‘Make Afroswing Great Again’, read the signs hanging from the ceiling at HERE @ Outernet on Saturday. The Presidential style of campaign production was fitting for such an epic night of music, with guests waving signs, lights and flags to celebrate the moment. A momentous night to mark the influence of Afroswing in music; from the genre's development in the 2010's to the global impact of Afroswing today. The genre can be described as a blend of Afrobeats, Afro-pop, rap, R&B, dancehall, and grime.
The event on Saturday the 15th of July, endorsed by NSG, JAE5 and Steel Banglez, was a gift that kept on giving. The audience were blessed with many unexpected special guest performances, all showcasing their most known Afroswing songs. For anyone that was not already aware of Afroswing's greatness, this truly put into perspective how profound the genre is, as the crowd was reminded how many of their favourite tracks fall into the category. The following artists performed on the night: Vianni, T Mulla, Deno, Ramz, Not3s, Kojo Funds, Young T & Bugzy, Darkoo, One Acen and of course NSG, who brought Geko and Tion Wayne on stage with them. The final performance from NSG brought a special vibe; it was truly a moment of admiration, as all the artists came together on stage and showed the upmost respect for each other and their music, as they danced unitedly. We asked NSG about their experience at the event:
"That motive was really important to us, we got all the people that played a big part in the Afroswing movement to perform. It's big and good for UK culture, it's feel good music, it brings people together, people dance, and we needed something like that, that's why we put on a free show so people come, vibe and enjoy. Afroswing will always be great as long as we, NSG, are releasing music and collectively other artists are also releasing music in that genre. It was phenomenal, everyone there had a great time, everyone came with good vibes and that's what the genre is about, good vibes, vibes that stem from the motherland, Africa".
- Exclusive statement from NSG.
Kruddz NSG on stage. Photography by Cameron Spencer @cspencerofficial
Kojo Funds, a pioneer of and crowned King of Afroswing in 2017 by Crack magazine, describes Afroswing as “a mix of different genres". According to PR company Mn2S, the genre was first verbally labelled by Kojo Funds. He went on to tell Crack magazine that with "Dancehall and Afrobeats, you get a new jack swing vibe and RnB vibe mixed in as well. That’s the ‘swing’ part of it, and there’s no one else in the scene doing it except me. I’m not trying to be defined as an Afrobeats artist". Kojo Funds' talent is undeniable... including his stage presence; his confidence shone through his performance last Saturday, showcasing not only his voice but dance moves and charisma towards the end of his set.
Since Kojo Funds' statement was made in 2017, Afroswing has seen a propelled growth within the UK, becoming a genre we hear in the top spaces of the mainstream charts, with songs such as J Hus ft Drake "Who Told You" reaching 2nd place in the UK Top 40 Official Charts. Grammy Award winning producer JAE5, has undeniably played an integral part of pioneering and developing the Afroswing genre, with an extensive portfolio of some of the biggest songs in modern British history and producing a huge percentage of Afroswing's most-loved tracks. The British Ghanian producer is the man behind tracks such as Dave and Burna Boy's "Location", NSG's "Options", and J Hus's "Did You See". JAE5 helped open the door for heritage-embracing British African artists, including J Hus, who is his 'partner in crime'. The two talented musicians have a long-standing relationship and profound musical chemistry which is the foundation of their joint success of albums "Common Sense" and "Big Conspiracy", executively produced by JAE5.
Photography by Cameron Spencer @cspencerofficial
An especially moving moment of the evening, was the introduction given by Ramz, as he expressed a heartfelt message to the crowd about how his life changed from the success of releasing "Barking", a cherished Afroswing favourite, which currently has 469 million Spotify streams. He spoke out to the crowd:
“thanks to everyone who played this song in their spare time, you’re the reason why my life changed”.
On a side-note, this is a sign for every artist to persevere, as that song you question the release of, could be the song to change your life.
The event was not only a vibe, but an important moment in musical history, to show appreciation to the spectacular artists that carved the way of Afroswing and to raise a toast to the exciting future of the genre. As said by W1zzy Frenchboi, artist and host of the evening "Afroswing has come a long way and made serious wave during it’s prime, so I think it’s only right to bring the golden culture back. Seeing the artist, hosts and DJs come together and celebrate was dope, definitely looking forward to see how the campaign flourishes".
"Being able to host the 'Make Afroswing Great Again' concert was an honour and sick experience, when I got the invite from NSG I couldn’t refuse an opportunity to represent the culture, vibes were correct".
- W1zzy Frenchboi, artist and host.
"To see the younger generations come together and put on a free show at the HERE @ Outernet in central London was absolutely exceptional and was only superseded by the energy the in venue. I genuinely felt the a real unity within my community at NSG’s MAGA Campaign!"
- Julien Matthew @onepoint1, Artist Liaison on the night (Event Programmer & Artist Manager)
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