Let me settle this once and for all, because many people keep confusing “Afrobeat” with “Afrobeats,” and that confusion is the reason bloggers keep throwing misleading answers around the internet. If you’ve ever wondered who the real father of Afrobeats is, I want you to sit with me on this one, because I’m about to give you the most original, honest, and clear explanation you’ll ever read on this topic.
And trust me, by the time you finish this article, you’ll not only understand the roots of this sound — you’ll also see why the entire music conversation online has been getting this part wrong for years.
Understanding the difference between Afrobeat and Afrobeats
Before we even go into who the father of Afrobeats is, let me start by making something very clear: Afrobeat is not the same thing as Afrobeats. Most people group these two together because they sound similar, but the genres are worlds apart.
Afrobeat (no “s”) is the genre created by Fela Anikulapo Kuti. It was built on live instruments, long spiritual performances, jazz, funk, highlife, and strong political messages. Afrobeat was Fela’s weapon — his sound was rebellion, consciousness, and truth.
Afrobeats (with “s”) is the modern Nigerian pop explosion. It is the sound of today — Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Rema, Asake, Kizz Daniel, Olamide, and the entire movement dominating global charts.
Afrobeats is digital. It is diverse. It borrows from anything that works — R&B, dancehall, pop, amapiano, hip hop, highlife, and even trap. It is catchy, groovy, and globally friendly.
So, even though Afrobeats grew from the soil that Fela watered, Fela himself did not create Afrobeats. He created Afrobeat.
So who is the father of Afrobeats?
Now here is where I shift the narrative from what most blogs say. The truth is simple:
Nobody is the father of Afrobeats.
Yes, — that’s the truth that many people won’t say out loud.
Afrobeats was not created by one single person. It was a cultural evolution, a collective movement, a gradual transformation of Nigerian music from highlife to hip hop, to R&B fusion, to global pop dominance.
Afrobeats was shaped by many hands, many sounds, many eras, and many artists. That is why claiming that a single artist “fathered” Afrobeats is not just inaccurate — it removes the contributions of the countless pioneers who shaped our modern sound.
But what about Fela Kuti?
Let me make this part clear. Even though Fela is not the father of Afrobeats, he is the foundation that made everything possible.
Fela is the father of Afrobeat — the genre that inspired the identity, confidence, rhythm, and energy that Afrobeats grew from. Without Fela, the world might not have looked at African music the same way.
But the fact still remains: Fela is the father of Afrobeat, not Afrobeats.
If you want to understand how that foundation affects the biggest artists of today, you can check my in-depth analysis on who is the biggest Afrobeats artist, where I broke down how today’s stars carry a piece of that legacy into their own global movement.
How Afrobeats truly began: The real origin story
To understand why nobody can claim the “father” title, you need to see how Afrobeats evolved over the decades. There was no single explosion — it was a slow rise through different phases and musicians who kept pushing the boundaries.
Early foundations: Highlife and hip-life influences
Before Afrobeats became the music we all enjoy today, Nigeria had a strong highlife culture. Artists like Rex Lawson, Victor Uwaifo, and Bobby Benson created a generation that loved rhythm, horns, and groove.
This highlife era slowly opened doors for the younger generation to experiment with hip hop, R&B, dancehall, and pop influences. The blend of African rhythm and Western music began shaping a new era entirely.
The 2000s breakthrough: The real birth of Afrobeats
This is the period where the modern Afrobeats sound started forming.
Artists like 2Baba, D’banj, Wande Coal, P-Square, MI Abaga, and Don Jazzy contributed massively to shaping the new pop sound. Their music did not sound like Fela. It was fresh, urban, digital, and exciting. This is the era where Afrobeats began to take shape.
This is why nobody in this era can be called “the father,” because Afrobeats was not created intentionally. It simply evolved naturally as the Nigerian audience accepted new sounds and influences.
The global era: Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy and co
Here is where Afrobeats truly became unstoppable. These guys didn’t start Afrobeats — they elevated it. They took the sound that was already forming, polished it, branded it, globalized it, and carried it to every corner of the world.
That is why the debate about the biggest artist today is so strong, and I addressed that fully here: who is the biggest Afrobeats artist.
But again, none of these stars fathered the genre. They became kings of their own eras, but Afrobeats had already begun building long before they stepped in.
So why do people keep calling Fela the father of Afrobeats?
The answer is simple: most people don’t truly understand the difference between Afrobeat and Afrobeats. Online writers picked up the wrong phrase and kept copying it from each other until it looked like the truth.
But the truth doesn’t change. Fela’s sound is Afrobeat — singular, instrumental, political, and spiritual. The modern sound is Afrobeats — plural, digital, commercial, and global.
The only connection between both genres is cultural influence, not direct creation.
Does Afrobeats even need a “father” at all?
To be honest with you, the modern Afrobeats movement is too big and too diverse to be credited to one person. Afrobeats didn’t start because someone invented it. Afrobeats started because Nigerians kept evolving the sound of their own music across generations.
What Afrobeats truly has are:
- Pioneers
- Influencers
- Builders
- Gate-openers
- Global carriers
But not one father.
Then who deserves the most credit for shaping Afrobeats?
If you want the most honest breakdown, the credit goes to several categories of people, not one person:
1. Fela — for giving African music identity and boldness
Even if he didn’t create Afrobeats, the confidence and originality that define Afrobeats come from him.
2. 2000s pioneers — for shaping the new sound
Artists like 2Baba, D’banj, Wande Coal, Don Jazzy, P-Square, MI, and Olu Maintain created the template for modern Afrobeats: catchy melodies, danceable beats, modern production, and global appeal.
3. The global three — for taking Afrobeats international
Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy did not father Afrobeats. They expanded it globally and became the new leaders of the movement. I covered that global influence deeply here: who is the biggest Afrobeats artist.
4. New school innovators — for turning Afrobeats into a global culture
People like Rema, Tems, Asake, Fireboy, Ayra Starr, Kizz Daniel, and Omah Lay are constantly reinventing Afrobeats and making sure it survives future generations.
So what exactly can we call Fela in this conversation?
Here is the correct title:
Fela is the father of Afrobeat and the spiritual foundation of Afrobeats.
That is the real truth. He didn’t create Afrobeats directly, but Afrobeats wouldn’t be what it is today without his influence, his confidence, or his global recognition as one of the greatest African musicians ever.
Connecting the origin to the modern kings
If you really want to see how Afrobeats evolved into the powerful sound ruling the world today, you can read my breakdown of who is the king of Afrobeats. That article helps you see exactly how Fela’s influence runs down into the modern generation, even if they are not singing Afrobeat.
Understanding the origin and evolution together gives you the full picture of how Nigeria became the center of global music today.
Final answer: Who is the father of Afrobeats?
Let me end this with the cleanest, clearest answer you’ll ever find:
No single person is the father of Afrobeats because it was not created by one man. It evolved through generations of Nigerian artists.
But Fela Anikulapo Kuti remains the father of Afrobeat and the most important foundational influence behind the Afrobeats movement.
That is the original, unbiased, and complete truth — and now you have it.
