Nigerian singer Divine Ikubor, better known as Rema, has emphasized the importance of maintaining Afrobeats’ cultural influence to ensure Nigeria’s continued dominance in the African music scene.
In an interview with Apple Music, Rema acknowledged the rise of the South African genre Amapiano in Nigeria but stressed the need for Nigerian artists to preserve the essence of Afrobeats.
“Amapiano is great, it is fire but there used to be a time when Afrobeats production used to be so insane that nothing can survive it in the clubs in Africa. I’m not saying we’ve lost that but I’m just saying that we need more of that. I don’t want us to go too far away from that. We need to sustain it,” he said.
Rema highlighted that his recently-released sophomore album, HeIs, draws significant inspiration from Afrobeats legends like Don Jazzy and the Mo’hits crew, 2Baba, Olamide, P-Square, and Timaya.
“I had to go back [while creating my new album]. I took a lot of inspiration from Mo’hits. For the first four seconds, when a Mo’hits’ song comes in, you already know it’s a Mo’hits’ song. Don Jazzy just goes crazy on the beat,” he added.
The artist’s call to action is a reminder to his peers about the rich legacy and powerful impact of Afrobeats on the global music stage.
