Four takeaways from Ayo Shonaiya’s ‘Afrobeats: The Backstory’
The good and not-so-great of the Nigerian pop documentary series
An ongoing conversation has been sparked ever since Netflix premiered their first-ever Afrobeats documentary on the 29th of June, 2022. The Africa-led musical movement has arguably been the fastest-rising cultural phenomenon of the 2020s, therefore it made all sense for the streaming company to acquire Ayo Shonaiya’s work and push it with the resolve they’ve shown so far. With the 12-episode series ‘Afrobeats: The Backstory’ now fully released, sections of viewers have their different opinions.
For those who have limited knowledge of the Afrobeats scene, it’s surely an important reference point. Its deliberate spin around the movement’s birthplaces of Nigeria and Ghana, down to its early to mid 2000s evolution among the UK diaspora, were especially in-depth. However, it’s those based in Africa who experienced first-hand those generation-defining moments who’ve had the most to say about Shonaiya’s documentary. Ranging from well-deserved praise on its novel elements to criticism about perceived oversights, it’s been attended with the depth of reaction that’s only befitting of such an important cultural production.
Here at the NATIVE, we’ve made no small efforts to contextualise this music we so love. Through longform and 1-listen reviews, first impressions, feature pieces, and interviews with influential figures on chosen creative projects, it’s been a recurring mission of ours to centre the basic components of art. By doing that we’re able to demystify the creative process, and enable healthy discussions about its execution. As a result, we’ve asked members of our editorial team to each share their biggest takeaway from the Netflix Afrobeats documentary. Knowing how diverse our interests are, this is one compulsory accompaniment before, during or after watching the doc.
The ‘S’ is important
As someone who has never visited West Africa, I often confuse Afrobeats and Afrobeat. When the documentary starts, Shonaiya’s emphasis on “Afrobeats with an S” communicates one thing: the difference is immense and by the end of the documentary. Now, I can assure you I will never confuse it. The growth of the genre has been like a roaring fire in the forest consuming and carrying everyone with it and the documentary puts it out in the most detailed manner. In short, if you don’t know the origin of the genre, this documentary is your encyclopaedia.
As the documentary explores the rise of Afrobeats, the Nigerian global music phenomenon, the 12 episodes give a perfect blend of Nigerian classics and new generation music, from Afrobeat to Afrobeats. Paying homage to Fela Kuti, Shonaiya is key to ensure his light does not deem, giving him and Tony Allen credits for coining the name of the genre. I love the fact there was a background check and involvement of key players of the genre such as Junior & Pretty, Eedris Abdulkareem, Sound Sultan, Banky W and more. While watching the show there was an immediate emotional connection to the message as an African and also a lover of the genre. It felt like I was in the ’90s when Shonaiya broke down the emergence of Afrobeats. Compiling hit songs, club bangers and invaluable education, Shonaiya drove the point home. Afrobeat and Afrobeats are not the same.
Tela Wangeci
Documentation is important
For ‘Afrobeats: The Backstory’, producer Ayo Shonaiya gathered footage from over 20 years of real time experiences. At the time when memories were being created Shonaiya was making sure to create a visual representation of these moments. At the time, Afrobeats was still on the come up and no proper structure had been put into place but the clips collected by Shonaiya has given the body of work more meaning and has amplified the storytelling, making the consumption of the documentary a lot easier. The documentary did justice to highlighting the relevance of what is being experienced now and its importance to the future. These footages also gave the documentary a feeling of a memoir, letting the viewers feel even closer to players such as Obi Asika, Keke and D1, JJC, Ayo Shonaiya himself, Don Jazzy, and more.
Wonu Osikoya
Thank you, Ghana!
In early 2017, Nigerian Twitter went into a frenzy after Mr Eazi stated in a now deleted tweet that it’s impossible to understate the influence of Ghanaian music on Nigerian music. Since then, the singer has been in something of a contentious relationship with Nigerian music faithful, even being cancelled – that’s despite scoring more hit songs and heading a successful label services company. In ‘Afrobeats: The Backstory’, Mr. Shonaiya digs into the “5-beat count” that forms the rhythmic basis of Afrobeats, tracing it to the Kpanlogo drum pattern, which is central to Ghanaian folk music and, consequently, Ghanaian urban music. Basically, Afrobeats—aka Nigerian pop in the doc’s context—has, and continues to, crib cues from its neighbour.
