- Nigerian singer Flavour has revealed that he is not an Afrobeats artiste
- The singer said the media should focus not only on pushing Afrobeats but also on African music
- Pushing only Afrobeats is limiting Africans, Flavour buttressed
Nigerian singer Chinedu Okolie, known as Flavour, has addressed the media for concentrating mainly on Afrobeats music genre.
The 40-year-old singer opined that the media ought to cover and push every aspect of African music and culture, not only Afrobeats.
In a recently released podcast called Afrobeats podcast, the host, in a video, on August 20, asked Flavour if he always felt bad when people didn't mention his name among artistes pushing African culture.
“I don't. Trust me, I don’t because what you guys are talking about mostly is Afrobeats. I am not an Afrobeats artiste. What I am doing is African music. There is Fali pupa and there are others guys.
These guys must not be Afrobeats. Most times, the media just talks about Afrobeats, they are not talking about African music. If you talk about African music, of course you will mention my name.”
Flavour, who began his music career as a drummer in church, also noted that the responsibility of pushing African music is saddled on the shoulders of the media.
According to him, Africa as a whole has gained significant popularity and it is left for the media to promote every aspect of it.
“I will always say this to the media, I know Afrobeats is popping and we are trying to but I don't just think Afrobeats is popular but Africa as a whole. The culture, the fashion and everything about Africa is popular.
We have to push all but if we are pushing only Afrobeats, we are limiting ourselves. Very soon, I mean it's almost time. You could see everybody is denying it. I'm not this, I don't want to be.”
Flavour is a highlife Igbo singer best known for his hit song Nwa Baby Remix. The singer has been active in the Nigerian music industry since 2005.
Reactions to Flavour comments on Afrobeats music genre
TheRadar curated some below:
@chameleon_fr said, “Is African music not Afrobeats?”
@pablotimsonTN wrote, “Ghen ghen everybody don dey talk one by one.”
@Mrhamtech said, “Is not a ghen ghen issue. How do you include an artiste whose sounds resonate around eastern tunes as afrobeats? I knew a day will come when the majority of them will speak up. Let’s drop the sentiment & be factual.”
@SimplyOrah said, “They won’t drag him now. but when Wizkid said the same thing the other day they dragged him like a generator.”
@Hashem4life commented, “Flavour I feel you. When the media talk about African music then you will mention me. This is what wiz was telling y'all about a couple of months ago. Don't box me.”
@Thonie_escobar said, “Oya na, make everybody dey claim one one.”
@Gen08138 said, “Crazy how those who are supposed to be promoting “Afrobeats” genre are distancing themselves from it. SA artistes claim Amapiano with their full chest, Jamaican artists carry Reggae on their head but we don’t want ours cos we want to be seen as Drake and co.”
“Afrobeats was getting boring,” Rema shares inspiration behind ‘HEIS’ production
Earlier, TheRadar reported that Nigerian Afrobeats singer Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema said his recent project ‘HEIS’ was inspired by the recent boredom of Afrobeats.
During a recent interview with Apple Music on July 17, he shared this thought as an inspiration behind his latest album, which is different from what fans are used to.
