French-Nigerian artists team up to craft future hits

Will the next global hits from Nigeria have a French accent? Perhaps. Nine French rap, pop and urban music composers recently joined forces with Afrobeats artists to produce 60 tracks for international audiences.

In under a week, French, English, Nigerian Pidgin and Creole blended in musical melodies for future hits at the premises of renowned Nigerian label Mavin Records in the economic and cultural hub, Lagos.

The label produces Afrobeats stars such as Rema, Ladipoe, Ayra Starr and Magixx.

"If one or two songs hit like Ayra Starr's 'Rush' or Rema's 'Calm Down' then we would have achieved it all," said Akotchaye Okio, the director of international artists' rights group Sacem, which organised the camp in collaboration with the French embassy and Mavin Records.

The Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers (Sacem) has hosted similar tie-ups outside Africa, showcasing different musical genres in the United States, France, South Korea and the Netherlands.

Afrobeats, which blends traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, has become one of the most popular genres in the world, driven largely by the Nigerian diaspora.

Born in the 1970s through the influence of Fela Kuti, regarded as the father of Afrobeats, the genre continues to attract a global audience.

After the camp, Mavin Records' artists will "choose the beats they prefer and record over them", said Okio, in the waiting room at the record label's offices, a building decorated with posters and gold and diamond plaques from its heavyweights.

Nigerian and French artists were divided into groups according to themes.

In one of the studios, French producer PSK, whose real name is Maxime Pasquier, and his Nigerian counterpart Dunnie Alexandra Lawal produced several tracks together.

Like some of the other participants, the 21-year-old Frenchman, who had always yearned for an international collaboration, had never been to Africa.

"What I found interesting and different from the way we work in France is how people let songs carry them away," said PSK, who has worked with major French artists such as Ninho, Jok'Air and Genezio.

"They explore their ideas much further" to compose songs that are both mellow and rhythmic, the beatmaker and pianist said.

Creative collaboration

Mavin Records' singer and songwriter Elestee, whose real name is Treasure Apiafi Banigo, fine-tuned the compositions.

"This song with the piano puts you in a good mood while also making you thoughtful. I could listen to it at six in the morning while driving, with a smile on my face. The audience will love it," she said.

For Lawal, the collaborations can only be positive.

"Afrobeats might have originated in west Africa, but the future of Afrobeats is international," the Nigerian producer said.

Kizito Ahams, a senior licensing and publishing manager at Mavin Records, said such collaborations met a growing demand for Afrobeats on the international scene, especially in France.

Tie-ups between French and Nigerian artists have soared in recent years.

Last year, Tiakola and Asake released the track "Badman Gangsta", while Joe Dwet File and Burna Boy enjoyed a huge success with their hit "4 Kampe II".

"In every release, when you look at the top of the charts, there is always a track influenced by Afro sounds, especially Afrobeats" in France, said 24-year-old French producer Nassim Diane, also known as Voluptyk.

He attributes the vibrancy of the Nigerian music scene to the talent of the artists and the important role music plays in everyday life in the country.

"There's music everywhere. As soon as you arrive, it's on the buses, in the hotels. It is everywhere. It's truly a country of music," he said.

For Shannon, a singer-songwriter from Martinique, one of the most important parts of the camp was the bridging of different styles that are rarely mashed up, such as Afrobeats and Shatta, a Caribbean mix of dancehall, trap and electronic sounds -- to open up new creative paths.

"It blends together beautifully," she said.