A documentary written and directed by Hugo Claveau and produced by TRACE Studios, that examines the vast history of the musical phenomenon that is Afrobeats.
TRACE, the leading media group in Africa, keeps on investing in directing and producing original content offering the best of afro-urban content and announces the broadcasting of a new music documentary: “Afrobeats, from Nigeria to the world”.
The first part of the documentary will be broadcast on Sept. 3 at 8pm on TRACE Naija (DStv channel 325), on Sept. 3 at 8pm on TRACE Africa (DStv channel 326) and on Sept. 4 at 10pm on TRACE Mziki. It will also be available worldwide on these days, on these channels via TracePlay, TRACE’s SVOD platform.
The two-part music documentary “Afrobeats, from Nigeria to the world” retraces the socio-economic, historical and musical aspects of the biggest African phenomenon of these past 50 years.
Afrobeat is a multifaceted style of music initiated by Nigerian legend Fela Kuti. Today, the modern term Afrobeats, refers to a sound that has been adopted around the world and gained a ubiquitous presence on the radio, TV, social media and on the dancefloors of most nightclubs around the world.
Afrobeats has achieved mainstream success outside of Africa, with big names in the music industry such as Drake, Chris Brown, Alicia Keys, Jidenna, MHD, Booba, Maître Gims and Major Lazer collaborating with African superstars.
Apart from this, new generation key players such as Wizkid, D’Banj & Tiwa Savage are signing international record deals.
Questions arise: What exactly is Afrobeat? How did this music genre impose its style so rapidly? Where does it come from? Who are its founders? And most importantly, what does this new wave of sound mean for the future of the music industry?
In order to get answers to all of these questions, TRACE travelled for 4 years around Europe, Africa and in the USA to collect over 40 testimonies from the movement’s key actors among whom are Davido, J Martins, Psquare, D’Banj, Bracket, Skales, Akon, Femi Kuti, Flavour, Jidenna, Yemi Alade, MHD, Niska, Sidiki Diabaté, Fuse ODG, Sarkodie, Wizzboy, Eddy Kenzo, Youssou N’Dour, Passi, Mafikizolo, Khuli Chana, Cassper Nyovest, Banky W and many others.
Hugo Claveau, writer and director of the documentary says “This movie is the result of meticulous work. It’s about over 40 interviews collected by our team on 3 continents, for almost 5 years. TRACE has a privileged place at the center of African contemporary music worldwide. This place allows us to follow daily and in an exclusive way, the evolution of Afrobeat today. Originally Nigerian and now African, we have tried to understand how over the years, Afrobeat has become the soundtrack of Africa and a worldwide phenomenon.”
Olivier Laouchez, CEO, Chairman and co-founder declares “Fela Kuti and Tony Allen’s Afrobeat has opened the doors for today’s “Afrobeats” – a musical style that has evolved with its era and which continues to deliver a message of emancipation and celebration of African pride. From Lagos to Paris by way of New York and Joburg, this music leads the way for today’s urban youth in their everyday life. TRACE had to pay tribute to it.”
The first part of the documentary will be broadcast on Sept. 3 at 8pm on TRACE Naija (DStv channel 325), on Sept. 3 at 8pm on TRACE Africa (DStv channel 326) and on Sept. 4 at 10pm on TRACE Mziki. It will also be available worldwide on these days, on these channels via TracePlay, TRACE’s SVOD platform.
More info here
Watch the trailer bellow.