Afrobeats must stand the test of time – Zaaki Azzay

File photo: Zaaki Azzay

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Veteran musician Zaaki Azzay has urged Nigerian artistes to take responsibility for preserving Afrobeats’ global dominance, warning that the genre could suffer the same fate as reggae and dancehall in Jamaica. In an interview with Saturday Beats, Azzay expressed admiration for the new generation of artistes and openness to collaborations.

“I am very open to collaborating with young artistes. I respect them; their sound is amazing. They follow trends and are very talented,” he said.

He cautioned that Afrobeats must avoid mistakes he believes Jamaican artistes made with reggae and dancehall.

“I don’t want what happened with Jamaican music to happen to Afrobeats. They didn’t evolve reggae properly; otherwise, it would still compete globally today. Afrobeats is on the centre stage now; we must manage it properly so it stands the test of time. We should constantly improve, evolve, and feature artistes from other countries to expand our reach.”

On younger artistes remaking classics from his generation, Azzay expressed appreciation. “It’s always an honour when young artistes remake your songs, often making them even better. It brings older hits back into the spotlight. But it must be done properly — you need permission and proper negotiation.”

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