If you want to go all the way back, there’s Highlife, which has its origins in Ghana and formed the foundation of the sound for many iconic Nigerian artists, from Celestine Ukwu’s Igbo Highlife, to Sir Victor Uwaifo’s Edo Funk, to Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, and more. In a more modern context, several Nigerian artists and hit songs around the turn of the millennium took vivid influences from hiplife, the Ghanaian originated sound that melded highlife melodies with the bounce of hip-hop. The mid-2010s renaissance that slowed down the de-facto tempo of Nigerian pop—led by Eazi’s banku sound, Tekno’s “Pana” and Runtown’s “Mad Over You”—owes a lot to neo-highlife melodies.
In the docuseries, respected producer JMJ and acclaimed singer Stonebwoy chip in on the influence of Ghanaian-originated music on Afrobeats, offering the sort of nuance that’s already known but doesn’t want to be acknowledged by Nigerians. So, again: Thank you, Ghana.
Dennis Ade Peter
Too many exceptions to ignore
As much as I enjoyed the documentary, it had a number of gaping holes. The most confounding for me was the absence of the Eastern music scene’s myriad contributions. Highlife was well-connected to its origin birthplace of Ghana, but its evolution within Nigeria wasn’t done proper justice to, especially with the 1967 Nigeria-Biafra War, which essentially ruptured its burgeoning fan base across the whole nation and gave way to the rise of Fela’s Afrobeat, and not long after, Juju and Fuji primarily in Southwestern Nigeria.
In telling the Afrobeats story, a deliberate effort must be made to decentralise the importance of Lagos. Shonaiya’s focus on the city brothers Lagos and London was too much of a singular narrative, even if true and well-researched. As a result, the descendants of the Highlife-dominated Eastern scene weren’t given their credit. Ostensibly missing was the contribution of notable figures such as P Square, Flavour, Dekumzy and J Martins who made the sound of Nigerian Pop varied in the 2000s, and in the post-MTV era became early explorers of the East African market.
Emmanuel Esomnofu
NATIVE ROOTS: THE BIRTH OF AFROBEAT
Maya Amolo Is Committed To Giving You The Sweetest Time
There’s undoubtedly more to come from the talented singer as she looks to solidify herself as one of the...
“Sweetest Time,” Maya Amolo’s latest single, is a soothing, lovesick confessional that mixes intimate, heartfelt lyricism with wistful production courtesy of Ugandan musician and producer SOULCHYD aka MAUIMØON. Alongside fellow Kenyan singer Ywaya Tajiri, the self-acclaimed sweetest girl delivers a lustrous duet that sees her soft vocals, which perfectly complement Tajiri’s more robust voice, skip and flit across moody synths, intensifying the spotlight on her wholehearted delivery. “I can feel you rushing through my system / Every single day it’s my religion,” she sings passionately halfway into the record. The whole thing sounds like the aural equivalent of a warm blanket; a truly affectionate record that immerses and envelopes its listeners in its warmth. This is the brand of vulnerable, understated R&B music that has been helping Amolo gain significant attention since she debuted in the pandemic year.
Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Amolo always had an affinity for music. The singer and producer, who took on piano and guitar lessons as a child, has previously credited acts like Brandy, Erykah Badu, Prince, and Kenyan musical icon Eric Wainaina as her early influences – and it’s easy to see how Amolo’s style draws from this strong lineage of musicians whose music is equally expansive, soothing and vulnerable. After years experimenting with different styles, recording covers to beats she ripped from YouTube and posting them on her Soundcloud page, Amolo released her debut project ‘Leave Me At The Pregame’ in 2020.
The EP, which quickly soared up the charts in Kenya, served as a brief but emphatic introduction to Amolo’s minimalistic take on R&B. Standouts like the emotive opener “Puddles,” “Lush Green”, and “Jokes” showcase her clever and poignant lyricism that reflects on themes of love, depression, and self-healing. Along with sparse, melancholic production and the icy sensuality of her voice, Amolo delivered a remarkable debut that made her one of the most promising figures in Nairobi’s alternative music scene. Two years after ‘Leave Me At The Pregame,’ the Kenyan rising star released her debut album, ‘Asali.’
‘Asali,’ which translates to “honey” in her native Kiswahili, showcased Amolo’s progression as both an artist and a human being, as she swapped out the sad-girl tunes that filled her debut EP for more vibrant and intricate records – thanks in part to Sir Bastien and Kenyan producer and rapper Lukorito – that explore themes of growth and the complexities and rich luster of love. The album’s lead singles, “Foundry” and the self-produced “Can’t Get Enough,” found relative success on streaming platforms, placing Amolo as one of the continent’s most exciting new R&B voices. About a year after the release of ‘Asali,’ Amolo updated the album with 8 new songs on a deluxe version that featured Kenyan stars like Bensoul, Xenia Manasseh and Zowie Kengocha.
