Country of origin: Nigeria

A fusion of highlife, jazz, and Nigerian African percussion characterized by frequent jams, abundant percussion and the use of brass. The most famous artist in this category was Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.

Fela Kuti was the creator of Afrobeat. In the late 1960, Fela was performing highlife combined with jazz. His electric basslines emulated the large African drums. Another innovation Fela Kuti added was the introduction of the piano and electric organ in his form of Nigerian dance music. According to Fela's conga player Daniel Koranteng (a.k.a. JB) in the book Fela:Kalakuta Notes, the term Afrobeat was coined in 1969 when Fela met Stan Plange of the Uhurus and promoter Raymond Azziz in Accra (Ghana). Fela told them he wanted tochange the name of his music from jazz-highlife to something else. Stan Plange told him: ”Fela you used to raise your shirt collar like an 'Afro' guy so call your music Afrobeat.”

Since the 1990s, Afrobeat has experienced a resurgence of Afrobeat jam bands in Nigeria and the United States of America. Some of them include Antibalas, Akoya, Afromotion, as well as Fela's children, Seun Kuti and Femi Kuti, and former bandmate Tony Allen.

• Fela:Kalakuta Notes
• Fela: The Life And Times Of An African Musical Icon
• Arrest the Music!: Fela and His Rebel Art and Politics
• Afrobeat: Fela and the Imagined Continent

• Open & Close by Fela Kuti
• Afrodisiac by Fela Kuti
• Expensive Shit by Fela Kuti
• He Miss Road by Fela Kuti
• Confusion by Fela Kuti
• Gentleman by Fela Kuti
• Anthology 1 by Fela Kuti

!Akimbo (United States of America) 9ice (Nigeria) Abbi (Kenya) Abby Surya Djai (D. R. Congo) Afroganic (United Kingdom) Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble (United States of America) Albino Afrobeat (United States of America) Amo (The Netherlands) Annie Ebene (D. R. Congo) Antibalas (United States of America) Aphrodesia (United States of America) Atlas Soul (United States of America) Atongo Zimba (Ghana) Ayetoro (Nigeria) B-Side Players (United States of America) Baba Ken Okulolo (Nigeria) Baba Olajagun (Nigeria) Bantu & Afrobeat Academy Band (Germany) Baoku Moses (Nigeria) Baraka (United Kingdom) Baranta (United Kingdom) Ben Baddoo (Ghana) Betancourt Trio (United States of America) Bola Abimbola (Nigeria) Boubacar Gaye (Japan) Cacique '97 Chicago Afrobeat Project (United States of America) Chico Mann (United States of America) Cuchata (United States of America) CV Boys band (Cape Verde) D'banj (Nigeria) D'banj (Nigeria) Dan 'chizi' Aceda (Kenya) David Walters (France) DELE SOSIMI (Nigeria) Dele Sosimi (Nigeria) Dr. King Cobra & Wazobia Essence Kasozi (Uganda) Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (Nigeria) Femi Jubal (Nigeria) Femi Kuti (Nigeria) Francis Mbappe (Cameroon) Franck Biyong (Cameroon) Fresh Jumbe (Tanzania) Frititi Traditional African Drumming & Dance Ltd (United Kingdom) Fulanis (United States of America) Funkadesi (United States of America) Golden “Soko” Zimmaestro (Zimbabwe) Golty Farabeau (United Kingdom) Ideal (Belize) Jahfe (United States of America) Joel Laviolette (United States of America) Jorrix (Cameroon) Junglman (Nigeria) K-G and The Band (United States of America) Karlos Paez (United States of America) KAZUBA SYBILLE (Burundi) Ken Okulolo (Nigeria) King Wawa & The Oneness Kingdom Band (Haiti) Kokolo (United States of America) Kokoura (The Netherlands) Kotoja (United States of America) Kouto Beat (Brazil) Kwanza Jones (United States of America) Lagbaja (Nigeria) La Internacional Sonora Calavera (Canada) Lami J and the African Pride band (Nigeria) Lou Black (United States of America) Lucky Jacque (Denmark) Luis Garay Percussion World (United States of America) Majek Fashek and Prisoners of Conscience (Nigeria) MAKADEM (Kenya) Malika Zarra (United States of America) MAMADOU (Senegal) Marcos Napa (United States of America) MonteCara (Portugal) Moreira Chonguica (South Africa) Najite Olokun Prophecy (United States of America) Nakaaya (Tanzania) Nene Tchakou (Congo-Brazza) Nii Tagoe (Ghana) Norma Fraser (United States of America) Osmoses (Caraibe) Pamyua (United States of America) Pantonic Steel Orchestra (United States of America) Pitshou Lumiere Minsiomi with Rhumba La Musica(RLM) (D. R. Congo) Rattletree Marimba (United States of America) Renee Lamira (Tanzania) Rhythm+ (Canada) Rhythm+ (Canada) Rocky Dawuni (Ghana) Saida Karoli (Tanzania) Sarah Ndagire (Uganda) Saul Rayo and Cocina Del Mundo (United States of America) Sauti Sol (Kenya) Segun Damisa (France) Seneke (United States of America) Seun Kuti (Nigeria) Sila and the AfroFunk Experience (United States of America) Silvana Magda (Brazil) Simi Zeko (Zambia) Skyhigh Family (Somalia) Soma Mestizo (United States of America) Suzzana Owiyo (Kenya) The Budos Band (United States of America) The Forefathers (United States of America) The Liquidaires (Canada) ThunderBeat (United States of America) Tinsaedu (United States of America) Tinsaedu (United States of America) Toby Foyeh & Orchestra Africa (Nigeria) Tom Back (Belgium) Tukuleur (France) Tumba y Quema (Hungary) Umalu (Algeria) Victor Sila (Kenya) Vitali Maembe & The Spirits (Tanzania) Wanlov the Kubolor (United States of America) Watusi (United States of America) Whitney Slaten (United States of America) Zaake Nathan (Uganda) Zenzi Lee (South Africa) Zimmaestro (Zimbabwe) Zuluman (Zimbabwe) Zuni Migoze (Kenya)

Other World Music Genres