Nigerian music producer Olumide Ogunlade, popularly known as ID Cabasa, has warned about the subconscious influence of R&B on Afrobeats.
While appearing on the Sunday edition of Channels TV’s Rubbin’ Minds, he expressed concerns that Nigerian artistes are gradually losing their cultural identity in a quest to appeal to international audiences.
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Admitting the positives of the diaspora effect, he said, “There’s a good part to the attention Afrobeats is getting from the West. Many young Nigerian producers are learning new sounds and improving production quality. But the impact of international influence on our cultural identity is a concern we can’t ignore.”
Pointedly expressing his concern, Cabasa clarified that Afrobeats now sounds more like R&B, with many contemporary Afrobeats songs incorporating R&B elements such as vocal styles, chord progressions, and production techniques.
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“The West is now sounding more like Afrobeats, while we’re sounding more like R&B. That’s the real concern. It’s scary. I almost think we’ve already lost part of it,” he said
Cabasa didn’t hold back when he bemoaned the growing trend of Afrobeats stars residing abroad and charging in foreign currencies.
Reimagined classics
He noted that these reimagined versions remind the new generation of artistes not to lose themselves in the quest for international recognition, and to stay true to the roots of Afrobeats.
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“That’s why I keep doing what I’m doing, reimagining classics to remind this new generation of artistes not to lose themselves. Don’t abandon who you are just to fit in,” he said.
To support his Afrobeats reimagined version, Cabasa has released his reimagined version of Styl-Plus’s hit, ‘Olufunmi’ and 9ice’s ‘Photocopy’.
He credited rapper Olamide as the inspiration behind his decision to reimagine classic Afrobeats songs.
He said, “It all started from a conversation with Olamide. We talked about how people abroad are trying to hijack the Afrobeats narrative, saying they named and shaped it. That’s when Olamide said, ‘Maybe we should bring back the sounds that shaped this thing.’ That idea resonated with me, and I created an entire body of work around it,” he said
Tems
He celebrated contemporary artisets like Tems for reintroducing classics to a new audience and noted that sampling old sounds preserves our culture.
READ ALSO: Why identity crisis among Afrobeats singers needs to be addressed – ID Cabasa
“Tems winning with ‘Love Me Jeje’ (originally by Seyi Sodimu in 1999) that’s cultural. It’s storytelling. Sampling brings familiarity and emotional connection. Instead of sampling foreign music, why not revive our rich catalogue?” Cabasa noted.
Lately, several top Nigerian artistes have reimagined Afrobeats classics like Tems with Seyi Sodimu’s ‘Love Me Jeje,’ Rema with Sade’s ‘Is It a Crime’, Burna Boy with Soul II Soul’s ‘Back to Life’, and Joeboy with Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’
Lately, Premium Times reported how Cabassa addressed Akon’s claims of his influence on AfroBeats. He called him out and corrected the anomalies in his statement. Cabassa has always stood his ground in defending AfroBeats.
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