In August 2024, a few months after she delivered a splendid Colors performance, Amolo released a new project titled ‘What a Feeling.’ The 5-track EP, which essentially serves as an ode to Amolo’s home city, Nairobi, sees her experimenting with an array of dance sub-genres without straying too far from her R&B roots. While the project still retains much of the melancholy and elegance that defined her earlier work, there’s a hypnotic and pulsating energy that courses through ‘What A Feeling,’ that highlights a shift in the singer’s sensibilities. Amolo’s honeyed vocals gently seep through subtle Dancehall, Electronic, R&B and House-inspired production and the accompanying visualizer, a mashup of camcorder footage of her and her friends in Nairobi, also adequately captures the charming and nocturnal vibe of the tape.
The project produced standout tracks like the sensual “Let It Flow,” the title track and “Take It,” which later got remixed by Ugandan singer Soundlykbb and rapper SGawD. With Amolo’s latest release, “Sweetest Girl,” the Kenyan rising star continues her intricate exploration of R&B music, merging it with varying styles to produce her own distinct and refreshing variant. There’s no telling what Amolo might do next, but with only a handful of releases to her name so far, there’s undoubtedly more to come from the talented singer as she looks to solidify herself as one of the genre’s most prominent faces across the continent.
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T.I Blaze Updates ‘Shakur’ EP With Deluxe Version
Following the success of “Trenches Luv,” the street-pop star is back with seven new songs on the deluxe...
Over the last few years, street-pop, a guttural version of afropop, has surged to mainstream popularity, birthing stars like Asake, Seyi Vibez, and Shallipopi. On the homefront, a generation of younger stars also put unique spins on the sound. Singer, T.I Blaze, has been a notable star in the sub-genre since his 2021 single, “Sometimes,” and a subsequent remix with icon, Olamide, launched him into a different stratosphere.
Since “Sometimes,” Blaze has established his profile as a reliable source for songs that reflect the pulse of the streets while archiving his come-up story across a debut album (‘El Major’) and three extended plays like ‘The Fresh Prince Of Lagos’ and ‘Dangerous Wavy Baby.’ His 2024 EP, ‘Shakur,’ further underscored his evolution as an artist, featuring slippery numbers about escapism, his thoughts on life in the fast lane, and brotherhood with features from rising stars like Tml Vibez and BhadBoi Oml.
In 2025, the singer has picked up where he left off last year, releasing “Trenches Luv,” a balmy February release that examines the dynamics of romance from his point of view as a young adult moulded by the hard realities of life on the street. The success of “Trenches Luv” has led to a deluxe version of ‘Shakur’ with the singer adding seven new songs to the original version of the project. Impressively, on the new version of the project, TI Blaze taps up Ayo Maff and Ghanaian star Arathejay on “My Brother” and “Mario Remix,” respectively.
Led by a galala-inflected opener, “Track 1,” ‘Shakur (Deluxe)’ is both raw and complex with the singer sounding refreshed on songs like “My Brother,” “Dodge,” and “Introduction.” In many ways, this project is an invitation for listeners to explore the many facets of T.I Blaze’s artistry as well as a portent to celebrate his roots and offer a glimpse at his evolution.
Listen to ‘Shakur (Deluxe)’ here.
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NATIVE PREMIERE: Rigo Kamp Runs Ahead Of The Pack With The Visuals For “Marathon”
Rigo Kamp’s Marathon video is an intimate Afro-juju revival that pays homage to Sir Shina Peters and stamps...
Last Friday, Rigo Kamp, a NATIVE uNder alum and one of the architects of an equal parts nostalgic and refreshing sound released his self-titled debut EP, delivering a propulsive fusion of Alte, R&B, Funk, and Soul-infused rhythms.
Featuring previously released singles “Morning Sun” and “Summer”, the six-track eponymous EP executively produced by Odunsi The Engine sees Rigo lean heavily into his element as a sonic alchemist, jumping from silky falsettos to gritty grooves without losing an ounce of cohesion, and ultimately stamping the Abuja-born, Lagos-based singer-songwriter as a mad scientist of sound.
Just last November, Apple Music named Rigo Kamp as its Up Next artist, an acknowledgment that underscored his potential and confirmed what the tastemakers and underground scene already knew. Weeks later, he delivered an exhilarating live set for Spotify Fresh Finds in Lagos, proving he’s just as compelling live as he is in the studio.
On “Marathon”, the refreshing opener to the Rigo Kamp EP, Rigo borrows the bounce and swagger of Afro-Juju legend, Sir Shina Peters’ golden-era, fusing nostalgia with re-imagination to birth a vintage performance that feels like a private party for two, where it’s just Rigo, and you.
Get an exclusive first look at the video for Marathon here:
Listen to the Rigo Kamp EP:
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