Ghanaian dancehall musician Stonebwoy, in an earlier interview on the +44 Podcast with Sideman & Zeze Millz in May 2023, stated that he is the originator of the “Afro Dancehall” genre in Ghana.
According to the “Jejereje” hitmaker, he coined the term Afro-Dancehall 10 years ago, following his re-entry into the music industry around 2007.
Stonebwoy explained, “It is literally broken down as Afrobeat and dancehall. It is very simple in that context. I am very confident that I coined this name more than a decade ago, and I have been living up to it till today.”
Read the full story originally published on May 15, 2023:
Ghanaian musician Stonebwoy has taken pride in being the originator of the Afro-Dancehall genre, a space that has inspired many young musicians.
The award-winning singer, regarded as one of Ghana’s biggest musical exports, expressed his fulfillment in witnessing the growth and widespread adoption of Afro-Dancehall tunes.
“It is literally broken down as Afrobeat and dancehall. It is very simple in that context. I am only very confident enough to have coined this name more than a decade ago, and I have been living up to it till today.
“I believe that it is a very beautiful space to be in. It will interest you to know that there are tons of African youths who are into the Afro-Dancehall style and who pay a lot of respect to the name Stonebwoy for being a fierce force and pushing this to the world,” the dancehall musician elaborated in the interview.
According to Stonebwoy, Afro-Dancehall was born when he received a musical calling back in 2007.
He said it took careful thought and hard work to create the perfect name for a genre that combines African sounds with dancehall rhythms.
“My history with Afro-Dancehall is that I should be, you know what they say, that an idea is not in one man’s head, it will interest you to know that I have been pushing Afro-Dancehall as a coin, as a term, from the early days when I started my career, even before I officially launched. It was the calling I had. I sat and wondered what I was going to call it, and as far back as 2007 and 2008, I have been about it,” he added.
The hitmaker has continued to make waves following the release of his 17-track album, ‘5th Dimension,’ in April 2023.
Stonebwoy was also adjudged Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste at the 24th edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA).
JHM/MA
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