‘A Quick Ting On Afrobeats’ is a new book scheduled for release in February 2022.
The author is Christian Adofo, who’s originally from Ghana, but currently lives in London. The book researches “the music of the African diaspora and their children, delving into how Afrobeats and its sub-genres have provided new articulations of Black identity and pride.”
Speaking with Resident Advisor about his book, the author said he wrote it after: “researching academic journals, seminal books from past masters on the origins of African music and finding myself in the depths of YouTube channels with users who have become inadvertent digital archivists on popular culture connecting Africa and its communities within the diaspora.”
Christian Adofo continued to say that he defines Afrobeats as the “youngest offspring [of Afrobeat] which acknowledges the past via classic samples and familiar drum patterns in hybrid electronic form whilst deeply maintaining the sentiment of African pride.”
In layman’s terms, Afrobeat is best described as jazz-inspired music that originated from Africa, and was pioneered by artists such as Fela Kuti. Its vibrant percussion, characterful instrumentation and danceable grooves, have often been samples in electronic music, and that makes this book an interesting read.
This book is the eighth in a series called ‘A Quick Ting On’, which started in 2020 and has explored other music genres such as grime, plantain, the Black girl afro and Black British businesses.
The Author also curated a playlist, which you can find below…
H/T: RA
