Published
Tue, Jan 18, 2022, 14:00
- Author Christian Adofo has created a playlist for RA.
A new book about the rise of Afrobeats is coming out in February.
A Quick Ting On Afrobeats is the debut book by writer, creative director and radio host Christian Adofo, who is based in London and of Ghanaian descent. It looks at "the music of the African diaspora and their children, delving into how Afrobeats and its sub-genres have provided new articulations of Black identity and pride," according to the blurb.
"I've felt a sense of freedom stepping into the abyss of the unknown," Adofo told Resident Advisor, "researching academic journals, seminal books from past masters on the origins of African music and finding myself in the depths of YouTube channels with users who have become inadvertent digital archivists on popular culture connecting Africa and its communities within the diaspora."
Adofo defines Afrobeats as the "youngest offspring [of Afrobeat] which acknowledges the past via classic samples and familiar drum patterns in hybrid electronic form whilst deeply maintaining the sentiment of African pride." He has provided RA with a playlist running from Afrobeat classics to the Afrobeats of now and back again.
Adofo's book is the eighth in the A Quick Ting On series, which launched in 2020 and has so far explored themes such as grime, plantain, the Black girl afro and Black British businesses.
Listen to the playlist and buy A Quick Ting On Afrobeats here.
