Afro Beats; from High Life to Amapiano

Talk about the evolution from Afrobeat to modern-day African club beats

African beats and bands are listened to throughout the world. Music styles spread all around and are played all around the world. At the same time they are often underrepresented and not played enough by the mainstream media. How do we in the West deal best with music from other continents? Where did the African-inspired club music now heard in clubs and at festivals emerge? 

African music is everywhere: musicians, DJs and producers use its rhythms, the Afrobeats. Associate artist Angelique Kidjo says there are ‘endless similarities to be found between different music from all across the world.’ As a musical bridge builder, she shows how all music is interconnected through her international collaborations. Naki Bembe (Uganda) and Gabber Modus Operandi (Indonesia), which can be heard during HF x Lofi x CTM, are good examples of this.

In this talk, Angelo Bromet interviews two experts on this topic: the popular Ghanian- Dutch musician Amartey and DJ Jumanne (Thomas Gesthuizen, also founder of africanhiphop.com). They will speak about their own favourite songs and take these as the guideline for a journey to the origins of the rhythms and beats and the many paths these have travelled to dance floors across the world.

Representation is not only about telling the right story, but also about how far it reaches. In order to make this one go global, Echobox Radio will be there to broadcast the conversation as a live radio show!