The UK Official Charts Company has inaugurated Britain’s first independent Afrobeats singles chart. The Afrobeats chart was created in recognition of the genre’s influence on the British population.
The inauguration of the chart will be unveiled in a special The Official UK Afrobeats Show on BBC Radio 1Xtra. This will take place on Sunday, July 26. It would feature a range of hosts and artists from across the globe.
While speaking on the landmark development, Mark Stripple, Head of Programmes at BBC Radio 1Xtra said the Afrobeats chart was “long overdue.”
“1Xtra has been committed to championing the Afrobeats scene since our formation and we’re excited to support the launch of the first-ever UK Afrobeats Chart”.
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Kofi ‘Funkz’ Kyei of MOVES Recordings, part of the team that created the new chart also had this to say.
“It has been amazing to witness over the past decade the sheer growth in African music being welcomed by the UK and the international market. A scene that defines a culture, a people, and countless generations. Its music has soundtracked underground culture for years, being the go-to sound in clubs, parties and communities in a way that’s shaped our very culture.
“For too long, Afrobeats artists have had to work tirelessly to get their voices heard and now African music/Afrobeats is finally being seen as a leading sound that global superstars turn to on a regular basis.
The Official UK Afrobeats Chart will help open up the culture to new audiences. Giving emerging artists the opportunity to be heard whilst celebrating the sound of a continent that has gone global. Its importance can’t be measured and I look forward to celebrating the biggest and best tracks each and every week.”
Afrobeats (not to be confused with Afrobeat) was pioneered by Fela Anikulapo Kuti. This new development would give artists of the genre a larger audience they so deserve.
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