M. anifest criticizes use of ‘Afro’ prefix for African music

Ghanaian rapper Kwame Ametepe Tsikata, known professionally as M. anifest, has criticized the widespread trend of using the prefix ‘Afro’ to label African musical genres and their modern derivatives. Speaking on the African Imagery Podcast, the artist argued that this habit risks limiting the creativity of African musicians and stifling their ability to innovate. He stated, “Every genre we create doesn’t have to be ‘Afro’ something. We can create new forms. We have to let our imaginations run free.”

The use of the ‘Afro’ prefix has a historical context in the continent's music. Guy Warren, also known as Kofi Ghanaba, was an early pioneer who coined ‘Afro-Jazz’ to describe his fusion of jazz with Afro-Caribbean drumming. This preceded the development of Afrobeat by Fela Kuti.

While terms like ‘Afro-pop’ became established in the 1980s and ‘Afrobeats’ gained significant international popularity in the mid-2000s, the current trend of applying the prefix to nearly all new styles has drawn criticism from artists seeking to establish distinct identities for their creative works.