Afrobeats musicians want to disembark in Ottawa with their music.
Photo: Lee Pigott
There are some beats that transcend space, time, and particularly any preconceptions people may have, and one of them is Afrobeats, some of the most intense, soul-reaching music you can find. In fact, you can listen to it in many other beats as a sub product of an artist’s imagination since most modern music is influenced one way or the other by those drums, flutes, and spirits present in this style.
A lot of both Canadian and American artists have learned a lot from this “Afrobeat”. Actually, there is much of this sort of “African Soul” present on social media today. Since a great number of Afrobeats artists create their music using sound effects especially designed for social media use, their beats are present in most of the videos on TikTok, Instagram, and even the old Facebook, now Meta.
It was only a matter of time before it disembarked in Canada, specifically Ottawa, and there is a group of musicians who are very interested in bringing those beats with them.One above all, the young man known as KAR33M, with a great reputation in the city due to his intense and quite engaging performances, is fighting more than anyone to create some room in the Ottawa musical repertoire for Afrobeats.
But he’s not alone. There’s quite a group of artists that have plowed the way so they can have an easier time. We are talking about great artists like the immortal Fela Kuti, who introduced Nigerian and mostly African music not only to the United States, but almost to all the American Continent. His mixture of blues, jazz, funk, and traditional “Yoruba” music was the perfect transition for people to start knowing this art form that not only has the “chill” everybody was looking for back in the 70’s, but it’s also quite present in many gatherings, as some of its mutations like lounge, or Bossa Nova.
The arrival of Nigerian music
Even though Abdul Muse, AKA KAR33M, is quite far from his natal Nigeria, his landing in Canada had a lot to do with the spirit that Afrosoul has to transmit. At only 13 years old, this musician had to define his style and he admits that his first steps weren’t in the direction of Afrobeats, getting attached to many other styles before finding his essence in R&B and Afrosoul. Something in his roots told him that was the way.
Now he fights to bring Nigerian music to a higher reputation within the styles present not only in Ottawa but within the whole country. Since this is some sort of “fertile ground” for such music, Muse believes that once most of the Afrobeats musicians within the country find their foothold, they will surely have the confidence to start creating their own albums, writing songs that inspire and bring some of their culture to a country that is quite receptive to these new ideas.
In particular when it turns out that what is being “imported” is one of the best “chilling” beats one can listen to, which is perhaps the main reason for its appeal worldwide. It’s too early to call it a “victory”, but what’s clear in this effort made by musicians like KAR33M and many others, is that eventually Nigerian music and Afrobeats as a movement will become a common thing in Canada, but more precisely in Ottawa, where more and more young people get into this genre for good.
Time to listen to something new.
The Muse says he’s quite tired of walking down the streets of Ottawa and listening to the same beats over and over again. Because usually you walk around and it’s—I love Ed Sheeran, but it’s typically Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift. Let’s open up, let’s listen to some new things. Let’s adapt. Because Africa is taking over the world, “expressed the young musician as a synthesis of his crusade.”
He’s quite convinced that there’s a whole world of Afrobeats in the streets of Canada, but he s just waiting to find the right setting to “go out”. Eventually, more and more listeners will get to their beats. At least on Spotify, their numbers are growing, and of course, this causes more traction not only for the music, such as the tracks that Muse creates, but also for other artists of the genre wanting to emerge.
The horizon is clear and, of course, there are sources that are exploited by these pioneers of this genre in Canada, and one of those is social media, without a doubt the best platform to show their music to the world. Since there’s a growing number of teenagers joining these platforms, and Afrobeats have that magic they want in their videos, particularly when they want to show themselves enjoying the summer with friends in a “chilling” place.
In times when this kind of music, which evokes good sensations and happiness, is more and more needed, it’s only a matter of time before their music starts making a great impression on a great number of Canadians, and of course, most bars, concerts, and the streets themselves, will be covered in the music that comes from the “cradle of civilization”, to tell a story of peace, brotherhood, and support in hard times.