Beats in Afrobeats: History, Technique, Culture, and Global Relevance

Date and Time

Monday, January 13 2025 at 9:30 AM EST to

Wednesday, January 22 2025 at 12:30 PM EST

Location

Room 4 @ Fanny Peabody Music building

3 Oxford St Fanny Peabody Music Building, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

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Description

To enrol, scan the QR code on the poster/RSVP.

Course Description:

Afrobeats has recently garnered global attention and is recognized as a significant genre emerging from Africa, even receiving a category at the Grammy Academy Awards. However, many of its leading artists, particularly from Nigeria, view it as a fusion—a contemporary expression of Africanism. What exactly is ‘Afrobeats’, and who are its pioneers? In this course, we will explore the history of Afrobeats, tracing its origins and development. We will delve into the concept of beats/rhythms and their crucial role in shaping the genre’s unique style. Through workshops, students will create their own Afrobeats 'beats', examining the genealogy and evolution of rhythmic patterns. Finally, we will consider the cultural connections of Afrobeats through the 'beats' and how these relationships contribute to its global relevance.

Instructor: Sunday Oluwaseun Ukaewen is a PhD student in Music Theory at Harvard University, specializing in African music and popular music theories. His research explores rhythmic internality and externality in African popular music genres like Afrobeats, the role of tonality as text in African art music, and pitch transformation and tuning as performative acts in Yoruba Dundun drum traditions.

Enrollment Cap: N/A

Format: In-person

Dates: M/T/W January 13th-22nd, from 9:30am to 12:30pm

Categories

January@HarvardGriffinGSAS
GSC January@HarvardGriffinGSAS Mini-Course
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