African electronic dance music is amongst the most appealing genres currently available on the market. This is largely due to the hypnotic qualities of the tunes which have a tendency to take people into a state of blissful relaxation. This makes this form of music very enticing for a lot of people who would love to experience such a dynamic nature in their live performances. Unfortunately, not many aficionados are aware that the genre actually originated from Africa. So here is a little bit on the history of this unique music.
drummers form the bulk of the group known as the Drink Mix. The most prominent figure in this group is percussionist/singer Afriyie du Patche. She has gone on to influence many other musicians including the producers Akon and Mos Def. The origin of many of the sounds used in Afriy’s music can be traced to her native West African country of Ghana. During her early years there she would spend countless hours learning traditional percussion instruments from the elders and then adapting them to sit along with the beats found in traditional African music.
With such dedication and skill, she eventually formed a group with several other African electronic dance musicians which became known as the Drink Mix. During this time, the group was frequently featured on many television shows which led to the worldwide exposure of the genre. Within a short period, it was clear that the tide was turning and that the Ghanaian music scene was becoming increasingly popular in the worldwide DJ and audio industry.
The next major break for the band came when Kasia Keramy and Flea of Kasasa Keramy’s band got together with Nigerian artist Ashanti. The two decided to form a new band called Akon and Flea, after Kasia and Flea moved to America to pursue music careers. The first single from the new band was called Dokana and it quickly went to number one in the U.S.A. It was while doing promotions for this single that Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowles decided to sign the band to their own record labels in order to help the singles further their careers. Within a few weeks of being signed, the duo hit the U.K. and released their first single entitledasia.
Within a year the band had built a large fan base in Africa and began to tour the U.K. with their full band. They were successful in both Africa and Europe and they even made their way to Hollywood where they began to perform and gained a record deal. This was the start of a very lucrative career for Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowles. Their first major label deal came with the release of their third single titled Boom. The song was a huge success and the single stayed at the top of the U.S. charts for three weeks straight.
Two years later the band celebrated their four-decade mark with their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. They received a standing ovation from the audience and were nominated for Grammys in both the Best Rock And Roll Album and Best Rap Album. This was a moment that the entire world could know and appreciate the unique sound that African American music has to offer. Now the next step was to sign big name artist such as 50 cents, Luther Vandross and many others to expand their empire and make music that would sell in the U.S. and throughout the world. This made things much easier for everyone involved including the fans who are still waiting for the next great album by one of these talented and creative artists.
Hip hop, pop, R&B and jazz are just a few of the many different styles that African American dance music takes shape into. In addition to these styles there are also more experimental styles that have developed over the years. For example break dance and experimental dance music have become very popular in recent years. These new dance styles were made popular by acts such as Akon and Britney Spears.
African American electronic dance music continues to grow and evolve. listeners and collectors are only just beginning to discover and understand the talent that is put into creating these masterful and unique sounds. Thanks to the hard work of the musicians and artists that make up this musical genre there is no stopping this progression. It is only a matter of time before this new sound takes over the radio and is as popular as any other type of music.
