Afrobeats Hot Hits: The New Sound of Urban Africa

The sounds of Afrobeats are not to be mistaken with the music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. The crucial ‘s’ denotes that it's the electro-driven club style we're talking about here, influenced by soca, dancehall and hip-hop emanating from Nigeria and Ghana. It's recently hit the big time with Lagos producer Wizkid's production for Drake's track ‘One Dance’ reaching number one in 15 countries, and this compilation showcases some of the key players.
The music is undeniably danceable and Wizkid's frequent collaborator Davido even invented a dance for his song ‘Skelewu’. This track opens the CD, and contributions from Surulere singer Wande Coal and Abia State's Yemi Alade are similarly geared towards the dance floor. Entitled ‘Rotate’ and ‘Pose’ respectively, the percussive patterns, joyous AutoTune vocals and dynamic bass lines exemplify the Afrobeats genre par excellence. The somewhat questionably titled ‘Shake Ur Bum Bum’ features Jamaican superstar Sean Paul and here the dancehall influence is particularly apparent, with a high-octane rhythm track and a patois-laden hook that is embarrassingly catchy.
The label Shanachie have put together a fine compilation in Afrobeats Hot Hits; one that offers a comprehensive introduction to the sound that's taking the world by storm.