How Afrobeats has become an unstoppable musical force
Afrès, which translates roughly to “sad melodies”, is a brand new Nigerian music phenomenon. Afrobeats, the name means “sad melodies”, is a genre that revolves around the melancholy and introspective elements of a number of different types of music and art. The genre’s sound is known for its emotive lyrics, a unique use of drums and bass, and its distinct use of Afrobeat as a part of its vocabulary.
“A lot of the music that I listen to is inspired by my life so I think that’s what makes music different from others,” says Afrobeats musician, Thekla Adu-Coker. “My life is constantly moving forwards and you can always be in a state of transition and my music reflects that,” she explains.
Afrès is the brain child of Adu-Coker, a Nigerian-British, musician, and singer living in London. Originally from Nigeria, she now spends most of her time playing guitar in her own band, and has created a number of original Afrobeats tracks and collaborated with other artists within the genre.
In addition to Adu-Coker, Afrobeats has gained a strong female following and has inspired a number of young musicians within the genre, notably, Zola to the rescue, whose music has featured on the soundtracks of popular movies such as The Fast and the Furious and Kill Bill.
Thekla Adu-Coker of Afrobeats
Describing music is a tricky job, but Thekla Adu-Coker seems to have excelled in the creation of Afrobeats. The self-proclaimed “fascinated with the human condition”, as she describes it, has been at the forefront of Afrobeats since the first wave of musicians began to take to the stage at the African International Jazz & Blues Festival in Lagos in 2014.
The first Afrobeats concerts took place at the now defunct African Cultural Centre and,