'Some people could adopt or hijack afrobeat if we are not smart' – Samklef

Music producer, Samklef has urged Nigerian artistes to consider focusing more on writing Afrobeat songs that will make listeners adore the genre rather than experimenting.

He cautioned musicians to avoid new, difficult-to-implement concepts that will lead to the end of afrobeat or possible hijackers by outsiders.

Speaking during an interview, Samklef who was responding to a question on what could be done to sustain the global momentum of the genre that originated in Nigeria.

He said;

“It is important to have sincerity of purpose in whatever one does. With the relevance and momentum afrobeats has now, we (entertainers) need to ask ourselves what we did for it to hit the mainstream. Thereafter, we can do more of what is working, stop what is not working and start what we think can work.

Otherwise, we won’t be able to sustain the buzz, or some people could adopt the sound and hijack it from us. If that happens, people will even forget where afro beats originated from.”

“Music is a universal language, and I believe that not all songs can be evergreen. Some songs are made to address situations, while some are solely for entertainment purposes.

Once in a while, some artistes would ‘catch a vibe’ and make music that would last, even after they are no longer alive. However, I do not believe that the days of good music and evergreen songs are gone. Artistes just need to calm down, and not be pressured to churn out trendy songs and make fast money. Some songs don’t even last for more than three months.”

“Humans face many challenges, and producers are not left out. Professionally, I would say the quest to be heard and seen is the biggest challenge of producers. Before now, producers were just heard.

Now, many producers are crossing over to make their own music, become stars and get more money. Staying relevant is another major challenge for producers.”