Vice President of the Foundation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP), Mel Kwesi Davis
Vice President of the Foundation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP), Mel Kwesi Davis, has refuted claims that Afrobeats is losing steam.
He has insisted that the genre is not declining but rather undergoing a critical phase of industrial transformation.
Speaking in an interview on AsaasePa, Mel Kwesi Davis emphasised that Afrobeats remains a dominant global sound but is currently at a crossroads that demands the active involvement of its original creators.
He urged industry stakeholders to adapt to the ongoing changes or risk being left behind.
“Industrially, Afrobeats is going through a certain transition, and we should make ourselves relevant to that transition. It hasn’t been around for that long, yet it’s made such a global impact,” he said.
Mel Kwesi Davis also talked about how major music streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, and Boomplay have influenced the trajectory of Afrobeats, shaping how it is curated, consumed, and promoted globally.
According to him, these platforms have played a major role in pushing Afrobeats to the top of global charts, but without the involvement of the genre’s originators.
“Because they created the algorithm, they decide what kind of music rises. For four years, Afrobeats was dominating, while genres like reggae and hip-hop were in the background. They saw Afrobeats as a profitable product,” he explained.
He also pointed out that high-profile collaborations such as Ed Sheeran with Fuse ODG, Chris Brown with Davido, and Jason Derulo with other Afrobeats artistes have helped the genre cross over into international markets.
But despite these milestones, he expressed concern that African creatives are being excluded from key decision-making processes that affect the genre’s future.
“The commercialisation is happening, but we, the people producing the music, are not part of the boardroom conversations. If we don’t show up in this transition, we’ll be sidelined in an industry we built,” he added.
AK/EB
