is a Zimbabwean compilation album from Hallelujah Chicken Run Band. He has also released The Green Arrows compilation album featuring Zexie Manatsa.

The influence of African music from Cape to Cairo and even in the diaspora, has become a cultural force which is impossible to ignore, and the introduction of a Grammy category affirms its undeniable significance on the world stage.

African music, like reggae music from Jamaica, is not only a source of entertainment but also a powerful tool against repression and injustice. Songs from the continent have become megaphones amplifying voices against repressive governments and societal injustices.

From electrifying performances at the Fifa World Cup to the introduction of a new Grammy category, African music is experiencing a transformative breakthrough, overcoming longstanding structural challenges.

Sub-Saharan Africa emerges as the fastest-growing region for recorded music revenues, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s Global Music Report 2023.

The Grammy category highlights various African music genres, including Afrobeat, Chimurenga, Afropop, soukous, shaabi, chaabi, benga, bongo flava, fuji, and high life. These genres, deeply rooted in cultural expressions, reverberate across dance floors not only on the continent but worldwide.

This distinctive approach to music resonates with the continent’s young and culturally vibrant population, which is set to comprise a quarter of the world’s population by 2050.

Despite the global appeal, challenges persist, such as limited purchasing power and infrastructure constraints. However, with increasing attention from major record labels and a commitment to developing local talents, the industry is poised for further growth.

We sincerely hope that come 2025, more Africans, including Zimbabwean musicians will scoop the prestigious Grammy Awards.